So far the left leaning approach hasnt worked? What left leaning policies would that be? The stimulus was 50% tax cuts because Obama refused to work with Republicans who wanted it, then didnt want it once Obama agreed to it. It's weird how you guys push for things until you get it then cry foul.
The stimulus was not 50% tax cuts. it was budgeted as about 30% tax cuts which have not materialized. There is no data on the success of the stimulus tax cuts because there is no success there. The tax cuts were either too specific and manipulative or simply not enough to provide an incentive.
The left leaning approach didn't work. It was sold as a means to jump start the economy, fuel a roaring recovery and predicted in both the pitch and the next budged to keep unemployment under 8%. It was supposed to go towards "shovel ready" projects and ended up mostly going to bail out state governments.
The left leaning approach to creating jobs was either just accounting tricks which gave us the "created or saved" figure or outright boondoggles that fed inefficient bureaucracies.
Regardless of the reasons, justifications, or political rhetoric nobody can deny the fact that the economy is in terrible shape. It's time to try something new.