KRUGMAN: Can they come to grips with the failure of extortion before it’s time to shoot the hostage?

[kpete]

October 9, 2013, 11:01 am 59 Comments
They Can’t Handle the Truth

It’s remarkable and scary to watch Republican leaders trying to extract themselves from the box they’re in. They have now figured out that Obama won’t eviscerate health reform under threat — although their base refuses to believe it. They still can’t face the reality that Obama won’t offer any concessions, of any kind, under threat. In an odd way, their attempts to get something by repeating over and over the same old lies and misdirections — we’re not practicing extortion, he’s just refusing to negotiate! — makes me think of the classic tourist, believing that locals will understand English if only you talk loud enough.

I would say that Cantor and Ryan seem, gradually, to be edging toward facing reality. But we don’t have much time. Can they come to grips with the failure of extortion before it’s time to shoot the hostage? I wouldn’t bet on it.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/they-cant-handle-the-truth/?gwh=8B56ED2B70828FA9AD9C232C30566FFD

[gopiscrap]

1. Good analogy...hope so!

[libdem4life]

2. The perogatives of privilege only work...until they don't. This group has never faced the literal

political concept of "no"...and especially from a powerful black man. It's a changing paradigm.

[rock]

3. It's the repiggies who started with an absolute demand: drop funding for ObamaCare

And now they can't understand how Obama can make an absolute demand: we can't negotitate until you drop the absolute demand. -- It's so unlike Obama and their heads are spinning!

[northoftheborder]

4. It's plain to me that they thought Obama would give in, cave, compromise, based upon....

....their previous experience with him. Thankfully, they set their own trap, and Obama is just leaving them there to squeal, bleeding, until they can raise a white flag. Hopefully, many of them will be finished, politically.

[cui bono]

5. k n r