DU's Hero, Krugman, NAILS it AGAIN! RE: Dean

[Closer]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/07/opinion/07KRUG.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists

Flags Versus Dollars
By PAUL KRUGMAN

Published: November 7, 2003


Flags, Emblems and Insignia


Howard Dean's remarks about the need to appeal to white Southerners could certainly have been better phrased. But his rivals for the Democratic nomination should be ashamed of their reaction. They know what he was trying to say — and it wasn't that his party should go soft on racism. By playing gotcha, by seizing on the chance to take the front-runner down a peg, they damaged the cause they claim to serve — and missed a chance to confront the real issue he raised.

A three-sentence description of the arc of American politics over the past 70 years would run like this: First, Democrats and moderate Republicans created institutions — above all, Social Security and Medicare — that provided a measure of financial security to ordinary working Americans. The biggest beneficiaries of these institutions were African-Americans and working-class Southern whites, and both were part of the moderate-to-liberal coalition that dominated American politics until the 1960's.

But the right opened an increasingly effective counterattack, with a strategy that included using racially charged symbolism to get Southern whites to vote against their own economic interests. All Mr. Dean was saying was that Democrats need to understand and counter this strategy.

(snip/end)

Mr. Dean wasn't suggesting that his party adopt the G.O.P. strategy of coded racial signals, and by and large African-Americans — my wife included — understand that. What he meant by his flag remark was that Democrats must make the case to working Americans of all colors that the right's elitist agenda isn't in their interest. And he's right.

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[54anickel]

1. Amen for Krugman

a voice of reason

[Melinda]

2. I like this type thread much better than some of your "other ones", Closer

Thank ya for posting this. :)

[Closer]

5. Umm

thanks Melinda... I guess

[JanMichael]

3. If I were gay...Gawd I love that guy.

Seriously, he's a sane voice of reason.

His CSPAN Book Notes presentation a couple of weeks ago was superb.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

4. Paul Krugman is my hero

In my book, he is the coolest of cats.

I wish he was my father.

[BeFree]

6. Yeah, it made me sick

When Al and John attacked Dean that night. The whole thing got blown outta shape because of their manure-ings. Some people think all sorts of stupid things now.

OTOH, it has gotten a good dose of free press, and if handled right from now on, by ALL the Dems, it could bring the issue around to being toxic to the Pug's election plans.

Imagine if, instead of slinging shit at Dean, the other candidates had said, "I want to be the candidate for the pickup driving, confederate flag wavers, ME, ME". We'd a' opened up that can of Pug worms big time. And caught some big fish by doing so. As it is, those nasty worms may never see the light of day. They blew it.

[pruner]

7. did you notice the ear-to-ear grin on Kerry's face during the attack?

I missed it during the debate but saw it clear as day when they were showing clips on Chris Matthews' show this morning.

[Closer]

8. I used to like Kerry

but with his vicious attacks on Dean, I just see him as a slimeball now.

And he is just the quintessential Washington politician isn't he?

[Scott Lee]

9. My Granddaddy used to say....

That a man's true nature is revealed through adversity.

Gettin' a clear picture of the real John Kerry now?

[Metrix]

10. I saw the debate

I saw Sharpton take on Dean. I saw Edwards take on Dean. But I didn't see Kerry comment. Why isn't Sharpton being criticized for his "vicious" attack?

While making his point, Dean still didn't do much of anything to persuade NASCAR dads to vote for him. Quite the contrary. Dean ought to be criticized for practicing bone-headed politics.

I love Krugman, but I'd like to see him try to change the minds of all the soccer moms who voted against their self interest and their children's self interest.

[DrFunkenstein]

11. How About When "DU's Hero" Called Dean's Tax Plan A Loser?

George W. Bush is like a man who tells you that he's bought you a fancy new TV set for Christmas, but neglects to tell you that he charged it to your credit card, and that while he was at it he also used the card to buy some stuff for himself. Eventually, the bill will come due — and it will be your problem, not his.

Still, those who want to restore fiscal sanity probably need to frame their proposals in a way that neutralizes some of the administration's demagoguery. In particular, they probably shouldn't propose a rollback of all of the Bush tax cuts.

Purists will raise two objections. The first is that an incomplete rollback of the Bush tax cuts won't be enough to restore long-run solvency. In fact, even a full rollback wouldn't be enough. According to my rough calculations, keeping the child credits and the cutout while rolling back the rest would close only about half the fiscal gap. But it would be a lot better than current policy.

