Krugman: WTF is Obama thinking praising Reagan?

[Doctor_J]

"Bill Clinton knew that in 1991, when he began his presidential campaign. “The Reagan-Bush years,” he declared, “have exalted private gain over public obligation, special interests over the common good, wealth and fame over work and family. The 1980s ushered in a Gilded Age of greed and selfishness, of irresponsibility and excess, and of neglect.”

Contrast that with Mr. Obama’s recent statement, in an interview with a Nevada newspaper, that Reagan offered a “sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.”

Maybe Mr. Obama was, as his supporters insist, simply praising Reagan’s political skills. (I think he was trying to curry favor with a conservative editorial board, which did in fact endorse him.) But where in his remarks was the clear declaration that Reaganomics failed?

For it did fail. The Reagan economy was a one-hit wonder. Yes, there was a boom in the mid-1980s, as the economy recovered from a severe recession. But while the rich got much richer, there was little sustained economic improvement for most Americans. By the late 1980s, middle-class incomes were barely higher than they had been a decade before — and the poverty rate had actually risen. "

More...http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/opinion/21krugman.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[emanymton]

1. Kick And Recommend!

[MethuenProgressive]

2. Obama's called on his pandering triangulation again.

He's fallen far from his 2004 convention speech. He was a Real Democrat that night!

[Yael]

8. What if we are wrong about the pulse of the country?

We see things through the lens of progressives, and we KNOW the RW neo-con wing of the (R) party has been playing the death knell.

What if this country is really moved into moderate mode? Against the Kuchinch/Edwards populism, against the * Cabal neo-con excessiveness -- and smack dab right into the middle of standing for nothing?

I am sure this sounds rambling, and for that I apologize. I am just wrapping my mind around this today.

What are your thoughts given that you have familiarity with another message (Richardson's) that I am not as familiar with and may also shed light on this?

[MethuenProgressive]

11. We're not wrong - the pulse is a symptom that shows how sick the country is.

The feel-good "look at the nice puppy" happy talk centrist/moderate reach-out-to-the-guys-what-been kickin'-you-in-the-head message is poison.

[Yael]

13. So how do you explain it. Are the American people simply that dumb

or don't they care?

You just want to collectively SHAKE them.

[Prophet 451]

34. Not dumb exactly

But the American people are easily distracted and discouraged from intellectual curiosity.

[FiveGoodMen]

18. What if the country just went ahead and embraced fascism? Should we jump on board?

Yes, I know I went right to the extreme, but then again our current situation is pretty extreme.

Should we really be trying to track the mood of this messed up land and get in front of whatever parade is out there (like Reagan did)?

NO.

We should try to push for equal justice, civil liberties, food, housing, and health-care for all.

If we can't fight for those things, then we should at least sit down and shut up. That's still better than joining the lemmings.

[Yael]

20. It is really frustrating. Like yelling into a tunnel.

[FiveGoodMen]

23. Yup. I want to give up just about every other day.

Just can't believe that no one sees what a mess we're in at this late stage.

Still, I'm convinced that the best hope is for Dems to scream bloody murder about it every day. (Particularly the Dem office holders who can actually get on the airwaves!)

The pukes went on and on and on about Clinton and the blue dress even though approval ratings didn't drop -- but in the end, they did manage to tarnish his rep enough that Al Gore distanced himself from their whole, successful eight years in office, thus bringing the 2000 election within stealing distance.

Got to have a real message. Got to stay on it all the time.

[robbedvoter]

3. "where in his remarks was the clear declaration that Reaganomics failed?"

As usual, Krugman asks the relevant question. There was some sort of such a disclaimer in the book though:
"Reagan may have exagerated the sins of the welfare state, and certainly liberals were right to complain that his domestic policies tilted heavily toward elites, with corporate raiders making tidy profits throughout the eighties while unions were busted and the income for the average working stiff flatlined.

but only to conclude that Reagan was right where liberals have been wrong:

Nevertheless, by promising to side with those who worked hard, obeyed the law, cared for their families, loved their country, Reagan offered Americans a sense of common purpose that liberals seemed no longer able to muster."


Also, the failure to change the narrative from the Clinton administration might have something to do with think tanks, GOP owned media and a few other such things beyond the grasp of the democrats to this day.

