George Will trying to argue with Paul Krugman and Robert Reich.....

[Wetzelbill]

about economics on This Week was sort of like trying to shoot down an airplane with a spitball. It's classic Movement Conservatism. Even though you don't know what you are talking about, you still think you know more about something than viable experts with proven track records do.
Why.... well, just because! That's the basis of authoritarian Republicans, they are right just because they say so. If they decide the sky isn't blue, than the sky isn't blue. Blind ideology. Never right, yet they still shout the loudest.

[90-percent]

1. WHAT!!!

2 liberals vs. one conservative on network political TV?

There's a few This Week producers that are going to be spending a lot of time on monster.com after this!

-90% Jimmy

[Wetzelbill]

2. oh and they had Donna Brazile too

3 on 1. The constant coverage of Obama vs Clinton has made networks get a few more liberals in the mix so they can argue with each other a little. :)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. I contend 2-2.

:D

[Wetzelbill]

7. well I was being charitable

:)

[chixydix]

3. He said 94% of mortgage holders are managing "just fine"

well he admitted "some" of them weren't having a real easy time paying but they're doing okay and would be very unamused if the other 6% were to get some "special treatment."

Where the hell did he get this 94% figure? I don't think that's even close...
:grr:

[Wetzelbill]

4. Krugman looked exasperated at him

He kept shaking his head and putting his hands up to his face. Reich is more laid back about it all. Krugman readily admits that he doesn't have the temperment for government etc. He looked like he really wanted to lace into George. But yeah, 94 percent? Who knows where he got that from, that sounds way off.

[On the Road]

6. I Don't Know if Will's Figures Were Correct

But measured as a raw percent of all mortgages, the percent of defaults is pretty small.

The report also shows that more than 1 percent of all U.S. households were in some stage of foreclosure during the year, up from 0.58 percent in 2006.

Realty Trak

There are different types of numbers (subprime vs all mortages, defaults vs late payments vs some other definition of default risk, etc), and the definition of "managing just fine" is not completely clear, so it's hard to tell exactly from the account.

The nature of the mortgage business is that it's so highly leveraged that a small percentage of default can have catastrophic results. That's why conservative finances and regulation are so necessary.

[CTyankee]

8. Your last paragraph is dead right.

Typical strategy of the RW is to say something that may be half true only if you leave out the critical point, such as whatyou have just done. I have seen the repubs do this again and again on various subjects. Take the so-called "death tax." repubs know full well it applies to a very small percentage of estates subject to an estate tax (or were subjected to a death tax, before it got repealed). They left that part out, so lots of people thought the "death tax" applied to them.

[librechik]

9. if this is true, then why not help them out a bit? wouldn't cost all that much...

feh. I can't debate these guys either.

[yurbud]

10. ''I'm wearing a bow tie and thick glasses, so I'm clearly more knowledgable''

at least that's what Will is supposed to come across as.

Sort of like ''I'm not a doctor, but I play one on television.''

[PCIntern]

11. He is a half-assed Buckley-wannabe...

but you know what?

He's for government intervention in two areas:

1. Fed funds for the mentally challenged...he has a retarded son.

2. Mandatory seat belt laws...he saw a passenger in a car go thru a windshield

Typical Rethug logic: if It happened to ME, it's a very big deal. If it happened to YOU, no big deal.