A Conservative Vote for Hillary Clinton
Nick Gillespie | May 7, 2007, 8:23am
Columnist and sometime Reason contributor Bruce Bartlett gives thumbs up to the prospects of Sen. Hillary Clinton's likely economic plan as president:
On economics, it is reasonable to assume that Mrs. Clinton's policies would not be altogether different from Bill Clinton's. This is not a bad thing. On trade, his record was outstanding and on the budget was far better than George W. Bush's. While Mr. Clinton raised taxes in 1993, it should be remembered that he cut them in 1997, including a cut in the capital gains tax. On regulatory policy, Mr. Clinton was no worse than the current administration and probably better on net.
Democrats know all this, which is why our most liberal pundits, like Bob Kuttner, are attacking Mrs. Clinton for being a clone of her husband on economics and attacking her support for "Rubinomics," named after former Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin. Its essential elements are a commitment to deficit reduction and globalization which are both anathema to the Democratic Party's liberal base. It wants a hard-line against imports to save jobs and an expansive fiscal policy to pay for a wide range of new social programs.
More here.
Jonathan Rick | May 7, 2007, 11:47am | #
Bartlett is right. And we should add, as Michael Crowley did recently in a cover story for the New Republic, that Hillary "has always been more comfortable with the military than many of her liberal boomer peers." She comes from the Truman-Kennedy foreign-policy wing of her party, and despite enormous pressure from her base, she refuses to recant her vote authorizing the Iraq war. She is also cosponsoring a bill to sanction U.S. companies that do business with Iran.
Equally to the ire of primary and caucus voters, Hillary deplores violent and sexual content in video games—though because she's not a knee-jerk leftist, she has proposed a voluntary ratings system rather than a mandatory one. Indeed, she talks more about our national morale and faith, which are far common from the mouths of Republicans than Democrats, than she does about gay marriage and abortion. A few months ago, she even declared that the latter is a "sad, even tragic choice."
In short, Hillary has left behind her HillaryCare days and embraced the political center. She focuses more on consensus than partisanship. And if you think I'm exaggerating, well, just ask such adversaries-turned-allies as Rick Santorum (on restricting graphic media for children); Sam Brownback (protecting refugees fleeing sexual abuse); Lindsay Graham (expanding health care services for the National Guard); and Newt Gingrich (reforming health care).
And yet, pace Bartlett, Hillary is not the most conservative Dem. That honor belongs to Bill Richardson, about whom you, Nick (with Dave and Jesse?), summed up the case nicely:
"[As governor] Richardson cut New Mexico's income tax from 8.2 percent to 4.9 percent, halved the capital gains tax, and eliminated the gross receipts tax. He frequently and explicitly drew a link between lower taxes and economic growth. . . . [He] not only supports the right to carry a concealed weapons but holds a concealed-carry permit himself. He . . . endors[es] charter schools (but not vouchers) and medical marijuana (but not decriminalization)."
And in case you think a presidential run has caused Richardson to revisit his views, as it has done to others, two things he said last week should quell your fears. First, on taxes: "Democrats, whenever we have a solution, we want to tax. I'm different. I'm a tax cutter." Second, on guns: "I'm a Westerner. . . . The Second Amendment is precious in the West." In fact, Richardson has the highest rating from the National Rifle Association of any candidate for president, Democrat or Republican.
