The author has been described by News Ltd as an "iconoclast", "Svengali", a pollie's "economist muse", and "pungently accurate". Fairfax says he is a "Renaissance man" and "one of Australia’s most respected analysts." Stephen Koukoulas concludes that he is "85% right", and "would make a great Opposition leader." Terry McCrann claims the author thinks "‘nuance’ is a trendy village in the south of France", but can be "scintillating" when he thinks "clearly". The ACTU reckons he’s "an enigma wrapped in a Bloomberg terminal, wrapped in some apparently well-honed abs."

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Simon Schama on Obama

From the FT: "Mr Obama’s temptation will be to stand back and let it all play out, as he has done so many times before, with the steady thrum of a recovery whispering “take it easy, boss” in his ear. But he owes the long-suffering, still-suffering, country more. He owes it the truth, delivered in such a way that Americans might yet feel that absorbing its seriousness is not the bar to but the condition of their collective reinvigoration. He has an opportunity to deliver that truth in the State of the Union speech; a moment in which he can still reboot America and re-make its politics once again. For what it’s worth, I’m ready to put money on a bet he will."
at 5:54 PM