You know, I'm perfectly willing to expect less from government. Since the bursting of the tech bubble, I've been willing to expect less from employers, too. It's just the way things have gone.

You mention the "ideas being fought over" in America, but imo the fight ended with the mid-terms. There are always going to be voices from the fringes, you can't expect the entire country will ever march in lockstep. But pragmatic voices on the left will have them getting cozy with the center line again, though I don't think it'll do them much good in 2012. The only reason socialized medicine will be on anyone's radar is because the GOP administration will be rolling it back.

The Tea Party's influence will continue to grow, and America will veer away from big government and big spending. (And of course, predicting the future will remain a fool's passtime.)

You say Americans need to understand the larger picture, but I beleive that Americans, in general, understand the fundamental need for fiscal responsibility. It's bred in the bone, part of the national psyche. And, to be somewhat crude about it, they don't want government "touching their junk."

One of the current administration's legacies will be, I beleive, to demonstrate how truly conservative this country really is. (Not intended as a criticism...as I've said before, America's success is based, at least in part, of how it differs from the ROW.)

Apologies for the rambling nature of the post...