I think that The New York Times is implying that the message from the 2012 New Year’s baby is I Just Got Here, but I Know Trouble When I See It.

Sunday Business asked the six economists who write the Economic View column to do a little blue-sky thinking on issues as varied as the Fed, Europe and housing. You won’t find stock tips. But if 2011 was any guide, the best advice for 2012 may be this: Hold tight.

Even the economist who was an adviser to Mitt Romney did not say that tax cuts for the wealthy was a solution to our problems.

Perhaps Christina Roemer had the most balanced view.

But even better would be measures that increase employment today, while also leaving us with something of lasting value. Because many people worry about increasing the role of the federal government, why not give substantial federal funds to state and local governments for public investment? Tell them that the money has to be used for either physical infrastructure like roads, bridges and airports, or for human infrastructure like education, job training and scientific research. Then let the states, cities and towns figure out what would work best for their citizens.

Even this proposal bows to what she sees as the political reality.  Let the states and towns do it, not because that is the best way economically, but because this is the best we can hope for politically.

I am still looking for the candidate who will both do what is politically possible now and change what is politically possible.  Barack Obama said he would be that politician, but either he had no clue on how to change the politically possible, or he never intended to do that when he won the election.

I see no national politician, even one on the horizon, that can be the politician I seek.  We will just have to take the best that is available and try to figure out how to grow the one we want.  I think that growth process starts with movements like the Occupy movement.  I am not sure there has ever been an example of the rise of that desired politician without being preceded by some lasting protests of  the citizens.

By the way, the clue that Obama should have had is that he needed to promote citizen action as a way to strengthen his hand politically.  President Roosevelt knew that.  Obama even quoted Roosevelt’s remarks that showed it.    So maybe I was wrong.  President Obama had a clue at one time.  He just did not follow up with the necessary action.  He seemed to go out of his way to negotiate with the opposition in private and starting way too late making it impossible for the citizens to force the issue.