The other objection is that the tricks used to sell the Bush tax cuts have made an already messy tax system, full of special breaks for particular classes of taxpayers, even messier. Shouldn't we favor a reform that cleans it up? In principle, the answer is yes. But an ambitious reform plan would be demagogued and portrayed as a tax increase for the middle class. My guess is that we should propose a selective rollback as the first step, with broader reform to follow.

Will someone be able to find the political sweet spot, the combination of fiscal responsibility and electoral smarts that brings the looting to an end? The future of the nation depends on the answer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/17/opinion/17KRUG.html

John Kerry believes that we should keep the middle class tax cuts that Democrats fought for in 2001 and 2003, which increased the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty and lowered tax rates. He strongly disagrees with Democrats who want to repeal these tax cuts, which would cost a typical middle-class family with two children an additional $2000.

John Kerry is committed to balancing the budget. He has put forward a sensible plan that will at least cut the deficit in half in his first term, while investing in economic growth and investing in workers.

Powerful special interest groups make it hard to cut special tax loopholes and pork barrel spending projects. John Kerry supports a Commission that would recommend cuts and require Congress to vote on all recommendations, so no single special interest could fight for pet projects. Under Kerry’s plan, the President would identify wasteful spending items in the budget and submit the list to Congress to vote on in an up-or-down fashion – saving billions of dollars.

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/releases/pr_2003_0828.html

[Myra]

12. Uh, anyway, back to discussing Krugman's main point

He's so right (chronically right actually).
Some Dems are taking cheap shots at Dean for
saying a pretty common sense thing, nothing
out of line at all IMO.

It's only made me think less of those who
attack him, instead of focusing on the bastard
who has spent three years trashing our country
and planet after stealing the presidential election.

I have a genuine question, not flame bait,
'cause I missed that debate (dammit).
Did General Clark refrain from attacking
Dean over the confederate flag BS (I hope)?

[janx]

15. As far as I can tell, yes, he refrained.

He made a statement after the debate (it's around here somewhere), but he did not attack.

[Myra]

17. Thank you janx

That's a relief.
Reflects well on the General.

[Eloriel]

13. Sorry, that just won't do

Krugman isn't allowed to say that. And his wife, one of many African Americans who actually DID understand Dean's remarks for what they really were, isn't allowed to feel that way either.

I have it on good authority: Dean will lose the black vote and deserves it. Several African American DUers have assured us of that.

Eloriel

[Myra]

14. "And his wife...isn't allowed to feel that way either."

Good gawd Eloriel!
It's one thing to disagree.
It's another to state that someone, who is
not you, "isn't allowed to feel that way."

And "Krugman isn't allowed to say that"?!

Well guess what?
I "feel that" your declarations are some of the most
arrogant I've ever come across. Truly. After three
years of being forced to listed to Bush et al no less.
And I'm "allowed" to feel that way, make no mistake.

[Gore1FL]

16. I think she was being sarcastic

n/t

[Myra]

19. "I think she was being sarcastic"

In order to know that you must have telepathic powers
that I don't have.

Now *I'm* being sarcastic.

:evilgrin:

[Myra]

23. Is Cynthia Tucker "allowed" to feel this way?!

Quote from Cynthia Tucker, well known African American
columnist:

"Though Dean later ended up apologizing, his comments about Southerners should not have been considered controversial. His statement -- "I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks" -- was simply an admission of the obvious: Democrats need to reach out to white Southerners, especially men, if they want to win."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1317&ncid=742&e=11&u=/uclicktext/20031111/cm_ucas/kerryplayedthepoliticaloddsandnowitappearshelost

[Gore1FL]

18. The feigned outrage annoyed me

Because those candidates who pretended to not understand, treated the American publiuc like idiots. --- We don't need Dems spinning like Fox News, we need candidates who tell the truth.

Changing the context of Dean's quote to facilitate race-based attacks was very GOPish of the candidates doing so.

The Dem Candidate I vote for gets my vote by appealing to intelligence, not an attempt at herding me like a freeper sheep.

Edit: fixed title.

[Myra]

20. Agreed Gore1FL

Which is why I'm relieved that General Clark
apparently has not exploited Dean's remarks
in that way.

[Cronus Protagonist]

21. Me too

Especially when a lot of people here on DU did the same. It was disappointing too.

Click Here To See Fair & Balanced Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[quaker bill]

22. Krugman gets it.

Over and over again. I believe most people get it too. Thre are some here and some running that wish it were otherwise.