Battle Of the Proxy Incumbents

Having long struggled to find a stump message more specific than Hope and less nebulous than Change, nominee apparent Barack Obama seems to have finally found a unifying theme for his campaign, as he sets his sites on the general election.

In case your cable's been out for a couple weeks, the grand, unifying, post-partisan argument in favor of electing this New Kind of Politician is that John McCain, the "Maverick", the Gang of 14er, the pathologically centrist aisle-crosser and frequent thorn in his own party's side, represents George Bush's third term.

Fiction can be fun!  Ultimately though, this fanciful bit of twaddle is unlikely to stick, what with McCain's voting record so thoroughly refuting it.  And in a lot of ways, that's too bad.  If only we could look back at McCain's votes and comments on the wildly effective investment income tax cuts and find a man who embraced pro-growth fiscal policy as eagerly as Bush, we might be better assured of the continuity of certain beneficial policies that Obama so laments.

Still, Barack assures us that John McCain's and George Bush's policy stances are indistinguishable, so let's so stipulate.  Is that worse than the alternative?

After all, what President in the modern era does Senator Obama's agenda most resemble?

Click for larger size.

Huge expansion of the federal government?  Check.  Letting entitlement spending run wild?  Check.  "Windfall profit" taxes on oil companies?  Strong desire to meet with dictators and state terrorism sponsors?  Big doofy grin?  Check, check, and check.

Do political fashions run in 30-year cycles?  If so, then get ready for the fabulous comeback of energy crises, stagflation, high unemployment, and national malaise.

(Obama caricature by Cox & Forkum)