Mario Cuomo Calls for Ideas

The New York Times' Patrick Healy has an interview with former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, who has been sending around a newsletter talking about the big issues of the day--something he points out that most presidential candidates are not doing:

The Update reads like a set of talking points for the most serious of policy wonk Cassandras who believe that politicians are ignoring looming threats at the nation’s peril: Iraq, health care, Medicare and Medicaid, the Middle East, global warming, immigration, trade and budget deficits, and so on.

snip

“This is getting to be obvious: you have more specific, big issues now than usual, and they are compelling issues, and we’re not getting answers,” Mr. Cuomo said. “Most of all we don’t get an answer on Iraq. The Democrats specifically, or implicitly, say they would end the war when they took over Congress. And they haven’t ended the war; there is not a good answer. And the presidential candidates are mostly ducking.

“The thing is, the candidates all have answers,” Mr. Cuomo added. “But they don’t want to give their answers, because if it’s an issue, it is by definition controversial.”

Take taxes, Mr. Cuomo said. The three leading Democratic candidates - Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards - have all indicated - Mr. Edwards most vociferously - that they would roll back the tax cuts for the most wealthy Americans that President Bush and the former Republican-led Congress enacted. But otherwise, there is not enough honest talk, Mr. Cuomo said.

“They don’t want to talk about other taxes they might raise, or what the definition of middle class is for the purposes of tax cuts or tax increases,” Mr. Cuomo said. “They don’t want to get into that because they say, ’People will misunderstand if the Republicans attack us or lie about our plans,’ and they will get hurt as a result.”

This is part of the problem with the current political climate. During the campaign season two things happen. Cuomo touches on one, that candidates don't want to talk seriously about the issues because they are afraid of the attack ads. But if they are serious about their positions, and we have no reason to doubt them, then they should also be prepared to defend their position. However, in defending the position, you wed yourself more to the position, making it more difficult to shift stances later. This is wrong and the American public should hold the candidates feet to the fire and ask for specifics.

The other problem is that candidates, in staking out their positions, tend to think of voters as stupid. While the average voter is not a rocket scientist or a policy wonk, the truly great leaders and communicators can break a problem down so that average people can understand it without being condescending and then explain their proposed solution to the people. But often times candidates will give the actual or equivalent words "well, its complicated."

We know it is complicated, we are not stupid. But we are being asked to vote for candidates who give us that line and then move on. But if you are asking us to support you, we need to know that you understand the problem and have at least an inkling of how to solve it.

Look at all the big time issues facing this country. Iraq and the Middle East, Muslim extremism, Iran, immigration, education, budget and governmental spending, tax policy, entiltment programs in need of reform, the baby boomers aging, Russia, China, Europe. That is just a quick list and while I don't expect an answer on every one of these matters, the candidates do need to offer ideas.

In teh end, that is what Cuomo wants and what the American public wants--ideas.