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Dana Goldstein at Tapped writes about Obama's speech to Planned Parenthood in which Obama argued for "'updating the social contract' with gender pay equity, paid maternal leave, and longer school hours that make it easier for mothers to work." This drew raves from Ezra Klein, who pointed out the similarities to the writings of Karen Kornbluh, who has become Obama's policy director. In an article she wrote for Democracy last fall, Kornbluh argued for a new social insurance program to meet the changing dynamic of modern American families, and said such a program "could be financed through a combination of a more progressive payroll tax (starting at a higher wage rate and not capped by income) and general revenue to reflect the fact that everyone in society, not just wage-earners, benefits from the work parents do raising the next generation of citizens."

It is mind-boggling that at a time when economically stagnant European governments facing high unemployment and unsustainable budgets are seeking ways to scale back the welfare state and loosen labor restrictions, people in the U.S. are calling for America to move toward those very policies.

This doesn't mean, however, that such ideas will not have any appeal. One of the points I make in my Obama article in our July/August issue is that an Obama presidency would be a much bigger threat to small government conservatism  than a second Clinton presidency, because Obama will be a more charismatic and effective salesperson for progressive ideas than Hillary Clinton will. And whereas Clinton, like her husband, will be perfectly happy to stray from liberalism if it helps her stay in power, I think Obama is much more principled, and therefore more likely to consistently fight for liberal policies no matter what the polls say.

topics:
Hillary Clinton, Conservatism