It's the Economy Too, Stupid

I was underwhelmed by the debates last night. The only memorable moment was the Huckabee - Ron Paul dust-up, where Huckabee concluded that honor in doing the right thing in Iraq is more important than the Republican Party. And how! This is exactly why Huckabee should be the man running against Hillary in the general election, but unfortunately also why he has a hard time raising the dough and exposure to get the Republican nomination.

I think the main reason the debates were so lackluster is because the questions were designed to highlight candidate positions that we already know about. And apart from the Libertarian Party candidate crashing the event, the answers elicited were mostly remarkable in their lack of differences.

A near-total focus on national security issues is the culprit here. The debate mostly covered immigration and Iraq/Iran, and all the candidates are trying to appear strongest on the same basic positions: defend our borders and we have to finish the job in Iraq to avoid genocide. A few "family values" questions were tossed in, but only to one or two candidates each.

Notably absent: any questions about domestic policy issues such as healthcare, education and the economy. Huckabee pointed this out in his after-debate interview with Hannity & Colmes. Five debates without a single question about education?!?

The housing market, the key repository of middle class wealth, is an absolute mess right now. Homeowners are panicking over falling prices and dried-up demand. Non-homeowners are praying for the prices to fall because housing prices have more than doubled since 1999, while real median income still hasn't recovered to its 1999 level, pricing most people out of buying a first home. The credit crunch and shaky home prices dampen spending and growth in many other sectors as well. This isn't worth discussing?

The percentage of people who lack access to health care continues to grow, even while total domestic spending on health also continues to far outpace inflation. Medicare entitlements are a looming disaster. And real wages for full-time work are falling, so that middle class families can only keep up by working more and spending time with family less. None of this is worth discussing?

Though I can't say I have any data to back this up, I think a lot of Americans who say they want us out of Iraq in polls are simply sick of hearing about Iraq all the time. They want the President to start focusing on the domestic issues that directly impact them and their children, and they would tolerate a longer stay to keep the peace if they don't feel neglected at home. President Bush isn't doing that, and neither are Giuliani, Romney or McCain. I like Mike because he addresses these domestic issues with good ideas whenever he gets a chance. Too bad the moderators last night didn't give him one.