The Democratic presidential debate ironically took place the same week that a Princeton University professor was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Why ironic? Because professor Angus Deaton is a strong advocate of economic growth. Today's Democrats are not. Here are some words from Deaton -- with a very big hat tip to my pal Jim Pethokoukis, who is a columnist with the American Enterprise Institute: "Economic growth is the engine of the escape from poverty and material depravation.