Krugman - Obama

[emilyg]

HomeDiariesBreaking BlueE-Wire 2008Krugman: Obama's Attacks Are Equal To Republicans
by LindaSFNM, Fri Apr 25, 2008 at 04:24:26 PM EST

In case you missed it, Paul Krugman wrote another good article today. He discusses the false claim of Hillary's negative attacks against Obama.


Tellingly, the Obama campaign has put far more energy into attacking Mrs. Clinton’s health care proposals than it has into promoting the idea of universal coverage.

During the closing days of the Pennsylvania primary fight, the Obama campaign ran a TV ad repeating the dishonest charge that the Clinton plan would force people to buy health insurance they can’t afford. It was as negative as any ad that Mrs. Clinton has run — but perhaps more important, it was fear-mongering aimed at people who don’t think they need insurance, rather than reassurance for families who are trying

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/4/25/162426/840

[Median Democrat]

1. The Irony Is That Obama's Ideas Are Closer To Krugman

Than Hillary. I like Paul Krugman, but look up his prior columns, and he is pretty pro-Clinton, yet as this Prospect article points out, Barrack Obama's pro-infrastructure spending proposals are actually closer to Pauls' approach, than Hillary is. Hillary is a generally more conservative Democrat in the DLC mode, which is not a bad thing, but Obama is the more liberal/progresive candidate. Bill and Hillary tend to be more pro-business than typical democrats such as Hillary's initial support for the bankruptcy reform bill, which made it harder for Americans to declare bankruptcy. Hillary eventually avoided the vote in 2005, which was probably related to the fact that most financial institutions that benefitted from the bill are based in New York. So, for the moderates out there, Hillary is more pro-busines than Obama. Obama voted against the 2005 Bankruptcy reform bill. Elizabeth Warren criticized Hillary about this in her book "The Two Income Trap."

The bottom line is that I find Paul Krugman's unabashed support for Hillary surprising, since Obama's views appear to be more consistent with his own. That being said, many conservatives hate Paul Krugman, so perhaps who knows whether Krugman's support for Hillary helps or hurts her.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/clinton-and-the-bankruptcy-law/

* * *

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=obama_v_krugman

"A real puzzle here is the repeated assertion by columnist Paul Krugman, in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, that Clinton's views on economic policy are more progressive than Obama's. Indeed, Obama's stunning speech read as if it were informed by recent Krugman columns on the meltdown. Hillary has not said anything close to what Obama (or Krugman) has suggested.

Unlike some of my friends, I have not fallen in love with Obama. I have been at this too long, and you risk getting your heart broken. I actually shared Krugman's critique of Obama's health insurance individual mandate and his proposal to tax the upper middle class to pay for a much exaggerated Social Security shortfall that is more like a rounding error. I simply conclude, based on what I've seen, that Obama is capable of real learning and real transformation, both of himself and of public opinion. Nothing I've seen suggests that's true of Hillary Clinton."

[JoFerret]

6. Not on health coverage

and that is a top Krugman focus.

What he is doing in this article is revealing the absurdity of it all and pointing out the Obama hypocrisy.

[Median Democrat]

7. Does Krugman Have Any Expertise In Healthcare?

Paul Krugman is well known for his expertise in Macro-economics and International Economics. So, if you are saying that Krugman may be closer to Obama on general economics, but not on healthcare, isn't Krugman over-stating his expertise? In other words, if Alan Greenspan offered the opinion that John McCain's healthcare proposals were better than Obama or Hillary, would he have any credibility in this area? Krugman has written on many subjects, but none of his books are on healthcare. Instead, Krugman just touches upon it when he is endorsing Hillary. This is why I find Krugman's endorsement of HIllary ironic. He is supportive of Hillary based on healthcare, an area that he does not have expertise in. I guess we can expect Alan Greenspan to endorse John McCain's healthcare proposals, but I would think that Greenspan's expertise in this area is similarly lacking.

[rodeodance]

8. He can figure out the numbers.

[Median Democrat]

14. There Are No Numbers, Nothing Has Been Implemented

Also, where is Krugman getting his numbers. I have read his International Economics textbook (good textbook), and have some of his other books. The thing that is missing from Krugman on healthcare is whether he himself has done any studies or is he simply borrowing someone else's analysis and estimates. Again, I've looked, and I can't find any research articles that he has prepared on healthcare. I can find lost of Krugman writings and books on Macroeconomics and International trade, not much is out there on Krugman, the healthcare guru. Maybe you guys will have better luck.

My take is that on healthcare, Krugman is simply another political commentator with no special expertise. If Krugman comments on Obama proposals to increase infrastructure spending, then that I would pay attention to Krugman's comparison between Obama and Clinton. However, from what I've read, Krugman is closer to Obama than Clinton. This may not be a good thing for Obama, since the GOP will likely characterize Obama as tax and spend liberal whose economic policies echo those of Paul Krugman.

[nilram]

2. I especially liked the line ...

"the Bush economy is the best free advertisement that Democrats have had since Herbert Hoover."

Ain't it da truth.

I'm not following the horse race, but it seems to have a reasonably balanced article, with some good ideas for the Democratic party in general.

[rodeodance]

11. Krugman is a good Democrat.

[maximusveritas]

3. Paul Krugman has ruined his reputation

Equating Obama to Republicans? Is he serious?

[rodeodance]

10. ha ha---good on Krugman

[still_one]

4. Attacking someone on a healthcare plan, or an issue is a lot different then

making comments from her campaign that Obama "might" be a Muslum, or "might" not be patriotic enough, or how she and mccain are qualified to be president, but Obama is just a speech

funny how many of those like Richardson or reich(sic), saw right through the difference very quickly

krugman, attacking someone on issues is NOT an attack it is a debate. Personally attacks on someones race and religion, or implying that only she and mccain are qualified to be president, are not only attacks, but LIES

Maybe krugman got shot from the same virtual sniper that shot at Hillary

[fasttense]

5. I thought he was an economist and not a political analyst.

I stopped believing him when he started cheering on Greenspan and his rate cuts in 2003.

[rodeodance]

9. that is why he is great with the dollar health care numbers. ck out his columns

[depakid]

12. Maybe you have a link to back up that assertion?

Krugman has been a Greenspan critic for years....

[girl gone mad]

15. I recently heard him defending Greenspan..

saying that the fed had no choice but to cut rates and keep them low after 9/11, which is complete nonsense in my opinion.

[RazBerryBeret]

13. Dishonest charge???

repeating the dishonest charge that the Clinton plan would force people to buy health insurance they can’t afford???????????

I saw this interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e18Qa56tMBU

she clearly says...(garnishing wages) or some other mechanism..
WTF.

FEar Mongering is thinking that woman is going to have anything to do with my paycheck after I've seen what she'd done with her own campaign finances.