John Maynard Keynes was born on 5 June 1883 in Cambridge into a well-to-do academic family. His father was an economist and a philosopher, his mother became the town’s first female mayor. Suitably stimulated, he excelled academically at Eton as well as Cambridge University, where he studied mathematics. He also became friends with members of the Bloomsbury group of intellectuals and artists.

After graduating, Keynes went to work in the India Office, and simultaneously managed to work on a dissertation – often during office hours – which earned him a fellowship at King’s College. In 1908, he quit the civil service and returned to Cambridge. Following the outbreak of World War One, Keynes joined the treasury, and in the wake of the Versailles peace treaty, he published ‘The Economic Consequences of the Peace’, in which he criticized the exorbitant war reparations demanded from a defeated Germany and prophetically predicted a German revenge. The best-selling book made him world famous.

During the inter-war years, Keynes amassed a considerable personal fortune from the financial markets and, as bursar of King’s College, greatly improved the college’s financial position. He became a prominent arts patron and board member of a number of companies. In 1926 he married Lydia Lopokova, a Russian ballerina.

Keynes’ best-known work, ‘The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money’, was published in 1936, and became a benchmark for future economic thought. It also secured his position as Britain’s most influential economist, and with the advent of World War Two, he again worked for the treasury. In 1942, he was made a member of the House of Lords.

During the war years, Keynes played a decisive role in the negotiations that were to shape the post-war international economic order. In 1944, he led the British delegation to the Bretton Woods conference in America. At the conference he played a significant part in the planning of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He died on 21 April 1946.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historicfigures/keynesjohn_maynard.shtml

Comment: We are hearing a lot of talk coming out of Washington regarding the benefits of Keynesian economics. It is of utmost importance to re-educate the American public on who this man is, and what his policies mean to free market economics. Here is just a brief biography with further analysis forthcoming.

Crossposted: www.smallcitymayor.com

A flurry of commentary and polling have permeated the airwaves in the final days of this national campaign.

Republicans are nervous about polling, electoral maps, and congressional seats. Dare we bring up the topic of another possible route in November? Democrats, used to screwing it up, are not used to winning. They are nervously willing Barack Obama to the White House…….hoping……maybe even praying.

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During the primary season, I laid out the case for Hillary Clinton winning the nomination. At the time the McCain campaign was lifeless; Clinton’s opponent was ONLY “clean, bright, and articulate,” and so it looked like a DNC romp in November.

Stunningly Obama’s organization in little known caucus states (that vote Republican in a general election) allowed him to ride early momentum to the nomination. An amazing victory that caught everyone by surprise considering Clinton had great organization in the must win blue states. The big states.

The theme of “change” resonated so loudly that Hillary Clinton was removed from VP consideration.

“Change” was coming!

Enter John McCain, in uncharacteristically savvy fashion, as he went panning for Palin in the great state of Alaska. The pick solidified the conservative base and her convention speech was perfect television.

McCain had just raised Obama’s “change” theme by going all-in with a “reform” theme. A stroke of political genius in that everyone hates government. Plus, the only thing better than one Maverick railing against the machine; is two.

The Obama campaign reaction weeks later: “clueless”.

They have let Republicans hammer-away for over a week without a coherent response. The polls have McCain leading nationwide in the polls, and Barack Obama looks less presidential than ever. The confident swagger looks a bit more like a stagger according to old time Democrats out here. They are nervous.

So my open ended question is: “How Does Hillary Look Now?” Does any Democrat think that McCain’s pick of Palin (or anyone else) would have knocked the Clinton campaign off its stride as we have witnessed with the Obama campaign? The Mayor thinks otherwise.

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Written by The Mayor
September 2008

It was shocking to see the statistics on viewership for Governor Palin’s address to the nation.

The Associated Press reported that over 40 million people viewed the event. It is apparently two to three million more than watched Obama’s convention speech. Anytime the vice-presidential candidate dwarfs the leading nominee of either party: that is noteworthy.

In a strategic sense McCain’s pick creates buzz and fresh focus for voters. The quick wit and biography on display are small town stories that resonate loud in heartland America. McCain just gave himself a key advantage the democrats have conceded.

I will tip my hat to the McCain Team for turning around a ship that only a few short months ago was taking on water and looked to be lost. The latest polls have both conventions over with the polls split evenly and the electoral map in deadlock.

The Palin choice gives the RNC a shot at an important demographic that Obama will have trouble with until the end of the campaign.

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