Saturday, September 27, 2008

Economist Brad DeLong on McCain and Obama

Economist Brad DeLong's Opening Statement: UCLA Anderson Forecast Conference this week. It's not too long and there's some very good stuff there comparing McCain and Obama's economic policies. In part:

"What reason could there be not to vote against a candidate who says he doesn't know very much about economics? Not to vote against a candidate whose two chief economic advisors are Phil 'What Problems with Deregulation, You Whiners?' Gramm and Carly 'H-P Paid Me $21 Million to Go Away' Fiorina. All signs are that McCain economic policy is set to be much worse than even George W. Bush policy--unless Douglas Holtz-Eakin could win the fight inside the White House snakepit. But I don't think he could: McCain regards Gramm and Fiorina--not Doug--as peers to be deferred to. I would be happy to be proven wrong if we take the gamble, but it's not a gamble I want us to take."

"It is not just that economic policy under John McCain is likely to be ver bad, it is that economic policy under Barack Obama is likely to be quite good. Barack Obama shows every sign of continuing the moderate Democrat tradition of economic policy--working to reduce income disparities, enhance opportunity, restore fiscal balance, speed up productivity growth, try to fix our health care system, invest in America's future, and engage with the global economy. He is a very smart man with, I think, a very good team of advisors."

He give some specific numbers on Obama's plan after that. But my favorite part was how he dismisses McCain's constant chattering about earmarks with this pie chart:

20080924-pssihndnbiirrkr9gxc3tb8fi8 1.jpg

No comments: