I watched a fair amount of the replay of the GOP “economic” debate yesterday in Michigan. It confirmed a long-held belief of mine that the only worse than listening to economisst talk economics is when politicians jump into the moss pit. But at least with the politicians it can be entertaining.
Back to the faux debate: Beyond the almost manic obsession with Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton (tactic: fixate on Hillary and you don’t have to say anything of substance) and the elementary school yard taunting between Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, I thought the winners (a loose term, mind you) were Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
With each passing day, Paul looks like a politician from another planet when he speaks about fiscal responsibility (something about living within our means so we don’t end living beneath them) in a gathering dedicated to an orgy of tax cuts at all costs. In a rare moment of high intelligence, Sen. John McCain made reference to Adam Smith and the “Wealth of Nations” and suggested that Paul take a read. I’m willing to be bet it’s more than likely that Paul has read it and wondered where the intellectual justification is for massive deficit spending combined with tax cuts that help run up those deficits (where’s that supply side mojo when you need it?) It's no wonder that Paul remains popular not just among libertarians but among conservatives who value liberty and rational behavior.
The ever smooth and humourous Huckabee is another political brand altogether. In one of the few times he was allowed to share a complete (if homogenized) thought, he struck a populist tone (sort of a Yin to Dem John Edwards’ Yang) “We’re losing jobs here. That’s why people in Michigan are going — looking for something to do. And that’s what has to change and it’s not being changed. And this party is going to have to start addressing it or we’re going to get our britches beat next year.” While touting a more forward-thinking energy policy, Huckabee even manage to throw in a folksy reference to “Goober and Gomer” from the 60s television program, the Andy Griffith Show.
What was less populist and somewhat revealing came later when Huckabee showed himself willing to play muscle man with Congress and slap it aside to launch attacks against Iran (or Pluto, we can infer) if time was running tight and Congress was playing wimpy wimpy. Sounds like an episode of ‘24.’ Just what we need: another President with more muscle instincts than brain matter.
In my daily link, a Texas blogger (and financial analyst) named Hale “Bonddad” Stewart expertly dissects the Republican economic mantras (markets and tax cuts religiously righteous; government and regulation and lawyers and yes, even gays — courtesy of an odd Sam Brownback analogy that produced a form of mental whiplash — bad) that flowed at the debate: even though he didn’t watch it. I guess he’d seen and heard it all before.
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