Wednesday, September 17, 2008

John McCain and the Economy: Doom and Gloom

After praising John McCain yesterday (I should know better), I am forced to note why he may yet LOSE this election.  Unlike President Bush, McCain has spending restraint instincts.  His record (Obama has no record) indicates that McCain will actually attempt to hold down government spending.  But McCain's instincts, as I said yesterday, are NOT truly conservative on domestic policy.  In other words, McCain is NOT truly a "limited government" guy, and is perfectly willing to accept the central planning idea that the Federal Government is responsible for both "fixing" our economy and for controlling the actions of large corporations (such as controlling the compensation of executives).
 
Thus, you have the ridiculous suggestion yesterday for a 9/11 type "commission" to figure out what to do with the economy.  Now Obama mocked this idea, when Obama himself has proposed "commissions on some FIVE separate "problems", including the economy.  That is the point.  This is a DMOECRATIC type "solutiion", and a Big Government "solution".  Such a "commission" would, by definition almost, be looking for Federal Government, central planning "solutions".  Bad Idea.  Terrible idea.  Central planning idea.
 
What did I tell McCain yesterday, if only he would listen to me?  I gave him the way to attack Obama, AND the "doom and gloom" people in this country.   There was nothing wrong with McCain's statement that the economy is "fundamentally strong, except McCain's compulsion to apologize for it.  No, I am NOT saying that McCain has to start defending how good the economy is.  He is right to not want to sound out of touch.  He needs to go on the ATTACK, as I did yesterday against the truly terrible media in this country.
 
Do Obama and the Democrats want to DESTROY this country?  In a way, I think they do, until they get themselves elected, after which they (falsely) think they can undo the damage.  What is a MAJOR part of economic health?  It is CONFIDENCE.  This idea that our economy is hopelessly bad, and that we are already in worse shape than the Great Depression, or any recent recession, DESTROYS confidence.  This constant doom and gloom, and panic, when the facts do not justify it, DESTROYS the economy.  That is what McCain needs to say.  He needs to say that the people preaching doom, gloom, and panic are doing their best to DESTROY the economy.  While McCain needs to say that he is sure they are not doing it on purpose (I am not so sure), he still needs to quote FDR:  "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
 
That means, McCain needs to say, that we need to be realistic about the major problems we face, but CLAM.  We have faced worse in the past, and we will face similar problems in the future--not, of course, during a McCain Presidency (chuckle), but we WILL face economic difficulties in the future. That is the nature of the economy.  It is never totally rosy, and it never does well forever.  If we panic at every sign of trouble, then we ARE doomed.  If we meet the problems with calm leadership, and perspective, without destroying our free market system that has served us so well, nistory shows that we will get through this stronger than before.  McCain can't afford to seem to be "oout of touch" with the difficulties, but neither can he out "doom and gloom" the Democrats (leftist type).  They have cornered the market on that insanity. 
 
McCain seems to want to jump on the "doom and gloom" bandwagon.  That is a MISTAKE.

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