Cynical Conservatism?
Oct. 5th, 2005 08:32 pm♠
"In practice, Bush has taken the most self-serving aspect of modern liberalism (its instinct to buy public support with massive government handouts) and fused it with the most self-serving aspect of modern conservatism (its instinct to buy support with massive tax cuts).
... Spend more, tax less. That's a brazen political strategy, not a serious governing philosophy."
-- Robert J. Samuelson, "Cynical Conservatism" for The Washington Post
Mr. George W. Bush's term as president is hardly over yet, but it is not unusual for presidents to be running on the fumes of their political capital early in the second term. A consensus also seems to be forming on assessing the Bush presidency. Seen as offering Americans a new center-right theory of governance, promising a limited but energetic government, Bush is thought to be less than gloriously successful in results, as is illustrated in Mr. Samuelson's argument.
( Samuelson column )
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"In practice, Bush has taken the most self-serving aspect of modern liberalism (its instinct to buy public support with massive government handouts) and fused it with the most self-serving aspect of modern conservatism (its instinct to buy support with massive tax cuts).
... Spend more, tax less. That's a brazen political strategy, not a serious governing philosophy."
-- Robert J. Samuelson, "Cynical Conservatism" for The Washington Post
Mr. George W. Bush's term as president is hardly over yet, but it is not unusual for presidents to be running on the fumes of their political capital early in the second term. A consensus also seems to be forming on assessing the Bush presidency. Seen as offering Americans a new center-right theory of governance, promising a limited but energetic government, Bush is thought to be less than gloriously successful in results, as is illustrated in Mr. Samuelson's argument.
( Samuelson column )