[unapatriciated]

35. I remember the Reagan years and his time as Governor

He pitted the middle class against the poor. He made the poor welfare mother the enemy of the state and the reason the middle class was not progressing. It was easier for some to blame those without a voice than take on their corporate bosses. He also blamed unions for middle americas earnings stall. they bought it hook line and sinker because it was easier. What they failed to grasps is we were still on a war time economy and no war(huge military spending programs). At that time we were spending about 1% on our social programs and they were taking a 100% of the blame for what ailed middle america. I was a single mother at that time and the stigma of getting any type of aid from the government was so bad I had two and at one time three jobs so we could survive. Even than many would assume because I was the single mother of four I was a "Welfare Queen". Reagan coined that term. When he was Governor of California he slashed social programs for the poor and turned our mentally ill out on the streets. Bush is of the same mold his new tax rebate confirms it.

"Pelosi, D-Calif., agreed to drop increases in food stamp and unemployment benefits during a Wednesday meeting in exchange for gaining the rebates of at least $300 for almost everyone earning a paycheck, including those who make too little to pay income taxes."

[MISSDem]

37. At the risk of being flamed may I ask how does one become

a single mother of four? Did you just not want the man to help out or what?

[BobTheSubgenius]

38. Perhaps it was unavoidable.

The death of one's partner, maybe. Just a thought.

[MISSDem]

39. I believe that would make her a widow

not a single mother.

[unapatriciated]

40. Some men don't want to help.

and he made it very clear when he ran off with his girlfriend (after 11 years of marriage)he didn't want the responsibility of a family it gave him migraines, no joke. Just so you don't have to ask your next question... I wasn't getting any kind of government aid, hell I couldn't even force them to help collect child support. Reagan made it extremely difficult and degrading to ask for help from the state. He referred to women that received aid from the state as "Welfare Queens".
Reagan told this story over and over again pitting middle america against the poor and used it as a tool to slash social programs for single mothers. He blew up the facts in one case to fit his political agenda, and many women and children suffered for his lies. bush is just another reagan on steroids.

Cadillac Queens.
Over a period of about five years, Reagan told the story of the "Chicago welfare queen" who had 80 names, 30 addresses, 12 Social Security cards, and collected benefits for "four nonexisting deceased husbands," bilking the government out of "over $150,000." The real welfare recipient to whom Reagan referred was actually convicted for using two different aliases to collect $8,000. Reagan continued to use his version of the story even after the press pointed out the actual facts of the case to him

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0309.mendacity-index.html

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-welfarequeen.htm

on edite: whether you are widowed, divorced or never married for all practical purposes you are a single mother. My tax's returns read single head of household

[acmavm]

4. I'll gladly recommend.

[durrrty libby]

5. K & R for truth

[pansypoo53219]

6. i am hoping

obama is playing the gnews media.

[Yael]

7. Obama said yesterday that he wanted "Obamacans" -- Obama Republicans just like Reagan

had his Reagan Democrats.

Whats next, Lieberman as his running mate?

The more we peel back the layers, the more interesting the Hope for Change campaign becomes.

[adnelson60087]

9. I think the unwritten part of this story that needs

to be explored is how Clinton was not a Transformational Leader. Now, his wife is running for office promising to take us back to the 90's with more status quo Clintonian triangulation and stuff. Why are so many democrats so slow on the uptake? Whether its Clinton or Obama, be sure we will not get the Transformational leadership we want or America needs. John Edwards could be this kind of leader, but he is not getting the superstar treatment and we're losing a chance for a generation or more.

[liberalmike27]

10. Most Poignant Thing I can Say About Reagain

Is, that it's funny how all the bad stuff he did during the period (before the fairness directive was scrapped) seems to be absent from the media. To hear them talk now, the pundits, not Republicans who I'd expect to lather his rep with lube and do it up, he did now wrong. I'd just love to hear an honest media report about him. It's sad really, Iran-Contra, busting Air Traffic Controllers, and a lot of other stuff, not to mention the beginning of this terrible period in history.

[1620rock]

12. He was playing with fire in bringing up Reagan, and he got burned.

[FiveGoodMen]

19. He's playing with fire in OUR HOUSE!

Who's gonna get burned in the long run?

[WyldRogue]

14. Wolf in Dem clothing

Obama is a closet Republican.

