FRAMING THE ISSUE SERIES - 2012 Battle Lines - Part III

Even to the casual observer, it is apparent that we in the United States are in a time during which national public policy agreement on most substantive issues is difficult to achieve.  We have submitted in these pages that the reason for this impasse is that a chasm has opened within the electorate between competing visions for the Country and the Federal Government's role in it.  We further assert that, between these competing visions, compromise is impossible.  We assert that we must choose.  In a several-part series of Framing the Issue, we explore the Battle Lines.

Populism vs. Pragmatism

The elections of 2012 are shaping up to pit Populism (the politics of popular opinion, poll majorities, and class envy) against Pragmatism (the politics of leadership and course correction).  Indeed, one may find elements of this conflict even within one candidate.  The election must be won (populist) even though almost everyone can see that the current course is not working (pragmatist).  Unfortunately for any individual candidate, the two make impossible companions.

Exhibit "A" in the bright battle line must surely be the potential recall election concerning Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin.  He was elected for the apparent purpose of delivering pragmatic change for Wisconsin.  Part of that change has famously included a change of state law that limits collective bargaining rights for public workers.  

While the issues are many, there is no serious debate that this change in the law should have the ultimate effect of somewhat diminishing public-sector union power and of reducing the unsustainable upward trend in state and local spending.  Indeed, local spending has already declined as a direct result of the Governor's and Legislature's actions.  There is also no serious debate over whether union power among public employees ultimately produces a legislature tilted towards the public employee at the expense of the taxpayer.  

However, there are elections to be won and the public service employee block of votes must be secured.  Thus, even though the state's finances must be adjusted and the long-suffering Wisconsin taxpayers are tapped-out, forces have been mobilized to mount a recall.  Thus, Wisconsin will be faced with a stark choice.  Populism will mount the recall using rheotric of class envy.  Pragmatism will attempt to defeat the recall using the logic of course correction embodied in the new law.  The voters of Wisconsin are about to take a pivotal, collective character assessment.

At the national level, it certainly now appears that the current President intends to run on Populism.  Oh, many nods will be made towards Pragmatism, but that won't end up being his ultimate strategy.  It cannot be.  It is not who he is.

Most of our issues spring from the economy.  This is now his economy and his government's role in it.  Consequently, the only road open towards re-election is "Populist Highway".

As voting citizens, we need to hold the candidates accountable to declare their intentions.  We should especially not let them get by with meaningless platitudes that soothe, yet fail to take the task before us seriously.  We have substantial problems that need sustainable fixes.  A populist might win an election, but vote-gathering is not the issue before us.  And, popular opinion will not and cannot solve the problems.  Indeed, the fixes are going to be unpopular.

The problem is the economy.  The problem is that the Government is "big and bossy".  The problem is that the Government spends and is projected to spend too much.  The problem is that fewer-and-fewer are being taxed more-and-more to fund federal adventures they care about less-and-less.  To handle these issues, it will take a leader committed to course correction on the central problems and issues.  In short, we need a pragmatist.  

While it is unclear who will emerge to leadership course correction, it is perfectly clear at the President level that it is not the incumbent.  

CFA Choice

Pragmatism