Is Kerry up to the job?

Quote from the Economist:

SIR – You should be frightened at the thought of the world's dominant economy being taken over by a liberal Democrat with no real experience in administering anything of any note. Governing a state or at least running a big governmental entity is usually a vital prerequisite to overseeing the sprawling federal bureaucracy. Being so distant politically from the mainstream of the body politic ensures that a Kerry-Edwards administration would be mired in legislative gridlock from the start. The thought of them, in over their heads, turning to the likes of Edward Kennedy and Bill Clinton for political sustenance could only excite the naive or those without America's best interests at heart.

Ron Goodden
Atlanta

//Quote ends

Interestingly enough I am not sure Bush's administration is currently doing a much better job when it comes to fiscal policies themselves. If we look at the results of the current national monetary policies.

As I recently read in the Chicago Tribune that my friend happened to bring over while visiting me here in the UK.
The GDP for the U.S. economy has fallen by just over 4% over the last year.

Though Josh Bolten, the director of Office of Management and Budget was quoted saying that the "economy is strong and growing stronger" and that this was the main cause, a lower deficit would be announced at this fiscal year (ending September 30th).

The democrats have pointed out the lower GDP and the deficit to criticize Bush's tax cuts and job losses during his administration period. This causing a weaker national economy.

One of Kerry's campain goals is to broaden the middle class by bringing more people above the "poverty line" and to enforce higher taxes on higher income individuals and firms.
By doing this he is hoping to have a broader base for income tax and in addition, by cutting "favours" to large corporations, to decrease the monetary deficit.

It is easily a highly debated subject when it comes to the wast difference in the financial goals and plans of President Bush and the hopeful candidate but it would be jumping the gun to write Kerry off for having less large scale government leading then Bush had before taking up his current role.

Both of these fine gentlemen attended the same ivy league school and have a similar network of advisors that no doubt play a large role in establishing national fiscal policies.

Though looking at national economic results in relation to international ones may not necessary give us an entirely accurate view. It is often said that one should first look at oneself before passing judgement on others and as such perhaps a introspective diagnosis of the American economy is not so far from being correct when reflecting on the wider international one.