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| Carl Hiaasen on Obama: 'I hope he can govern with more certainty' | Carl Hiaasen on Obama: 'I hope he can govern with more certainty' |
| (30 days later) | |
| Carl Hiaasen, 59, is a journalist, columnist and novelist from Florida. Chomp, his latest novel for young adults, was published this year | Carl Hiaasen, 59, is a journalist, columnist and novelist from Florida. Chomp, his latest novel for young adults, was published this year |
| It was an exciting time when Obama got elected. I thought it was very important that we got an African-American president in the White House. And of course the McCain-Palin alternative would have been disastrous (it's terrifying to think of Sarah Palin in any position of authority). But even as everyone was cheering Obama's victory, it was tinged with pessimism because you knew what a steep climb he was facing. | It was an exciting time when Obama got elected. I thought it was very important that we got an African-American president in the White House. And of course the McCain-Palin alternative would have been disastrous (it's terrifying to think of Sarah Palin in any position of authority). But even as everyone was cheering Obama's victory, it was tinged with pessimism because you knew what a steep climb he was facing. |
| I think, given what he's been up against, he's done well but there are certain things he could have done much better. In terms of getting the message across, he's been disappointing. Obama is such an obviously gifted and charismatic public speaker but he goes into this sort of neutral zone where he doesn't engage. There are times when you want to hear from the president, and not just when Bin Laden has been killed. He's presided over the largest middle-class tax cut in my lifetime – 95% of Americans are paying lower taxes today than when he took office, and most of them don't even know it. The polls suggest they think taxes have gone up because the Republicans have done such a deft job of promoting that lie. He's allowed himself to be vilified. | I think, given what he's been up against, he's done well but there are certain things he could have done much better. In terms of getting the message across, he's been disappointing. Obama is such an obviously gifted and charismatic public speaker but he goes into this sort of neutral zone where he doesn't engage. There are times when you want to hear from the president, and not just when Bin Laden has been killed. He's presided over the largest middle-class tax cut in my lifetime – 95% of Americans are paying lower taxes today than when he took office, and most of them don't even know it. The polls suggest they think taxes have gone up because the Republicans have done such a deft job of promoting that lie. He's allowed himself to be vilified. |
| The contrast between him and Clinton is very dramatic. Clinton would call people all night long to get their opinions on something before he made a decision. Obama has a very small group of advisers and he makes decisions in a small arena. By all accounts he's something of a loner. I'd hoped he would engage more on a personal level with senators and congressmen, to work on compromises and move things along but the aloofness has hurt him there too: the time comes when you have to go over and roll your sleeves up and be a politician. If he gets re-elected, I hope he can govern with a little more certainty and decisiveness. | The contrast between him and Clinton is very dramatic. Clinton would call people all night long to get their opinions on something before he made a decision. Obama has a very small group of advisers and he makes decisions in a small arena. By all accounts he's something of a loner. I'd hoped he would engage more on a personal level with senators and congressmen, to work on compromises and move things along but the aloofness has hurt him there too: the time comes when you have to go over and roll your sleeves up and be a politician. If he gets re-elected, I hope he can govern with a little more certainty and decisiveness. |
| His healthcare reform could have been handled a lot better. It was a very noble thing to attempt early in one's administration but I questioned the political timing of it. I think he would have been better throwing everything into the economy at a time when the country was struggling to get out of a spiralling recession. The Republicans in Congress made it quite clear that they were going to oppose anything that he came up with, and this was a tremendous weapon for them to use against him. The Democrats lost the House of Representatives and that really turned the political tide in the country: from having the momentum of an exciting election behind him, he went into gridlock in Congress two years later. That's been hurtful to him and to the country. | His healthcare reform could have been handled a lot better. It was a very noble thing to attempt early in one's administration but I questioned the political timing of it. I think he would have been better throwing everything into the economy at a time when the country was struggling to get out of a spiralling recession. The Republicans in Congress made it quite clear that they were going to oppose anything that he came up with, and this was a tremendous weapon for them to use against him. The Democrats lost the House of Representatives and that really turned the political tide in the country: from having the momentum of an exciting election behind him, he went into gridlock in Congress two years later. That's been hurtful to him and to the country. |
| That said, I have family members who've benefited from the healthcare bill. My mother is 85, and like a lot of people her age she has medical issues. She's been able to keep her insurance and her doctors – all the things they warned her about have never come to pass – and she's getting a better break on her pharmacy bills. I've been very lucky in my work but I have family members who depend on help from Washington. If I have to pay a little bit more so that they don't have to take a hit, I'll do it in a heartbeat. That's why I get annoyed when you hear talk about giving wealthy Americans a tax break. This isn't class warfare. A very small number of Americans are being asked to give a little bit more so that it doesn't fall on our kids and our grandkids and our elderly relatives. I don't know what's terrible about that at all. | That said, I have family members who've benefited from the healthcare bill. My mother is 85, and like a lot of people her age she has medical issues. She's been able to keep her insurance and her doctors – all the things they warned her about have never come to pass – and she's getting a better break on her pharmacy bills. I've been very lucky in my work but I have family members who depend on help from Washington. If I have to pay a little bit more so that they don't have to take a hit, I'll do it in a heartbeat. That's why I get annoyed when you hear talk about giving wealthy Americans a tax break. This isn't class warfare. A very small number of Americans are being asked to give a little bit more so that it doesn't fall on our kids and our grandkids and our elderly relatives. I don't know what's terrible about that at all. |
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