[yurbud]

15. kick

[bartholomewjohn]

16. kick n/t

[Riverman]

17. So with Rising Poverty Rates, Clinton brought us "Welfare Reform"

Adding to the throngs of the homeless, and filling the emergency wards with poor people who did not get the health care that he and Hilary promised? Don't know yet who is really behind Obama. So, I am not inclined to jump on his polularity, JFK-like, cult-of-personality band wagon! I am closer to Kucinich than any of the presidential candidates and would more naturally favor Edwards. Would love to have a true progressive run and have a chance at wining. I know, Dream on. If Clintons ever had a progressive belief or motivation to lead real changes and I do believe that Bill must have given his background and Hilary does support women, children and families, but both long ago in blind pursuit of power, have sold their souls to the corporate overlords - as have 95% of the politicians on the national level and most Governorships and state houses, no doubt.

Pay attention America! - Hilary wants everyone to buy health insurance - that is her "universal" health care plan - not actual health care for all Americans - huge difference.
Her plan keeps the middleman insurance companys between us and our doctors. Real universal health care pays for all medical visits and needed treatments and procedurees. Take the 20% administrative cost out of the private-sector Health Care insurance and Big Pharma stranglehoold out of the equation and watch the cost go down and health of our citizens go up. Watch emergency rooms actually not be over-crowded and over-whelmed with the poor seeking normal medical attention, which the current system causes, driving up health care cost and insurance premiums for those who do have coverage because the poor don't pay for services received in emergency rooms. So what happens, hospitals, especially in poor urban and rural communities close emergency rooms, forcing true emergeny needs to be taken longer distances to an open emergency room. Increased distance and time in real medical emergencies means more deaths. Thanks you Bill and Hil, and your friends in the health insurance industry. Lovely system you promote.

Sorry my dear democrats and sisters, Hilary is not the savior you may think she is, and maybe Obama is not what he portrays - don't know yet, but suspect he is already bought and paid for by forces that do not have my interests at heart - those of the poor, working class and middle classincluding women, children, all minorities, disabled, vets, mentally ill and lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and those who choose to marry or partner. So I apologize to my African-American sisters and brothers. I am from a blue-collar white immigrant family and an active in, or supportive of, progressive causes such as labor, environmental, and justice issues since before MLK was shot when I was in grade school. I voted for Mondale/Ferraro to at least get a woman near the white house and Jessie Jackson twice to support the idea of having a viable black candidate for Presdent - he also spoke to the issues I have always been concerned with. Would love to vote for and see elected a woman and/or a black person for President in my life time. And, I will vote for the democratic candidate if only to somehow keep the Supreme Court from going too far to the right. But, I have no delusions about Hilary, and have uneasy feelings about Obama.

[chrisrobbins]

31. But didn't poverty decrease in the years following welfare reform?

I'm not sure, but isn't this the case?

[LulaMay]

21. Thank you.

[tom_paine]

22. Obama is just giving the nod to the False Bushie Reality Bubble.

Oh, how far the Orwellian Bushie Redefinitions of Language and Conventional Wisdom have gone these past three decades.

It works like this: The meme that Liberals and other Bush Opponents always have vile ulterior motives, while Bushies are automatically considered pure in their motivation,is now Conventional Widsom. It has been sold for so long with such evil brilliance of repetition and marketing design, and with ZERO opposition or even understanding by the Democratic Leadership of what was going on, that it is subconsciously and automatically assumed, even when people don't know why they are doing it.

All good advertising works like that, digging deep to implant an "itch" in the subconscious, a mental itch that can only be scratched by purchasing the products...or in this case BushPutinist Tyranny. (some product to sell, eh?)

My point is, because of this New Bushie Reality in which we all swim, most not realizing what it is, just knowing certain things have to be done, when assisting the Left, even the Center-Left (Center-Right, really) like Obama, which is the "Palms Up Apology and Reassurance of Clean Motive"

We have seen it a million times before, we will see it a million more, for it is now almost a Social More, so well embedded it is in the National Subconscious. To assist the Left you have to repeatedly apologize and constantly re-prove that you are not just Another Corrupt Liberal (Trademark - 1988 - Bushie Lie Machine).

So Obama, palms outward in a gesture of supplication, pleading reassures us all that he is Not Just Another Corrupt Liberal (Trademark - 1928 - Nazi Lie Machine), and that he likes Bushies, too, and thinks Reagan is just great.

The restructuring of a National Psyche is amazing to watch as it unfolds. As brilliant and evil as any project tlike this ever attempted before. With a good bit of better sales and marketing that Stalin, Hitler, or Pincohet enjoyed.

All the Democratic Leadership (with the exception of Edwards, Kucinich and a couple dozen Congressional Dems) and most Democrats allowed on TV fall for this and refuse to openly oppose this base piece of Bushiganda, preferring to operate on the terrain of the Bushie False Reality Bubble rather than "smash through it's side", which is the only way to successfully attack it.

