The Obama-Nixon Connection, and it's a Good thing

I got this quote from The Economist:

As Mr Crook observes, Mr Obama is far from a centrist. His voting record suggests that, if elected, Mr Obama would be the most economically left-wing American president since ... well, it's hard to say. Richard Nixon?

He means it as an insult, I'd take it as a compliment, and there is an argument to be made that Nixon in terms of the economy and regulation was more liberal than any of his successors.

I think, however, that the author of the piece overestimates Obama's liberalism.