The Carter Syndrome By Robert Romano

07/28/2009

On July 15th, 1979, in the dying days of his Administration, Jimmy Carter famously uttered that the American people faced a “crisis of confidence” characterized by the “growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation.”

Real inspiring stuff, that was. So much so that it was termed his “malaise” speech.

Faced with hyperinflation that year at 13.3 percent, energy shortages, escalating unemployment at 5.7 percent that would rise to 7.8 percent in July the following year, and a dismal public approval rating at 25 percent, Carter sought to frame the problem as being the people’s attitude towards government, and not with the government itself that had so completely failed.

“Often you see paralysis and stagnation and drift,” he said, proposing “faith in our ability to govern ourselves,” higher taxes, import quotas on energy, and generally more government
to deal with problems created by more government.

All together, Carter mentioned the word “crisis” ten times. And now, some thirty years later, Jimmy Carter has met his match as the most depressing president ever. Enter Barack Obama, the man for whom “never let a crisis go to waste” has become a daily mantra.

Already under the Obama Administration, high inflation is projected as all but inevitable due to an uncontrolled monetary expansion and record-setting deficit spending. Unemployment is ready to top 10 percent. And the public approval rating of Obama is sinking like a millstone in still waters.

According to the latest Rasmussen Reports survey of likely voters, although Obama is only half a year into his term of office, already fifty percent of Americans disapprove of his frenzied, fear-mongering performance. Forty percent strongly disapprove, while only thirty percent strongly approve, showing an increasingly negative trend.

And like his gloomy predecessor, Obama is not inspiring any sort of hope with his policies. Or his words.

After all, this is the president who has told Americans they will have to learn to live on “rationed” health care. He’s told Americans to drive smaller cars. And, of course, just like Jimmy Carter, he has advised us all to lower our thermostats.

In fact, the more he touts his plans to ration health care, limit it to the elderly, and take away private health options, the more the American people learn about his actual agenda. And the less they like his ideas. Obama cannot even win over those in his own party to a proposal that promises to forever put a government bureaucrat between Americans and their doctors.

Things have gotten so bad on Capitol Hill that Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman are considering bypassing entirely the House Energy and Commerce committee where seven Blue Dog Democrats along with Republicans are blocking the sickly legislation from reaching the floor.
“The health care bill is unfortunately in trouble,” said Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) on July 24th as the wheels fall off the Obama train.

Which is what happens when politicians peddle fear and attempt to ransom the future prosperity of all Americans. Barack Obama could have avoided the mistakes of Jimmy Carter’s past. Instead he is repeating them—leaving much “malaise” in his wake. Better stock up on Prozac.

And somewhere out in the hinterlands is a bright-eyed, self-assured politician with a penchant for espousing “faith triumphant over fear” who is about to show Barack Obama what happens when, once again, it’s “morning in America.”

Robert Romano is the Senior Editor of ALG News Bureau.