My interest in the two questions is a paper that that Ive just read at
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/shogan.pdf
Presidential Campaigns and the Congressional Agenda: Reagan, Clinton and Beyond by Dr Colleen Shogan, Assistant Professor, Government and Politics, George Mason University.
" In contemporary politics, presidents cannot escape the task of agenda setting. Like it or not, the president has become the most important single player in the legislative juggernaut of Washington DC. "
As long as I can remember presidential candidates make promises to get elected. Some are kept but many become just campaign rhetoric that were needed to get elected. Will she make promises that she can't keep ?
Reagan's 1980 Campaign
Reagan kept the message of the 1980 campaign simple: he ran on the platform that lower taxes and decreased federal expenditures would reinvigorate the domestic economy. ... Additionally, Reagan also emphasized two other policy proposals during the campaign. He offered solutions to the nation's energy problems, by asserting that the United States must work to produce more domestic energy sources. In foreign affairs, Reagan promised an increase in pay and benefit levels for the armed services and strengthening of the military.
Four simple promises that were kept to some degree, but why after 31 years are we still talking about lower taxes, excessive federal expenditures, energy independence and strengthening the military? Congress's trade off was that it raised the debt ceiling to $1 trillion. Sound familiar!
Clinton's 1992 Campaign
Bill Clinton aggressively campaigned on family leave, an overhaul of the nation's health care system, the earned income tax credit for the working poor, a national service initiative, motor voter, increased federal aid to schools, a reduction in defense spending, and more money for Head Start.
To understand these two campaigns and there direction we simply need to view the definitions of Conservative and Liberal.
"An ideal conservative believes in the importance of the individual and the family structure: that it is the responsibility of the individual within each family to do as much as they can for themselves before asking for assistance. When assistance is needed the route taken is community, city, county, state federal, in that order with the federal government the avenue of last resort."
" An ideal liberal takes the completely opposite position to an ideal conservative vying for socialistic form of government working from the top down wherein the freedom of the individual is compromised for the supposed good of the collective group."
Clinton delivered on his promise of change was rewarded with one of the largest political defeats by loosing control of the House of Representatives that the Democrats controlled for over 40 years.
Presidents Bush I & II tried to appeal to the moderates and govern with a blending of both ideologies both conservative and liberal. Both Presidents were more concerned with their foreign involvements, started two wars that were not finished and allowed the Congresses to erase much of the gains that were gained by the Reagan Revolution.
President Obama took his hope and change message to the liberal extreme of trying to transform the United States into to the European Socialistic model as it was crumbling before his very eyes. His Kensean theory of expanding the government role and excessive spending would restore economic security and prosperity. With the country on the verge of insolvency , the longest period of high unemployment and the country facing inflation of cost of goods and deflation of assets, we are left with an economy that is in limbo.
Who do we blame? Politicians go to Washington with the best intentions but the system has evolved into an entity that has become it's own life form. He eats and spits out anyone that tries to change the status quo. It has become a master of creating smoke and mirrors that makes innactions appear as actions to apease and mislead the voting public. The United States Government has become the biggest ponzi scam ever devised and no one is and will be held accountable.
It has been said that the ruling elites of both sides along with their cohorts in the media will always let us know whom they fear the most by their demonization, ridicule and shear destruction of the person. When they are successful that person becomes obscure. When they are not that person becomes stronger and very influential. Their is only one that fits that bill and it is Sarah Palin.
Once elected can she set an agenda that will force this bloated government to go on a diet, reduce its massive size, relinquish powers back to the states and let its people regain the reigns of their individualism that the constitution intended?
Does she have it in her to try?
Yes - Game on- 2012 can't come soon enough!
