NYT: Krugman Exposes Obama Blunder
Today, Paul Krugman exposed a major goof in Obama's response to a question posed by Fox on Sunday.
Obama was asked for an example of '"a hot-button issue where you would be willing to buck the Democratic party line" and say the Republicans have a better idea.'
Obama came up with an interesting response. Minor problem: his example was not a Republican idea. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/opinion/02krugman.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Krugman's article is historically informative, and a worthy read. I was particularly taken by the last 2 paragraphs:
Obama was asked for an example of '"a hot-button issue where you would be willing to buck the Democratic party line" and say the Republicans have a better idea.'
Obama came up with an interesting response. Minor problem: his example was not a Republican idea. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/opinion/02krugman.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Krugman's article is historically informative, and a worthy read. I was particularly taken by the last 2 paragraphs:
"To be clear, both Democratic candidates have been saying things they shouldn’t; Hillary Clinton shouldn’t have endorsed the bad idea of a gas tax holiday."
"But I think Mr. Obama is doing much more harm to the Democratic cause by echoing Republican attack lines on such issues as insurance mandates and Social Security. And now he’s demonstrating his post-partisanship by giving Republicans credit for good ideas they never had."
Advertisement
LOL talk about grasping at straws.
May 2, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know what, I'm going to recommend this post simply so everyone can see how absurd and ridiculous your post is.
May 2, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Krugman is a hypocrite. He's firmly against the gas tax holiday that Hillary and the Republicans are for, but is too infatuated with Clinton to say anything. He was against it before he was for it, I guess.
May 2, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amber, you should read the article before
you comment. Otherwise, you look like a
fool.
He did comment on Clinton's gas tax
proposal. And he also stated that he was against it.
See, this is a problem with Obama supporters.
You are too lazy to read, to research your candidate to
find out who they are.
You just float along with the status quo.
This makes you an easy target for manipulation.
May 2, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amber, Krugman wrote this: "To be clear, both Democratic candidates have been saying things they shouldn’t; Hillary Clinton shouldn’t have endorsed the bad idea of a gas tax holiday."
Don't you ever just want to crawl in a hole and shovel the dirt in after you when you rush off and make these ignorant false accusations?
No, wait, you went and reposted the false accusations against Mickey Kantor. In fact, you went further and accused the Clinton camp and Kantor of intimidation. I guess you have no shame.
May 2, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama voted FOR a gas tax holiday 3 times when he was in the Illinois state senate.
You may disagree with Krugman, but he is no hypocrite. He pointed this out on his blog right away that he felt the gas tax relief proposal was pointless. And, he said so again in his column today.
However, he adds that this is a relatively minor proposal and not a matter of principle.
Krugman and the Clintons have no love lost between them--ever since the '92 economic 'summit' before BC took office. From a rationale assessment, he says what he says b/c that's what he thinks. And...he's been right way more than not over the past decade or so...
May 2, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the excellent post. I learned.
May 2, 2008 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, and then he voted against the extension of the gas tax in Illinois because they realized it wasn't working. You see, he actually learns from his mistakes, unlike Hillary "Obliterate" Clinton
May 2, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary's health care proposal is very different than the one she presented in 1993, so I'd argue she has and does learn too.
Hillary has said the no one pretends that the gas tax is a solution, just an incremental measure to provide perhaps a little relief.
One thing I heard that I'd be interested in hearing someone resolving is this: Obama says that the gas tax won't help because the gas companies will simply rais the price by the amount of the tax. He then goes on to say that the measure will save divers ~$30 over the summer. He says this mockingly as if it is meaningless--which sadly, might not be irrelevant to many people.
May 2, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's the way to get us to vote for your candidate, call us too "lazy" to read the details....anybody...NIE...anybody?
May 2, 2008 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have yet to meet an Obama supporter who could factually explain why he is a good presidential candidate. Other than he's the kinda guy you'd wanna have a beer with. Like George Bush.
May 2, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree, "Present."
Worse, I have never once seen one of these people who claim Clinton is a Republican or complain about how right wing she is address Obama's stabbing Social Security in the back or addressing his pathetic health care plan or his worse than pathetic economic stimulus plan.
These are three critical economic issues on which Obama is far to the right of Clinton and I don't know whether a single Obama supporter has even noticed.
This actually is one area that TPM could do better. Just like the mainstream media, the coverage here is largely limited to the horse race. In the substantive coverage in TPM Cafe, you have more opinion than reporting - so you get MJ Rosenberg's mendacious statements about mandates.
Honestly, if Obama's supporters treated him like a regular candidate rather than the SEcond Coming, they would have been honest enough to critique his lousy health care plan from his side. Then he might actually have changed it for the better rather than damaging our long term chances of getting decent health care reform with this utterly shameless bashing of mandates.
I will vote for Obama if he gets the nomination, but he will be the most conservative person I will have ever voted for and it will be with qualms about his utter disregard for working class folks and economic justice. Sure, he talks the game, but when it comes to health care, social security and tax justice, his policies just plain outright suck and no Democrat has any business spouting Republican talking points on Social Security.
The thing is, Obama's supporters don't really support Obama, they just hate Clinton - so the policy aspect is immaterial to them.
May 2, 2008 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great post Oregon. I share your sentiments--almost exactly down the line...
May 2, 2008 6:39 PM | Reply | Permalink