The Ozempic Election: US Candidates Show Little Appetite for Big Ideas

In 2008, Barack Obama campaigned for the US presidency on a complete overhaul of the country’s health insurance system aimed at extending coverage to everyone not covered by private insurance or Medicaid. Four years later, Mitt Romney laid out an elaborate set of proposals for reigniting economic growth after the Great Recession that called for vastly simplifying the tax code and slashing taxes across the board by 20%. In 2016, Hillary Clinton practically swamped the public with in-depth position papers on everything from raising the federal minimum wage to establishing paid family leave.

It’s worth remembering these signature proposals from the campaigns of yesteryear as Americans return to the polls over the next few weeks and then settle in to wait as the votes are counted. This presidential cycle has been largely devoid of such ideological ambition. Donald Trump has contrived dark images of a country in decline while crusading against immigration and for a return to 19th-century-style tariffs and protectionism. Kamala Harris, whose presidential run got off to a late start, has made targeted proposals aimed at helping parents, renters and first-time homebuyers, restoring abortion rights and cracking down on corporate malfeasance such as price-fixing.