A few random observations and perhaps an insight or two.
Keynote speaker David Gergen noted this morning that the recent favorable news about the deficit and its impact on debt may well be counter-productive as it takes the pressure off Congress and the President to deal with the debt while investing in education and infrastructure. Soundbite – Mexico is investing more than we are in infrastructure.
Mexico.
Gergen also does not believe there’s going to be much progress in Washington over the next few years; Obama’s over-reaching post-election has come up against the newly-energized GOP’s belief they can wait him out and win the mid-terms. That reality, combined with the current crop of controversies, makes for a DC not focused on strategic issues such as long term deficit reduction, infrastructure, education – and therefore little of the important work will get done.
Long term, Gergen is much more optimistic, primarily due to American energy independence – lower energy costs and energy security will bring manufacturing back to our shores – and already is (Gergen didn’t have anything to say about the potential implications for climate change, a notable miss).
He is also a big fan of the millennial generation, citing their enthusiasm for helping others (a quarter of Spellman College graduates and a fifth of Harvard’s applied to Teach for America) and willingness to serve both in the military and other volunteer/low-paid-but-critically-important jobs).
