Victor Davis Hanson‘s latest National Review Online column documents Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s need to move beyond generalities as he makes his case to replace Barack Obama in the Oval Office.
Romney cannot just remind the American people how awful the economy has been the last three and a half years, with boilerplate generalities about cutting taxes, repealing Obamacare, and getting America “back to work.” Everyone wants that, but Romney has not clearly explained how it is to be done. Worse, too many voters might rejoin, “But I pay no federal income taxes, so why should I care about tax cuts?” Or, “Hey, wait a minute: My 25-year-old kid is now on my employer’s health plan, so I don’t need to worry about his medical care,” or “My cousin likes the extra year of unemployment insurance followed by more food stamps.” Details are supposed to be the death of a candidate, but this year I think banalities are — especially given the fact that half the population now counts on ever-expanding food stamps, unemployment and disability insurance, and exemption from all federal income taxes.
Instead, Romney should offer — and soon — a sort of Contract with America that gives short, concise agendas on fiscal policy, energy, the tax code, and health care that really would be shovel-ready in January 2013 — a contract that shows Americans how they could be wealthier working than stuck in the growing Obama dependent class.
