The Paradox of GWB

Fire of Liberty

Victor Davis Hanson has a thought invoking article over at National Review Online which examines the paradox of President Bush, who has overwhelming approval ratings when it come to foreign policy but is sinking in the polls domestically. Hanson argues that the most obvious reason for the president's sinking numbers is due to the fact that he has done such a good job on the War on Terror and the spread of democracy that he has set the American people's expectations for his domestic policies way too high. While many of the talking-heads in the MSM carry on about the president losing numbers on the Terri Schiavo saga or Social Security Reform, Hanson seems to put his finger on the American pulse by pointing out that the President Bush's falling numbers are due to America's financial strength, illegal immigration as well as soaring energy prices.

Just think about it. When you go to your local Wal-Mart, grocery store or favorite store you discover that your dollars don't buy as much stuff as it did six months ago. The simple reason is that we've had too lose of a monetary policy, which is basically a way of saying that the government has put too many dollars into circulation. This has set off a rise in the inflation rate thus causing the price of goods go up. Just look at the price of groceries at this moment. If The Fed would tighten up the monetary belt like Paul Volcker did in the early eighties you'll see prices start going down and an increase in economic grow. This administration is well aware of what inflation did to the US in the 70's, let's hope they remind Mr. Greenspan of this. (He will be concerned about his legacy, especially if he's a devotee of Ayn Rand). I you want to read a purely libertarian view on the inflation problem see here.

Secondly you have a problem with immigration. Just watch Bill O'Reilly, Lou Dobbs, listen to AM radio or read a paper out West and you'll understand the concern of the voter. I'll leave that one to the people who know better.

As for gas prices, the best policy is to get our dollar back up to strength and pass an effective energy bill. The President has been calling on the Senate to pass his energy bill for several years now but the wishy washy environmental-sensitive Senators across the isle and in the GOP side have held it up. I think this rise in gas prices might do it. I hope so, we need something. For more on the gas situation see here and here.


If the president heeds VDH's advice, he'll see that he can accomplish feats at the same level domestically that he reached in his foreign policy.