Being a libertarian, I naturally think that people are too optimistic about the government. But there were people on CNN declaring that Obama was going to lower the price of gasoline and pay their mortgage if they couldn’t afford it, lower their tax bill and raise their wages, and presumably, make them taller, smarter, and get the chickweed out of their hair. I’m not exaggerating: there were voters who seemed to think that about three weeks after Obama took office, all their budget problems would be solved. Not that Obama would eventually make things better, or help them get past the rough spots; they were expecting an immediate influx of really quite a lot of money, as well as a rapid and permanent increase in base wages and housing prices.
Even more striking is this headline from an Africa newspaper (via FP Passport):
How far will the notion go that Obama is like a blank sheet that everyone sees their own attitudes and ideas on?
I’m most interested to see how all the “socialist” stuff plays out. I don’t really believe Obama is very socialist (more of a “compassionate pragmatist” I’d say), and I don’t care much about Republicans thinking Obama is a socialist; what I am a little worried about is actual socialists who think Obama is a socialist — or at least think Obama will be malleable to a socialist agenda.
Here’s McArdle again:
But some number of voters seem to be engaging in truly magical thinking about what is possible from a president. What happens when they get a $500 increase in the child tax credit and military operations in Pakistan instead of fairyland?
