Krugman: Politics of Spite...Republican Party, has the emotional maturity of a bratty 13-year-old.

[ProSense]

The Politics of Spite

By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: October 4, 2009

There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the International Olympic Committee rejected Chicago’s bid to be host of the 2016 Summer Games.

“Cheers erupted” at the headquarters of the conservative Weekly Standard, according to a blog post by a member of the magazine’s staff, with the headline “Obama loses! Obama loses!” Rush Limbaugh declared himself “gleeful.” “World Rejects Obama,” gloated the Drudge Report. And so on.

So what did we learn from this moment? For one thing, we learned that the modern conservative movement, which dominates the modern Republican Party, has the emotional maturity of a bratty 13-year-old.

But more important, the episode illustrated an essential truth about the state of American politics: at this point, the guiding principle of one of our nation’s two great political parties is spite pure and simple. If Republicans think something might be good for the president, they’re against it — whether or not it’s good for America.

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[hobbit709]

1. I'm not sure I'd rate them as mature as 13.

[KansDem]

2. Really, my son is 11 and much more civil than these Repubs...

Does that mean he'll get "brattier" and more immature as he approaches 13? I certainly hope not!

[saltpoint]

10. Can I third that? I was thinking more like they're bratty 2-year olds.

Thirteen's way too high.

[City Lights]

11. Agreed.

Great piece though.

[damntexdem]

3. Krugman shouldn't insult bratty 13-year-olds that way!

I mean, sure they can be hard to put up with, but to compare them to Rethugs -- that's just going too far!

;-)

[Fridays Child]

5. Yes, he could provoke a bratty 13-year old uprising...

...also known as middle school lunch break. :P

[Fridays Child]

4. Maybe it's time for a litle reverse psychology, then.

Obama should come out against everything that's right, good, and decent for the American people and advocate in favor of every policy that could possibly benefit corporations.

[State the Obvious]

6. And wasn't that the point President Obama made in his inaugural speech...

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. I Corinthians 13:11

Maybe Republicans should re-evaluate THEIR childish behavior. (Limbaugh's tirades, O'Reilly's tantrums, Becks's tears, Palin's lies...)

[TwilightGardener]

7. This is why Obama needs to give up all hope/pretense of bipartisanship and

just start steamrolling his agenda through. Blue Dog assholes are making that hard, though...

[State the Obvious]

8. Republicans prone to tirades, tantrums, tears and lies...

...are not likely to start acting like adults.
They get too much attention when they act like children!

( Just think of the health reform town-hall meetings this summer. The media gave this childish behavior EXACTLY what the obstructionists were seeking...attention!)

[indepat]

9. Modern 'pukes could care about less what's good for America: their goal is simply do everything

possible to subvert/obstruct/undermine every positive Democratic initiative with the hope that enough people will be fooled so the next election can again be stolen. And that's the most positive thing I can say about 'pukes. :P