Paul Krugman:Thinking About November

[cal04]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/opinion/09krugman.html?ref=opinion

The fight for the Democratic nomination seems to be winding down. It’s not completely over, but the odds now overwhelmingly favor Barack Obama.

Assuming that Mr. Obama is the nominee, he’ll lead a party that, judging by the usual indicators, should be poised for an easy victory — perhaps even a landslide.

Yet Democrats are worried. Are those worries justified?

Before I try to answer that question, let’s talk about those indicators.

[babylonsister]

1. Why would Krugman even think Obama might 'squander'

the moment. Remarks like that annoy the hell out of me. Who's squandered what?

[mrbluto]

4. Yeah! How dare he!

I can't believe he might have even thought something critical of Obama - But noooooooooooo!

Not did he only write something critical - it got printed!

Oo! Oo! Oo! I got an IDEA!

Let's schedule him for the next two minute hate!

Can we? Please?

[babylonsister]

6. Provide any kind of proof Obama has squandered anything.

I have no problem with criticism if it's warranted. This wasn't.

[mrbluto]

8. Prove what?

Prove what? It's the guy's opinion. It's a concern, a worry.

Do you want him to prove a worry? Fine; His brow is furrowed. That's worry.

Why does this guy Krugman get to have his opinion so widely published?

Because he's been right so many times. And when he's not right he's interesting. And in either case he's damn informative.

I'm surprised how quick some people turn on someone who doesn't happen to tell them what they want to hear all the time. Krugman's a good guy from what I can tell, yet all sorts of people on this board want to toss him to the lions the minute he doesn't swear to the perfection of a particular candidate.

Not a good sign of how such people will treat each other when the going actually is rough.

[babylonsister]

9. And his opinion has indicated he's a Clinton supporter, so

unfortunately I now look at what he writes with suspicion.

I agree, he's a good writer, but his one-sided 'opinion' gets in the way at times.

He needs to stick with this admin and their fubars; he was very effective there.

And that, my dear, is my opinion. Take it or leave it. I don't care.

[gristy]

2. You lost me at the end, Paul

One thing the Democrats definitely need to do is give delegates from Florida and Michigan — representatives of citizens who voted in good faith, and whose support the party may well need this November — seats at the convention.

:wtf:

[mrbluto]

5. He's such a traitor! This is treason!

To suggest that those folks should be represented!

That's the deal breaker isn't it?

[depakid]

3. "More tirades from Obama supporters against Mrs. Clinton are not the answer..."

"...to the extent that campaigning matters, Mr. Obama should center his campaign on economic issues that matter to working-class families, whatever their race."

Wise words- yet how likely are they to be heeded?

[mrbluto]

7. Unlikely. "heeding" is a one way street for some

I agree with Krugman though.

You might find this journal entry interesting:

Hillary is far from my favorite, but I think she's been demonized in ways destructive to the party, and, frankly, often undeserved.

[Doctor_J]

10. Seriously, a Hillarian complaining about tirades is like * complaining

about people saying stupid things. Maybe Hil should take more interviews with O'Reilly.

[depakid]

12. Ah, the similarities of Manichean thinking

seems that mental process has rubbed off on a LOT of Obama supporters. With us completely or voice a criticism and you're a Hillarian. Or some other juvenile name.

[Larkspur]

11. In my 5 page letter to Obama that I mailed him at the beginning of this week

I told Obama to stop using right wing frames to disparage Democrats and liberals and that healing the rift in the Dem Party was his duty as well as Hillary's. Told him that many Hillary supporters I know have been Democrats all their lives and were so because they support the core principles of the Dem Party. When he goes on Faux news and using Faux's frames for Democrats and liberals he is insulting all Democrats. It's hard to heal rifts when you use right wing frames to attack them.

FYI, I voted for Obama in CT's Feb. 5 primary but am not an Obama-bot.