The Wall Street Journal shared different national figures’ hopes for the Obama Presidency, I want to highlight snippets of three of those figures here.
Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, who is a professor of law at the University of Tennessee hopes that Republicans and Democrats would show each other some respect.
I agree with Barack Obama on some issues and disagree on others, but my hopes for the Obama presidency have mostly to do with tone. By reaching out to conservative columnists, and by going out of his way to say that he thinks George W. Bush is “a good man,” Mr. Obama has made some efforts to transcend the nastiness that has emanated from much of the Democratic Party over the past eight years, where open hatred of Mr. Bush and Republicans has been a major source of social bonding. That is a wise move on his part, as it makes it less likely that Republicans will return the favor. Venomous hatred by the opposition seriously harmed the Clinton and Bush administrations, and Mr. Obama will have a much more successful presidency if he can avoid similar problems. Whether this approach succeeds or not, however, will depend on whether his followers go along; in this, it is an early test of President Obama’s ability to lead.
Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska weighed in on tax cuts and fiscal discipline.
Especially evident in these trying economic times is America’s need for affordable, abundant and secure energy. This means American energy resources developed through American ingenuity and produced by American workers. I applaud President Obama’s focus on alternative and renewable energy, and here in Alaska we’ve joined the effort: I have asked Alaskans to focus on obtaining 50% of our electric generation from renewables by 2025. In the meantime, we must not abandon oil and gas exploration and development. In fact, Americans should demand the cooperation of the major oil producers so that Alaska’s vast supply of clean natural gas can be brought to market. Alaska stands ready to positively contribute to the nation’s markets and energy needs.
Another step on the path to economic recovery is to let Americans keep more of their income. Mr. Obama and Congress could make this happen with permanent tax cuts and by adhering to a path of fiscal discipline. When congressional appropriation trains run too hastily, they accumulate excess baggage, spending more taxpayer money. Leaving more money in American pockets through tax cuts and fiscal discipline stimulates the business-investment and job-creation climate — the climate for economic recovery.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich says, “get real on spending and the Mideast.”
Mr. Obama’s trillion dollars on top of Mr. Bush’s trillion dollars represents the largest orgy of government control and government expenditure since the New Deal. The New Deal probably extended the Great Depression by at least five years. In fact, the United States did not really begin to recover from the crisis until World War II mobilization and procurement created massive economic growth.
There is a grave danger that the Obama administration will increase the power of government, but do so at the expense of the economy and of jobs. Similarly, the Obama team continues to articulate pious platitudes about setting a new tone in the Middle East while Hamas enthusiastically fires rockets into Israel and taunts the Israelis into launching larger and larger attacks on Gaza.
My deepest hope for the new administration is that in both domestic economics and foreign threats it will rapidly learn to distinguish between reality and its own campaign rhetoric.
What are your hopes for the Obama presidency?
