Not campaign promises

Paul Krugman echoes some of my thoughts today about candidates and their campaign plans:

One of the lessons journalists should have learned from the 2000 election campaign is that what a candidate says about policy isn’t just a guide to his or her thinking about a specific issue — it’s the best way to get a true sense of the candidate’s character.

This is what I've been saying since Edwards began laying out his ambitious agenda. These plans aren't of course, campaign promises. But they are signals. With plans, like the Obama healthcare plan, candidates are signaling--to journalists and any voters who pay any attention--what their approach to major issues will be. And that's an important measure of a politician, even if it's pretty clear that he or she never be able to fully accomplish their goals. I should note that the above Krugman quote is the opening paragraph to his assessment of Obama, which is slightly more favorable overall than mine thusfar in primary season. This, though, I can't help but agree with:

On the whole, the Obama plan is better than I feared but not as comprehensive as I would have liked. It doesn’t quell my worries that Mr. Obama’s dislike of “bitter and partisan” politics makes him too cautious. But at least he’s come out with a plan.

Comments

[JimPortlandOR]

...and baby [Jim] makes three: on Obama and cautiousness.

When confronted by Edwards last night on universality (the lack thereof in his plan), he choose to divert the answer to children's insurance coverage - dodging the issue by saying people may not be able to afford it. Duh!