Wincing with Krugman

We need to take the government back -- that's the point, isn't it?  But nasty little doubts are creeping in as to whether Barack Obama's Democratic party is seriously interested in reform.  Paul Krugman wonders whether the new president has enough political capital to deliver.

...The Obama administration and Democrats in general need to do everything they can to build an F.D.R.-like bond with the public. Never mind Mr. Obama’s current high standing in the polls based on public hopes that he’ll succeed. He needs a solid base of support that will remain even when things aren’t going well.

And I have to say that Democrats are off to a bad start on that front. The attempted coronation of Caroline Kennedy as senator plays right into 40 years of conservative propaganda denouncing “liberal elites.” And surely I wasn’t the only person who winced at reports about the luxurious beach house the Obamas have rented, not because there’s anything wrong with the first family-elect having a nice vacation, but because symbolism matters, and these weren’t the images we should be seeing when millions of Americans are terrified about their finances.

O.K., these are early days. But that’s precisely the point. Fixing the economy is going to take time, and the Obama team needs to be thinking now, when hopes are high, about how to accumulate and preserve enough political capital to see the job through.

I hate to see Caroline Kennedy lashed to the whipping post.  If everything else were on track -- if we had no doubts about the bona fides of the the Democratic party and Obama's leadership -- we wouldn't be spending time worrying about Kennedy's bona fides.  Renting a nice beach house isn't anything in itself, but it's a potent symbol for wounded, hopeful progressives like you and me.  We may not cry out in pain yet, but yes, we're wincing.