Portraying movie tough guy Harry Callahan, Clint Eastwood popularized phases that have become part of Americana. Numero uno by a long shot is “Make my day,” Dirty Harry’s unique way of inviting mayhem, used by Ronald Reagan in 1985 as his way of saying “no” to insatiable louts eager to raise taxes. We miss you Ronnie. “Do you feel lucky today, punk?” always sounds best with a .44 magnum in hand as a bad guy squirms on the ground. But my personal all-time favorite is “A man’s got to know his limitations.” Its wisdom is timeless, universal, and needed today more than ever.
A Martian dropped into the middle of this campaign season would think politicians are omniscient and omnipotent. For those of you in West Palm Beach, that’s all-knowing and all-powerful. You see, to hear politicians tell it, they know exactly what’s wrong with the country and have the ability to fix anything that, in their view, is deficient. In short order. Here, for instance, is just a sampling of Hillary Clinton’s promises, all taken from her campaign website: Strengthen the middle class, Provide affordable and accessible health care, End the war in Iraq, Improve schools, Restore America’s standing in the world, Reform government, Strengthen our democracy, Reform our immigration system, Establish a green and efficient economy (creating as many as 5 million jobs), and Create high-wage jobs. Reading through the scary details of these issues one finds repetitive phrases such as “Hillary has a plan,” and “Hillary knows.” I wonder if Bill knows that Hillary knows.
Barack Obama is not to be outdone in the wisdom and power departments. Like John Kerry in 2004, Barack has a plan for everything under the sun, at least everything voters are interested in. From his website comes this mercifully shortened list. Senator Obama has a plan to: Strengthen civil rights, Empower Americans with disabilities, Strengthen the economy, Provide a world-class education, Ensure a clean energy future, Change Washington, Reconcile faith and politics (particularly intriguing is the prospect of Reverend Jeremiah Wright heading a blue ribbon commission charged with this task), Strengthen families and communities, and Restore fiscal discipline.
Attention — the last promise, to restore fiscal discipline, is no joke. Both Barack and Hillary promise massive new, always innovative programs, tax relief for the middle class, and fiscal discipline. Did I mention the federal budget deficit for the next two years is currently projected to be nearly $1 trillion, before all these magical fixes are thrust upon us? To paraphrase P.T. Barnum’s classic formulation, “If there’s a sucker born every minute, how about that dunce in the next voting booth?” Accomplishing a small portion of the Democrats’ proposals would require massive executive power, trillions of additional federal revenue, and a rubber-stamp Congress, not exactly a combination most Americans would support, and not seen since the Great Society days of another man who didn’t know his limitations, Lyndon Baines Johnson. However, both presidential hopefuls are too smart to lay their cards on the table. “To create nirvana for you, you’ll be required to forfeit your liberty and your money” will never be a platform plank. Many Americans are not looking at the cost of Barack Clinton’s proposals, only the hoped for crumbs falling from the master’s table.
In case you think there is not much difference between John McCain and the Democrats, do yourself a favor and visit www.johnmccain.com. Scattered among McCain’s promises are issues like “Strict Constructionist Philosophy” and “Protecting Second Amendment Rights,” executive branch purviews having nothing to do with giveaways or remaking America in Big Brother’s image. A refreshing read to be sure. McCain also has a link titled “Straight Talk on Health System Reform,” emphasizing the heart of the problem in health care: cost control. Senator McCain “knows” that layering massive regulatory oversight on top of an already expensive system can only increase health care costs. He seems to understand that even the most powerful man in the world can, and should, only do so much.
Pandering by the Democrats has reached new lows. To hear Barack and Hillary tell it, Americans are afraid of costs, lost jobs, and diminishing opportunities. Americans do have something to worry about, the ascension to power by those who think they know it all and will spend trillions of other people’s money to realize their visions. Traditionally, Republicans have taken a different approach, summarized nicely by President Reagan as he mused about his place in the presidential pantheon. “Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone,” said the Gipper, “I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears…”
A man’s got to know his limitations.
Posted by Jerry Pomeroy in Campaign 2008