"Obama's speech may seek to redefine the "center"

[Clio the Leo]

Obama's speech may seek to redefine the "center"
By Greg Sargent

There's been a ton of commentary to the effect that Obama's planned State of the Union address, which will stress the need for leaner and smarter government in order to foster "competitiveness," signals a move by Obama to the "center."

But judging from what we've heard so far, it seems more likely that Obama's speech will seek to redefine the "center" as something more in line with his own current policy approach and priorities. In short, all the talk about "competitiveness" is probably better seen as a rhetorical set up to another key aspect of his speech. I'm talking about the part where he will defend his health care plan and continue making the case for goverment "investment" -- a.k.a. government spending -- to bolster our long term prospects.

Yesterday's New York Times blared that Obama's speech will herald a "centrist angenda." But it also noted that Obama will "make the case for spending" on "education, transportation and technological innovation when it can be justified as essential to the nation's long-term prosperity."

As Paul Krugman speculated this morning, all the rhetorical gestures towards "competitiveness" are probably better seen "as a way to sell a much-needed increase in public investment to a public thoroughly indoctrinated in the view that government spending is a bad thing."

<snip>

We don't know exactly what Obama will say, of course, and he could always embrace Social Security cuts later. But if Obama's new "centrist" agenda is about getting rid of unnecessary government regulation -- something no one supports to begin with -- to make us more competitive while supporting more government spending to invest in our future, his speech will be less about moving to the center than about redefining what we call the center.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/obamas_speech_may_seek_to_rede.html

[arcane1]

1. Here's hoping Krugman's definition of "competitiveness" is the correct one

The other definition sucks.

[villager]

2. Maybe he can wrest the "center" from its current perch on the far right wing...

...where it currently sits, and move it back to, I dunno, the actual "center."

Maybe.

[bluestateguy]

3. Good presidents don't move to the center. They move the center to them.

nt