By Gregg Houlden
I was thinking yesterday we hardly ever hear explanations as whats going wrong with our economy or Obama's fiscal policy in terms we can all understand. One of the great successes of the 2012 campaign for the DNC was Axelrod’s and his teams ability to get across the “Hope and still needs changing” theme to the great under informed voter at large. I might hate the guys politics but he managed a great team, developed strategies that delivered the message via every medium and totally glossed over the fact his boss was a liar and a cheat. Frankly, I am impressed. Wish I could say the same thing about Rove and his stupid white boards!
However, back to Economics. So forget Keynes and FDR's “New Deal”, forget the Gold Standard they all have merit to the conversation but to be honest, have no meaning to the low information voter. I thought I would try and explain in an analogy the basic concept behind the Obama's economic stimulus and recovery plan.
Analogy A (Aimed at Low Information women voters) The recovery driven bet!
Ms A...look at your partner, yes the one drinking beer in front of the game. Imagine he is managing the family's finances. Right, its getting close to mortgage check posting time and you are wondering why he's so desperately focused on the game. Well what you don't know is your partner thinks he’s smarter than the rest of us therefore, decided that saving is for mugs. Instead he's got a system and is betting the mortgage money with a Vegas Bookie. But don't worry as soon as The Cardinals beat the Giants by 20 points you can pay the mortgage and if Black 32 comes up, get a new car! Might happen right, so don't worry...trust him?
You then check the mail, Oh OH..one from the Bank, you are in arrears and have a month to pay or lose your family home. Hey Bill what's going on why didn't you pay last months payment? “Its OK babe trust me I have a system..this month the cardinals are going to win!” Oh BTW I put the kids college fund on Black 32...just watch we are going to be rich!
OK a huge simplification but in reality a pretty close approximation as to Obama's fiscal plan. Obama is betting the US economy on a short term recovery, that recovery needs to be deep and deliver 34+% growth in tax revenues before 2015. The last 4 years have shown stagnant flat growth and in fact a worsening of the disposable income each family has to live on. Obama pitched the low information voter in 2012 on “it just needs a little more time to work”...In other words “I have a system, don’t worry as soon as Black 32 comes up and the Cardinals win the Super Bowl” America will be rich. Obama is like the Vegas gambler betting the rent money and running up $6bn on his credit card certain his numbers will come up on the next spin of the wheel.
