Obama

So here’s a question for the people who know more about this stuff than I do (i.e., everyone): Doesn’t Obama have good reasons not only to lead us over the fiscal cliff, but also to keep us there? That is, not negotiate any kind of deal with the Republicans, neither before nor after January 1? Unless you assume Obama doesn’t want cuts to entitlements — which I don’t assume; I believe he’s an austerian of Reactionary Keynesianism — think about what he gets if he allows the sequester to go through: slightly higher tax rates, cuts to entitlements, and cuts to defense. Those seems like classic New Democrat/Clintonite goals. I recognize it would put the economy in danger of recession, but Obama’s not up for reelection and modern Democratic presidents have shown little interest in the fate of congressional Democrats, particularly at mid-term election time, and in party-building more generally. So, I ask, not rhetorically: will Obama take us over the cliff and then keep us there?