[Riverman]

27. So Well Said and So True! As a young union activist and

environmentalist, I read the book "The Sheep Look Up." But maybe not before it was too late! i now feel that the population, not just in the US but in a good deal of the so called - westernized world, the educated and middles classes of most first world and developing countries (China, India, Inodnesia, Brazil etc.) have been so memerized and numbed by a combination of TV/movies/avertising to keep humoing to buy all the comfort toys at teh same time scared shitless with the non-stop drum-beat of the boogie-man (fill in the blank_____, ie communinism, socialism, liberalism, feminism, wacko environmentalist, muslims, radical Islamist, terrorists) will get you and we (big gov/big corps/big money) will protect you! I will only turn around as more and more of us wake-up, look up see what is happening to us, our families, our children, our neighbors, neighborhoods, cities, state, countries, and of course our only home - planet earth, and do something, anything in a positive, pro-human direction in unision with others, not as isolated voices in the wilderness.

[Skittles]

24. GET IT, ALL YOU NAYSAYERS? IT *SUCKED*

people who excuse that bit of travesty need their asses kicked BADLY - Obama was WRONG WRONG WRONG

[TankLV]

25. Wow - so far there is 100% agreement on that this was a HORRIBLE thing for Obama to even suggest...

I guess the obama spin/defenders are busy trying to spin some other bullshit into a sugar cookie on some other thread...

[Buzz Clik]

26. I don't think Krugman's nose is quite far enough up Clinton's ass.

C'mon, Paul! Show us some extreme ass kissing.

[Ximines-MN]

28. huh?

wow - your remark simultaneously: (a) avoids the substantive topic at issue; (b) manages to personally insult one of the leading lights in the progressive movement, in Paul Krugman; and (c) makes Obama supporters look petulant and petty.

And you did all of the above with so few words!

[pleah]

29. My first thought , when Obama said he wanted to play nice with the repugs, was he is

not playing with a full deck. You can't play nice with these people. Look what they have done to this county. I also think he is more a republican than democrat.

[chrisrobbins]

30. kick n/t

[Andromeda]

32. K&R

It's really gotten bad. CNN is spinning so hard for Obama I'm wondering what kind of "reward" they think is coming to them by bashing Hillary so much.

[Andromeda]

33. Media spin is out of control.

They aren't even pretending to be neutral anymore. The latest meme is "Hillary and Bill are lying about Obama; redux, redux :puke:

Today, CNN made me so mad I almost broke my television. I'd like to wrap my hands around the neck of that crass, ignoramus---Jack Cafferty! His question of the day was "Why is Hillary lying about Obama" or wording similar to that. CNN and the talking heads from MSNBC are campaigning for OBAMA! Damn! I'm sooooo mad!

Why in the hell don't these JERKS read Paul Krugman's column. Right now, RIGHT NOW CAFFERTY IS BRINGING UP THIS STORY ABOUT THE CLINTON'S LYING. Obama and Michele are perfect and Bill and Hillary are bad. That's the meme on CNN.

[MISSDem]

36. I don't think he was praising Reagan's economic plan.

He was talking about his personal skills, etc. Why are people continuing to manufacture stuff? I usually like Krugman. The New York Times is getting ready to endorse HRC so I guess he is getting on board too.

[indimuse]

41. The Audacity of Hope //spoke to the failures of liberal government on page 31

In the best part of Obama's The Audacity of Hope, Obama, with some reservations, pours even more praise on our 40th president.


That Reagan's message found such a receptive audience spoke not only to his skills as a communicator; it also spoke to the failures of liberal government, during a

period of economic stagnation, to give middle-class voters any sense that it was fighting for them. For the fact was that government at every level had become too

cavalier about spending taxpayer money. Too often, bureacracies were oblivious to the cost of their mandates. A lot of liberal rhetoric did seem to value rights and

values over duties and responsibilities.

(Obama then veers off this brilliant thought pattern and digs a bit into Reagan's legacy.)

Audacity of Hope peaks early. The above passage appears on page 31.

[TankLV]

42. WTF is ANYBODY doing praising that idiot! I sure as hell don't have the answer!!!

And obama WAS definitly PRAISING him, regardless of how obama and his bots try to spin it...

[Cha]

43. Obama wasn't praising raygun but I see paul

krugman is using his pulpit to extend the lies the bilarys have been harping on.

krugman wants Edwards and that's fine..but don't fucking distort, krugman.