When Barack Obama launched his White House bid 12 years ago, he already had a library of well-crafted policies. Some were bold. Others were small-bore. Behind each position was a bench of experts. The same went for John McCain, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Mitt Romney and other 2008 contenders. Now we could be living in a different century. With the exception of Elizabeth Warren, whose campaign has yet to catch fire, today’s Democratic aspirants are content with a brassy slogan. Policy wonks might as well join the Mississippi gopher frog on the endangered species list.
12年前，當(dāng)巴拉克?奧巴馬(Barack Obama)向白宮發(fā)起沖擊時(shí)，他早已準(zhǔn)備好了一屋子精心設(shè)計(jì)的政策。其中有些頗為大膽，有些則無(wú)足輕重。每個(gè)職位都有一長(zhǎng)凳的專(zhuān)家供備選。約翰?麥凱恩(John McCain)、希拉里?克林頓(Hillary Clinton)、約翰?愛(ài)德華茲(John Edwards)、米特?羅姆尼(Mitt Romney)等2008年總統(tǒng)大選的角逐者都是這樣準(zhǔn)備的。而眼下我們仿佛活在另一個(gè)不同的世紀(jì)。除了競(jìng)選活動(dòng)尚未全面啟動(dòng)的伊麗莎白?沃倫(Elizabeth Warren)，有志問(wèn)鼎白宮的民主黨人如今普遍滿(mǎn)足于浮夸的口號(hào)?！罢呃蠈W(xué)究”甚至可能像密西西比穴蛙一樣登上了瀕危物種名單。