In his Wall Street Journal column today, Karl Rove writes:
Democrats are betting that Americans now embrace centralized, top-down government and are willing to pay for it. They are wrong and will suffer politically for their misjudgment. Republicans are right, both substantively and politically, to oppose this monstrosity [Obama’s “stimulus” legislation] and smart to offer a bold alternative. The GOP’s road back is about to be partly paved by Mr. Obama’s embrace of Democratic trickle-down economics. It’s terrible policy — but for Republicans, it provides an opportunity for sharp contrasts that can reset the debate on more favorable terms for the GOP.
Karl is on to something important. President Obama is reviving a debate about the size, scope, and role of government that will be as dramatic a contrast as we have seen since 1980. That is a debate Republicans should be eager to engage in, and which they can win. The fact that public support for Obama’s bill is cratering can only serve to encourage Republicans.
Some people have argued that the “big” v. “small” government debate had receded in American politics. For a time, it may have. But with President Obama’s “monstrosity,” things are changing. This debate is being conducted on ground Republicans know well, and on which they have won before.