What a long and nasty campaign that was. It is hard to imagine that a political race of such magnitude could be so intellectually and emotionally bunged-up. But it’s over, and we can now ask ourselves what the point was of President Obama clubbing his way to another four years of access to the White House gym. What now? Because even after so many months of campaigning, it’s not entirely clear.
Certainly not the way it was in 2008, when voters swooned over his promise of hope and change. Then, Obama promised light after the darkness of the Bush-Cheney years. He would bring peace and harmony, end wars and reconcile the partisans of Washington. This time, his promises were more grounded: competence, experience and more of his statist approach to managing the economy.
His victory now all but guarantees the implementation of his healthcare reforms. There has been all kinds of hooting and hollering about this by Republicans and claims that it’s a giant state takeover of healthcare.
He promised to address the ‘fierce urgency of now’. In office, he has shown more placidity than ferocity
But the former Republican secretary of state Colin Powell was right when he endorsed Obama for re-election, saying that the details of the plan can be fixed. However, its headline achievement, of providing health insurance to 30 million uninsured Americans, is undoubtedly worthwhile. It was a problem that the private market for health insurance has stubbornly failed to fix.
Wall Street turned nastily on Obama, their 2008 crush, during this campaign. If you spent too much time in the company of bankers, you’d think he was some vicious communist, as hellbent on soaking the rich as François Hollande.
But by European standards, Obama’s tax proposals are more a concealed-banana heist than a violent hold-up.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in