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Unswerving Devotion

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 07:52:00 AM EST
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In 2003, when Andrew Sullivan still swore undying allegiance to George W. Bush and the economic analysis of Don Luskin, he devoted much of his time attacking Paul Krugman for criticizing George W. Bush. In 2003, Bob Somerby reported on it:

This is now a standard motif of the rube-running right. If you disagree with Bush, you’re a hater—or you have to be crazy. Last Friday, for example, Andrew Sullivan threw pleasing feed to the herd, referring to “the unhinged” Paul Krugman. . . . There’s no such thing as principled disagreement. Those who dispute you are simply unbalanced.

Now the attacks on Krugman as unhinged come from Daily Kos, from DemfromCt, who summarizes Krugman's column today as follows:

Paul Krugman: Turning victory into defeat. And I never did like Obama, anyway.

Blind adulation and lashing out at anyone who has substantive criticism for the policies of the pol you support is distasteful wherever it comes from. Disagree with Krugman's analysis? Then articulate that disagreement. DemfromCt chose instead to play the Sully "unhinged" game. He's better than that.

Speaking for me only

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    Unswerving Devotion | 6 comments (6 topical)

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    I noticed that, too (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by Demi Moaned on Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 08:22:06 AM EST
    ... and I was disappointed to see it. The Krugman bashing had pretty much died down since the election.

    The fact remains: I trust Krugman more than I trust Obama at this point. Which is not to dispute the fact that the latter is the repository of all our hopes for the political system.

    blind devotion (5.00 / 3) (#3)
    by jedimom on Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 08:43:41 AM EST
    this is why i found the blind adoration frightening
    it follows into the administration and without pushing pols they dont do the right thing

    especially Obama, he does the easy thing, the 'pragmatic' thing

    I am starting to hate that word pragmatic

    Krugman is helping us try to get the correct action taken, I only wish Team Obama would listen to him the way they say they are OPEN to all, which seems to mean vote present and let everyone else sort it out and this way Obama is still liked

    you have to be willing to take the unpopular position to be a true leader..the KOS peeps dont seem to underdstand that

    Sadly, he's NOT better than that. (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by RonK Seattle on Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 10:52:51 PM EST


    he is? (none / 0) (#1)
    by dws3665 on Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 08:04:51 AM EST
    I haven't seen any evidence of that lately. But I don't go over there too much anymore.

    Substantive? (none / 0) (#4)
    by Gobbluth on Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 11:15:28 AM EST
    The fact is that Krugman's potential solution is completely politically unfeasable.  It's not about unpopular, it's that it wouldn't get passed through Congress and how does that help.  There would be more leaking of moderate Dem's for his bill than at a Palin-McCain unity staff brunch.

    And I don't understand why Krugman is now as off-limits from criticism, as you accuse Obama of being.  I happen to be a Krugman fan, who thinks he brings a great progressive perspective on economic matters but Krugman at the same time hasn't shown himself to be as effective as a political analyst.  He obviously isn't as concerned about something actually passing as others are, and that isn't really a solution in the end.

    Lastly, let's not be blind to the fact that he doesn't like Obama's political philosophy, his positions and from all evidence Obama, himself.  Personally, I'm just fine with that.  It doesn't change me as a fan of Paul, but it's hard not to come to that conclusion if you look at the evidence.  Unlike the stereotype that's been built up, most of us are ok with non-crazy people not liking Obama.  There are people that I just don't plain like (Derek Jeter and Katherine Vanden Heuvel, I'm looking at you), and that I know that I have a hard time giving an unbiased opinion of them, despite the fact that on surface I probably agree more than I disagree.  Honestly, Krugman is going to be consistently ripping Obama, sometimes justly, but I'm just not expecting a fair shake from the guy, despite as I've stated my sincere respect for him.

    You say it would not pass through Congress (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 11:17:05 AM EST
    The fact is we will never know.

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    Unswerving Devotion | 6 comments (6 topical)

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