HALPERIN'S TAKE: What Is Missing When Obama, McCain, and Clinton Talk About The Economy

It is the biggest issue out there, and yet the three talented politicians still running for president are flat-out not that good when talking about the economy.

Unlike Bill Clinton (circa 1991-1992) and George W. Bush (circa 1999-2000), Barack Obama, John McCain, and Hillary Clinton don't seem to have what it takes to reassure voters that they understand America's place in the world economy.

These days, all three regularly give speeches on the topic, but none seems to have gained any noticeable advantage.

What do all three lack when talking about the economy?

1. Passion.

2. Any indication that they genuinely understand much beyond Economics 101.

3. A grand overarching narrative that frames/makes sense of the changes whipping through the American and the global economies.

4. A firm grip on BOTH the promise AND the perils of the transformations whipping through the 21st century economy like a Bengali typhoon.

5. A sense that they feel the pain of struggling working class people.

6. Specifics that break through the clutter and relate to ordinary people (or political journalists).

7. Ideas on how to address everything plaguing the economy--from unemployment to outsourcing to the weak dollar --
ideas that don't sound like they're recycled from the file cabinets of Arthur Laffer/Jack Kemp/Bob Rubin/Gene Sperling (in other words: new ideas).

8. A compelling explanation of where the jobs of the future are going to come from.

9. The capacity to explain what it means to be a “good steward” of the economy.

10. Overwhelming support from the business community for their candidacy.

11. A team of economic advisers that inspires respect, confidence, hope, or excitement

12. Candor about the pain/disruptions/dislocations that are inevitable in America's future.

13. The impression that they have any desire to turn their attention from the Iraq War, petty bickering, rhetorical one-upsmanship, and promising "change" to get into the nitty gritty of economic issues.

14. A big picture vision for the direction they want to take the country that reflects their leadership style and personal biography, such as Bill Clinton's “Putting People First” or John Edwards' “Two Americas.”

15. A big picture vision that blends their leadership style and personal biography with an idea of where to take the country-- the 2008 race has become so much about personality and biography that specifics and policy ideas are held hostage by façade and image.

16. Interesting events that translate into policy plans (such Al Gore's Labor Day work-a-thon when he spent 24 hours flying across the country doing one-hour shifts with different workers to help push his “People Not the Powerful” theme). Perhaps Clinton could tour Pennsylvania sites which were falling behind under Bush 1, came back under Clinton, went backwards under Bush II and where she will move them forward under Clinton II. Perhaps Obama could spend some time in the homes of working/middle-class people, talking with them, sleeping over (as Jimmy Carter and Al Gore did), and going to work with them the next day. Perhaps McCain could deliver a series of major, comprehensive addresses as Bill Clinton did at Wharton in 1992. Perhaps any of them could present their detailed plans for the first 100 days.

17. Really big policy ideas that could serve as data points or ways to animate whatever their big idea vision would be -- and a capacity to drive an economic idea on an ongoing basis for a week or so.