Too many promises…loaves and fishes

Jack Lynch

It's an Obama phenomena. No doubt about it.

And he seems to recognize its weaknesses, saying in Houston on Tuesday night, "It is going to take more than big rallies. It's going to require more than rousing speeches. It will also require more than policy papers and positions and Web sites."

The follow up to a political apothesosis - the sermon on the mount, and the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Obama has begun to promise everyone, everything.

Tuesday night in Houston, "…end those tax breaks that go to companies that ship jobs overseas...and give them to companies that invest in jobs right here in the United States of America, that pay well, provide a pension, provide health care…health insurance that is at least as good as the plan I've got as a member of Congress…lower your premiums by $2,500 per family, per year…if you can't afford it, we will subsidize your care."

"Senior citizens who make less than $50,000, we want to say to them: You don't have to pay an income tax…give tax cuts to ordinary families, people who are making less than $75,000…raise the minimum wage not every 10 years, but to keep pace with inflation…"

We're "going to invest in early childhood education to close the achievement gap…giving them higher salaries (teachers)…students learning art, and music, and science, and literature, and social studies…college affordable for every young person in America…provide a $4,000 tuition credit, every student, every year."

We'll "cap the emission of greenhouse gases. We are going to generate billions of dollars from polluters to invest in solar, in wind, and biodiesel."

We'll be "reinvesting in America, in the cities. We are spending $9 billion a month in Iraq, $9 billion. We can invest that money in rebuilding roads and bridges and hospitals right here in Houston, building schools, laying broadband lines, putting people back to work, employing young men and young women in our inner cities, in our rural communities."

We'll also "hunt down terrorists; yes, we will lock down loose nuclear weapons that could do us harm. But we are also going to lead on climate change. We're also going to lead on helping poor countries deal with the devastation of HIV-AIDS. We're also going to lead in bringing an end to the genocide in Darfur."

Can even the miracle man follow through, or will disappointment follow?