With the current $700 billion bailout in play, it is time the two presidential candidates tell us more about the economists they’d like to include in their administrations.
I am a realist, so let me be the first to say I doubt that Sen. John McCain or Sen. Barack Obama will trip over themselves to disclose their list of administration nominees.
Still, there is a lot of time until November, so shouldn’t we at least put the issue on the table?
Former Congressman Jack Kemp, Bob Dole’s running mate in 1996, thought we should eight years ago. That’s when he and former Sen. George Mitchell both endorsed the idea on “Larry King Live.”
Close examination of the key players in the Obama and McCain camps reveals differences in style and assumptions that guarantee conflicting views about the economy.
It’s safe to say GOP insiders, in general, are more likely than their Democratic counterparts to argue that “less government intervention” is the solution to any financial crisis. Obama knows he’s on a tightrope,to convince voters that his recovery plan not only will minimize the pain people are feeling today, but actually improve America’s economic outlook going forward.
I have strong doubts that either candidate can pull this off by himself. That’s why I believe the smart political move is to announce potential members of a McCain or Obama administration now.
Naming names undoubtedly will cause a ripple or two on Wall Street and Main Street. That’s OK with me, since we have been riding a financial tsunami recently. Anything that can calm the economic waters will be a boost to one of the presidential hopefuls.
Denny Freidenrich
Laguna Beach
