Inside The Capitol: Political Updates and Insights

Source: Jon Eisen (IFDA Senior Vice President, Government Relations)

Last week I participated in a roundtable discussion with House Minority Leader John Boehner and other legislators as a part of the House Republicans America Speaking Out project.

The forum included representatives from about twenty employer trade associations discussing the obstacles to job
creation. Not surprisingly, all of the attendees agreed that uncertainty regarding future government policies was a major reason why businesses have been hesitant to make investments and look to expand. Clearly the threat of additional government regulation and higher taxes were the two top issues that emerged, but underneath all of the discussion, like many conversations I have had with IFDA members over the last month, was a current of distrust in our government that is something I have not seen before at this level. As an IFDA member company executive asked me at the Sales and Marketing Conference, “when will our leaders start paying attention to the American people again?”

President Obama ran a spectacular election campaign in 2008. He understood the national mood and the extraordinary unrest that was at work in the country. Americans were eager for a change in conversation after eight years of President Bush and were looking forward to a charismatic leader that would unite them in purpose to accomplish goals we could all believe in. Now only two years later, it is hard to even remember candidate Obama and the enthusiasm he created.

It cannot be argued that the President has had extraordinary success in passing his legislative agenda. In less than two years in office he has passed an enormous stimulus package, a complete revision of our nation’s healthcare system, and a major overhaul of our financial regulatory apparatus. Yet it is exactly this success that has pulled his popularity down with the American people. First, the President has demonstrated that his priorities are out of step with the desires of the nation. The year-long healthcare battle as our economy continued to sputter provided the strongest demonstration of this. Secondly, the political philosophy that has driven each of these legislative victories is the idea of government as the solution, a view that stands completely at odds with both the historical views of our nation and our own experiences. Thus we are left with a President that not only chose the wrong issues but the wrong solutions.

The President and Congressional leaders ignored the anger that erupted at town hall meetings throughout the country last summer. The message that is likely to be delivered in November will be much harder to dismiss. For the third election in a row we are likely to see a wave sweep through the Congress washing out large numbers of incumbents as we again cast about for new leadership that will listen to the people. In many respects it seems the 2010 campaign will hinge on the same overall issue that dominated the 2008 campaign; the fact that we have lost confidence in our elected leadership.

Business will remain hesitant to make the investments that are needed to expand unless government can provide greater certainty regarding its future policies. To do this we will need to elect leaders in November that are dedicated to listening to the American people and returning our government to a philosophy that rewards investment and belief in the free market. These are the unique and powerful ideas that have worked to make this nation so successful and the only way to get our economy and our political system moving again.