Desperate to gain the support of voters, Hillary Clinton is handing out economic candy that, while it provides a quick rush, will end up leaving Americans feeling drained and worse off than they were before. I’m talking about the inane McCain-Clinton policy of the “gas tax holiday”, which economic experts agree will actually end up raising gasoline prices and redirecting government into big oil corporations’ bank accounts.
There is a huge consensus amongst economists that this inane “gas tax holiday” would hurt American consumers and make the federal budget deficit at the same time. Oh, but Hillary Clinton doesn’t worry about that. She says that, when it comes to the economy, she doesn’t need to listen to economists. She’ll just figure it all out on her own.
“I’m not going to put my lot in with economists,” says Clinton, who says that the judgment of experts who have years of economic education is just “elite opinion”.
Elite opinion?!? Well, yeah. These people heavily educated in economic matters, and the rest of us aren’t. That means that yes, when it comes to judgment on matters of managing the American economy, economic experts are truly an elite. That’s a good thing.
What kind of President would refuse to seek out the opinion of experts, just because she doesn’t like people who are at the top of their profession? I’ll tell you what kind of President – a President like George W. Bush. George W. Bush has spent the last 7 years telling us that he knows better than all the experts, directing his political appointees to overrule the professional judgments of expert scientists on matters such as global warming, sex education, and environmental protections.
Now, Hillary Clinton is pulling a Bush. She’s saying that if she’s elected President, she’ll just do whatever seems right to her with the American economy, regardless of what the economic experts say.
Call me an elitist if you like, but I say that’s just plain stupid and arrogant.
I understand that economists do not have a monopoly of insight when it comes to economic issues. Other voices besides economists need to have a say. However, that’s not what Hillary Clinton is talking about. She’s saying that on important issues like the cost of energy in America, she’s just not going to listen to economic experts because they’re elites in their field of work.
We need a President who is willing to listen to ordinary Americans and to experts who are the best in their fields. That’s a balance that has been missing in the White House… a balance that Barack Obama will restore, and a balance that Hillary Clinton seems to think that there’s no need for.
The lack of economic thought and common sense being exhibited by the two democratic candidates as they claw at each other for every last vote is the most worrying part of the current political campaign. It is probable that one of these two will take the white house in november, but unless they want to do irrevocable damage to the economy they need to be able to walk back from the rash promises they made to claw votes on the campaign trail…but the longer it takes to decide a nominee the harder it will be for them to change their positions.
Oh. A Centrist. Everyone thinks they’re a Centrist. Ever notice that?
I love your opening line: “The lack of economic thought and common sense being exhibited by the two democratic candidates…”
Wow. Did you not know that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are on opposite sides of this economic issue?
Did you not know that Hillary Clinton and John McCain are supporting the same cockamamie scheme that has been denounced as snake oil by economists?
Nope. Guess not. I guess that Centrists are called Centrists because they just talk off the top of their heads.