Statists (both Left and Right) think that the world is driven by INTENTIONS. Therefore, if a policy is well-intentioned (and espoused by someone that they like), then they are happy to get behind it.
In the real world, policies create INCENTIVES, or, in many cases, dis-incentives. Human beings (that's the rest of us, who have to pay for politicians' mistakes) have to make their choices based on the incentives that are created by politicians' policies.
Note: I don't take the position that all Statists are 'evil'. So, I'll skip the references to Hitler and Mussolini. That said, I do think that Statists are misguided ..
With lofty intentions .. "no child left behind" .. or .. "to reform healthcare" .. or .. "to save the Planet", they proceed to create incentives that undermine capitalism. This ensures that less wealth is created, which limits the ability to do anything (good OR bad). Basking in the aura of well-intentioned zeal, they assume that the fruits of capitalism will always exist and can be indefinitely re-distributed at their whim. A classic case of "having one's cake, and redistributing it, too."
BTW, many Republicans are Statists too -- it so happens that their gimmick is to grow the economy enough, to have a growing tax base from which to fund Statist goals.
Of course, far-Leftists (like Michael Moore) take the additional step of actually denigrating capitalism, so that it's defenders can be rhetorically ridiculed: "Surely, you aren't one of those Capitalism-believin', club-wieldin' Neanderthals who single-handedly wrecked America during the past eight years?". Excuse me, but I don't think that GWB's so-called compassionate conservatism was particularly pro-Capitalism.
What they fail to realize is that Capitalism is simply the application of freedom -- to economic activity. When Capitalism is denigrated, it is freedom that is imperiled. It is the absence of Govt intervention (well intentioned or otherwise) which ensures that free humans pursue their self-interest, achieving success - or failure - depending on individual strengths. The result: extraordinary achievement by 'normal' people. The well-intentioned Statist utopia might work in some parallel universe, but not with 'normal' humans, who make choices based on available incentives, and are motivated by self-interest. Statist utopias fail because people are not altruists. Any system that relied on altruism for its success has inevitably failed. Instead of blaming the Statist system, its proponents tend to blame the people for not sacrificing enough.
The alternative reality (which exists ONLY in the minds of Statists) is a well-intentioned utopia in which they hope that people will ignore the incentives and act against their own self-interest. For example, politicians passed (then strengthened) the CRA. Then, they connived with Wall Street to empower Fannie & Freddie, which gave the illusion of safety (via the imprimatur of the US Govt) to mortgage-backed-securities. This incentivized bad behavior on the part of home-buyers, speculators, bankers and just about everyone else.
When the fit-hits-the-shan, Statists invariably blame Capitalism (wihch was subverted by their actions). Philosophically, they load the dice by suggesting that self-interest is a bad thing. Profit is evil, only non-profits (and the Govt) can be trusted. Conveniently, this resonates with the quasi-religious worldview that makes people (both Left and Right) frown on self-interest and profit.
And when, inevitably, the law of causality bites, Statist politicians draw the wrong lessons.
Observe that:
* when Public Education fails -- they want to throw more money at it
* when Medicare & Medicaid drive up costs -- they (e.g. GWB) increase those programs -- or (BHO) see an opportunity to impose those models on the entire HealthCare market.
* when their well-intentioned policies to encourage home ownership among the poor lead to a market melt-down, they blame everyone else but themselves.
* when their well-intentioned policies succeed in killing General Motors, they spend taxpayer money to take it over, but continue the unrealistic policies
Unfortunately, our electorate is easily swayed by speeches and policies that are long on intentions, but fail horribly in the real world -- where INCENTIVES drive human behavior, irrespective of anyone's INTENTIONS.