Not the Great Depression (Updated)
Daniel Gross makes the case that I've been making for weeks, supplying hard numbers where I've relied on common sense, that the current mess isn't comparable to the Great Depression: Both got going when financial crisis led to a reduction in consumer demand. But the two phenomena differ substantially. Instead of workers with 5 o'clock shadows asking, "Brother, can you spare ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 23, 2008 07:52
Obamas Visit White House
NYT has a feature on today's visit by Barack and Michelle Obama to the White House for the traditional meet-and-greet with outgoing president and first lady George W. and Laura Bush. For nearly two years on the campaign trail, Senator Barack Obama rarely missed a chance to take a swipe at President Bush. The name George W. Bush invariably followed the ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 10, 2008 07:12
Obama’s Landslide in Perspective
In the discussion on Obama's apparent 365-173 Electoral College victory, Rodney Dill asks, "How close is this, historically? The popular vote difference seems like it was pretty big by modern standards, but usually that would result in an even more lopsided electoral vote." It's an interesting question. Dave Leip's Atlas has the results for every election. In 1980, the first ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 8, 2008 11:22
Palin Last Nail in Republican Coffin?
Quite a few reports came out yesterday buttressing rumors that there were tensions between John McCain and Sarah Palin which caused a feud within the campaign team. It's only fitting, I suppose, since the selection of Palin has highlighted and exacerbated a growing fissure within the Republican Party itself. Fox New's Carl Cameron dished last night about rumors that Palin was ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 6, 2008 08:06
Election Prediction: Obama 325, McCain 213 (Updated)
After nearly four years of watching this campaign unfold, it's about to wrap up. There are another thirty-six hours of so of campaigning left and probably no more significant polls to be released. So, it's time to go on the record and predict the outcome. Others' Projections: An Obama Rout RealClearPolitics: Obama 353, McCain 185 (with Tossups) Dave Leip's Atlas: Obama 318, McCain ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 3, 2008 07:25
Barnett Endorses ‘Weak-Ass Jimmy Carter’
Given that Thomas Barnett is an avid internationalist who abhors the National Greatness strain of foreign policy that McCain champions, I was not at all shocked to see via the Security folder in my RSS reader that he has endorsed Barack Obama. Obama's task is the great unwinding of the Bush debacle, which Bush himself started these past two years, but ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 31, 2008 13:37
Palin’s Debate ‘Gaffes’
Matt Yglesias snarks, A lot of people are wondering who the “McClellan” character was that Sarah Palin was referring to, with many guessing that she’s been consulting long-dead failed Civil War General George McClellan for advice on Afghanistan. But another colleague suggested that she’s mentally combined General McKiernan, the commanding officer in Afghanistan, and David Kilcullen into a single ten-foot tall ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 3, 2008 09:38
What Caused Our Economic Crisis Video
This video, called "Burning Down the House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis" (although, oddly, set to the tune of "Money for Nothing") is apparently all the rage (at least in my wife's office). It traces the subprime crisis to the Jimmy Carter era Community Reinvestment Act. To the extent this view is correct (and I suspect, like anything else complex, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on September 30, 2008 08:13
Experience: Obama v. Palin
Josh Marshall headlines as "Sadly Nuts" a post responding to John McCain's retort, to questions of Sarah Palin's qualifications to serve as president, "If they want to go down that route, in all candor, she has far, far more experience than Senator Obama does." Says Josh, Set aside the bravado. Can McCain possibly believe that? And if he does, what are we ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on September 1, 2008 07:52
Sarah Palin, “Small Town Mayor”
Those who've read my previous commentary on Sarah Palin, notably yesterday's post on the announcement of Palin as McCain's VP pick, know that I think she's a poor choice. While she has many fans and may be possessed of some remarkable political gifts, she's a tough sell as "Ready On Day One" and thus undercuts McCain's best argument against Barack ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 30, 2008 08:58
