Sometimes I send my 21 year old kids a snapshot of the NYTimes front page - its like when my generation used to get clippings in an envelope from our parents that we would ignore -
Hey girls - todays NY Times (2/27/09) ran a front page margin to margin two line banner headline - all capital letters
OBAMA BREAKING FROM A TROUBLED PAST SEEKS A BUDGET TO RESHAPE U.S. PRIORITIES
Tax Rise for Wealthy - Push on Health and Energy
When the Times runs a banner headline you know its a big deal
sub articles on 1st pg
Political Skills Put to the Test
and
A Bold Plan Sweeps Away Reagan ideas
So here is my snapshot - The Reagan and after Reagan years were a conservative bulldozer and wrecking ball attack on the social and economic legacy of Roosevelt's New Deal and the Johnson Great Society. Their radical ideology is that government should do very little except transfer wealth to the rich and let everyone else - except rich people and big corporations - get by on scraps that fall off societies economic table - they called it "trickle down economics".
When you scratch the surface of the Republican world view and of American politics generally you find race lurking not far below the surface. Conswervatives use race to lure white working people into supporting Republican policies that screw them. The psychic bottom line is these guys were and are horrified at paying taxes if some of it ends up being spent to benefit "those people". Remember when McCain called Obama "that one" during a debate. That slip up crawled out of the same racial swamp.
It is possible that Obama's election changed the landscape or maybe I should say the playing field, overnight. We will know more as time passes and ultimately so much hinges on whether he succeeds or fails.
But right now we are living through a seismic shift in the tectonic plates of America's political and economic topography. Its the kind of thing that could only happen when there is a "perfect storm" of historical events - the disastrous Bush years, two disastrous wars, the disastrous economy and a brilliant, disciplined, honest, charismatic, transformative political figure like Barack Obama and his megawatt smile - who may very well be redefining everything - including all the old models of political leadership. He has even changed the way I deal with adversaries in my practice - I regularly ask myself when another lawyer is driving me nuts - WWBD - what would Barak do- the answer is he'd probably take the guy out for coffee - they'd talk about basketball, their kids and then make a deal.
While Republicans cant get over their failed one trick pony theory of more tax cuts - this budget focuses on permanently strengthening infrastructure along with bedrock institutions like health care and education. As the engines of the US and world economy sputter and stall everyone is praying, including us atheists, that Obama will be our Captain Sullenberger - everyone, that is, except Rush Limbaugh who repeatedly says he hopes Obama fails. He decided to drop that old "stand by our President in time of war and crisis" stuff that he'd been peddling because now there are fundamental, truly American, priorities at stake such as keeping his ratings up and not losing advertisers.
This is really a living example of that old line that newspapers are a first draft of history - generations will be writing and studying these events the way prior generations look back at the great depression followed by Roosevelt and his legacy.
By the way girls if this was too much bloviating let me know
Love
Dad
