Obama reminds me of the economic populists of Latin America, or even of America’s own Huey Long. Economic populism is an easy tool to use to stir a crowd, or be awarded enough votes to attain some office. In some respects Reagan used a vaguely similar ploy, telling us that the dirty elites were hoarding our money–the government elites, that is. Not that Reagan’s vision was the same as “economic populism” but it does invoke and utilize a similar set of emotions.

If we are lucky–really lucky–Barack Obama will turn out to be just another narcissist who is more in love with the job, the celebrity, the jet-setting life and the parties than he is with his “ideas.” Perhaps he is just a smart chameleon who will do anything, say anything to get elected, then play it all by ear. Perhaps, being a smart guy surrounded by reasonably smart people, he may actually have enough guts to do something Bush didn’t have the backbone to do with the leaders of his own party and veto a bad law or two. Perhaps, being a smart guy surrounded by reasonably smart people he may adopt reasonable economic policies in the end, even if he does tweak the equations in favor of the poor a little more.

As for foreign policy, I do fear a return to the Carter years. Regardless of the criticisms of the Bush administration, I still feel that his first term foreign policy was the correct course of action. Oh well, sometimes people need to relearn certain lessons I guess.

Perhaps I am being a little too optimistic.