I agree with you 100% that if we want to support Obama’s efforts to improve the economy, we have to work as hard as we can to encourage Obama to do what it takes to make sure the economy actually improves. The American people will know it in two years if the economy is bad, and I certainly would never suggest that we should try to convince people that the economy is better than it is. 

I don’t doubt that Obama is motivated to improve the economy, but he’s probably facing political pressure from people whose ideas won’t work. “Supporting” Obama means supporting the policies we think Obama should implement — because that’s how we counterbalance the pressure Obama is facing from people whose ideas are bad. My point is that we need to start thinking about what should be done to improve the economy, as our thinking will (perhaps indirectly, in the case of our blog) help Obama. The more Americans are thinking about what Obama should do next, the better it is for Obama, in my opinion.

You also write: “I think what will help the economy succeed is: universal health care; intelligent regulation of volatile financial markets; massive public spending on infrastructure, “green” R&D, economic assistance and development to economically ailing parts of the economy and persons, etc.”

I agree that massive public spending on infrastructure and economic assistance will do a lot to improve the economy over the short term. But intelligent regulation and green R&D won’t do a lot for the US economy between now and 2010. And Universal Health care will take at least two years just to implement, by which time the 2010 elections will have come and gone. I totally agree that these are urgent priorities and should be done right away, but these aren’t things that will help the economy improve between now and 2010.

I agree that executive power should be rolled back, but I wonder if this is an issue that Obama can make any strong headway on between now and 2010. In other words, are there steps Obama can take soon to permanently roll back executive authority in a way that would constrain his successor (God forbid) in 2012? Is there anything a President Obama can do that a President Palin couldn’t undo in 2012? Because if the answer is no, then this makes it all the more important that Obama and the Dems keep the Republicans from taking power until the “unprecedented” power grabs by the Bush administration seen weird again.

One, how do we convince the American people that Barack Obama is doing a good job with the economy?  I’d suggest that the actual performance of the economy is what people will refer to in making this assessment:  Do I feel secure at my job?  Am I better off than I was four years ago?  Will my children be able to attend a decent college?  Will they have health care when they get sick?

If we want to help Obama get credit for a good economy, we need to convince the Obama administration to do what we think will actually help the economy.  I think what will help the economy succeed is: universal health care; intelligent regulation of volatile financial markets; massive public spending on infrastructure, “green” R&D, economic assistance and development to economically ailing parts of the economy and persons, etc.

Two, I sense a fear in your post that should Obama be unfairly blamed for the failures of the economy–an economy which falters through no fault of his own–then what little progress he will have been able to achieve will be instantly and ruthlessly rolled back by a subsequent Republican administration.

I share your fear, but perhaps draw a different conclusion about what must be done to avert this sort of very probable disaster.  If Obama wants to ensure that future Republican administrations can’t do what Bush has done, he needs to roll back executive power.  He needs to reestablish checks and balances that have been killed off, often with the aid of Congress.  He needs to handcuff future administrations to the rule of law.  Outlaw/renounce executive signing statements and orders.  Etc.

We must operate under the assumption that politicians to the right of Obama can and will make a comeback, likely a big comeback.  Such is the nature of politics.  Parties come and go, but the rule of law and constrains imposed by the Constitution must prevent the abuse of power.