“My lack of experience is my greatest attribute. I have no experience in ruining the country,” said a witty Peter Schiff, who announced (on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”) a run for the US Senate in his home state of Connecticut. After whipping the Republicans, we hope, Schiff will challenge Democrat Chris Dodd, the poster boy for the “experience” that has ruined this country.
Update (Sept. 19): Van Wijk is correct: As a financial analyst with a considerable clientele, Schiff has wisely steered clear from being excessively political. To me, this means that he is a careful man, who thinks hard before mouthing off. The more issues one expatiates upon as a commentator, the more people one risks angering and alienating. I should know. Why do you think that so-called “courageous” columnists such as Ann Coulter stick to a limited range of issues—“liberal this; liberal that, the wonders of war, and the horrors of abortion, etc.”—while avoiding the hard ones (immigration, the “national question,” the economy)? Because by being completely uncontroversial she never risks alienating the base.
I always come back to Kevin Michael Grace’s aphorism: “The secret to becoming a successful right-wing columnist,” quipped the Canadian conservative, “is to echo the mob while complimenting yourself on your daring.”
Schiff has been fearless on matters economical—fearless and correct. He is also a libertarian and a former adviser to Ron Paul. His positions—and he’ll come out with them in the fullness of time—would correspond with Paul’s.
Another thing: everything does boil down to an understanding that one cannot spend funds one doesn’t have. Think about the Republicans who ran in the primaries. Did you ever hear any of them say, “folks, I’d love to indulge your phony rah-rah-for-the-troops patriotism and keep the army in Iraq, but we’re out of money”?