Below The Beltway

In today’s Washington Times, Lawrence Kudlow takes a look at what Barak Obama is all about, rather than what people think he’s about:

[T]here’s nothing “new” or “different” about Barack Obama. Behind that charm and charisma — a media-entrancing appeal worthy of Bill Clinton — is an extremely liberal-left politician. Just look at his record.

Mr. Obama voted against the Bush tax cuts on capital gains and dividends, justifying his anti-growth stance with the old class-warfare saw about tax cuts for the rich. Of course, these are the very same tax cuts that spurred economic expansion, created record job growth, and reduced the deficit as revenues flooded the Treasury.

The young senator also voted against repealing the death tax. He dismissed it as a “Paris Hilton tax break” that would give “billions of dollars to billionaire heirs and heiresses.” Try telling that to the owners of farms, ranches, and small businesses who are forced to sell their legacies because of this tax.

He swings a nice protectionist bat, too. He has voted against free trade (the Central American Free Trade Agreement) and U.S. energy independence (drilling in Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge) and has opposed lifting a $0.54 per gallon tariff on Brazilian ethanol. “Ethanol imports are neither necessary nor a practical response to current gasoline prices,” he claimed. Nonsense.

He also strongly opposes personal retirement accounts for Social Security reform, and prefers instead that the government stewards your money. As Amanda Carpenter wrote in Human Events, “When speaking out against various tax cuts, Mr. Obama has likened the ‘Ownership Society’ — which entails such things as personalized Social Security accounts, health savings accounts and school choice — to ’social Darwinism.’ “

Well, that’s enough for me, but I was unlikely to vote for him anyway. the question is, what’s behind the Obama boomlet ? Part of it is the media. It’s a slow news cycle and he’s an interesting story. Like Paul Tsongas in 1992 and Gary Hart in 1984, he’s the fresh young face and he’s a good story. Also, I honestly think that much of the public reaction to Obama has little to do with his ideas, and a lot to do with the fact that he’s a good-looking clean-cut guy who is very good at making speeches filled with the meaningless platitudes that Americans love.

I don’t expect the Obama boomlet to last, but its impact on the Democratic race could be interesting.