> The politics are so bad they get in the way of effectively projecting fake
> populism.
Obama campaign in a nutshell, no?
that is what I meant by saying he could make a distinction between himself and his opponent if they didn't support most of the same things. Foreign policy is even worse.
On the other hand, it seems like McCain and Palin have been forced to the left on some economic issues. The plan to bail out homeowners and renegotiate mortgages is a lot of things but fiscally conservative it not one of them.
Of course then there is the issue of taxes, which both of them seem to want to appear Reaganite on: is this just a peculiar American fetish--we are, after all, the product of a tax revolt--or does the issue of taxes, in and of itself, occupy as much of the political discourse in other countries? I would think the important thing is what people get for them, how entitlements are arranged, etc. This often seems to be the thing that is most relevant in Continental politics. In a way, the discussion of taxes here has this way of making it into a wonky issue that is, simultaneously, revolutionary. Is there as much attention to tax policy, regardless of the *use* of those taxes in other countries?
McCain quoting the National Taxpayers Union seems to the a prime example. Though they claim to be fighting for good governance, the real issue seems to be getting rid of taxes altogether. How you do this while simultaneously bailing out homeowners is another issue--and shows how he is just as guilty of having bad politics infect his own attempts at false populsm.
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