KRUGMAN: Genuine Hypocrisy, And Attitudes Thereto

[kpete]

There’s a big difference between the left and the right in such matters, one that I don’t fully understand, although I’m trying. Here’s how it goes: if a liberal politician is caught behaving badly — enriching himself while preaching the need to help the poor, or just in general showing himself less than admirable by having an affair, visiting call girls, whatever — his career is over.

But if a conservative politician who preaches stern traditional morality is caught engaging in actions that are at odds with what he preaches — buying sex, taking wide stances in restrooms, or, in this case, stiffing his family even while preaching family values — he may well ride right through the scandal. Witness what’s going on now with Herman Cain.

How can this be? Here’s what I understand: on the right, “moral values” are considered to be, literally, God-given principles. And a politician is well-regarded for advocating those values, no matter what he does personally. Instead of his personal behavior devaluing his political position, his political position excuses his personal behavior; a philandering politician who preaches the sacred bond of marriage is considered a good man because of what he says, no matter what he does.

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http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/genuine-hypocrisy-and-attitudes-thereto/

[spanone]

1. k&r...

[Fumesucker]

2. It's all about tribalism..

If you belong to the Republican tribe you can do no wrong, if you don't belong to the Republican tribe you can do no right.

Democrats do this tribalism thing too but to a somewhat lesser extent (this is the basis for a great many of the arguments we've been having here on DU for the last three years).

[applegrove]

4. I said last week the GOP base are like dogs. They are unfailingly loyal to

their masters but vicious and full of bloodlust for the 'other'. Kinda like badly trained bitbulls (or a pitbulls well trained by a drug dealer).

[DonCoquixote]

3. to quote Rachel

IOKIYAR

[Demonaut]

6. its ok if you a republican

love me some Rachel

[unblock]

5. it works for the right-wing because they're selling greed. don't raise taxes; nothing else matters.

a sheep-tupping tax-cutter is still a tax-cutter.

if you fewer government regulations interfering with your corporation's profits, why on earth would you vote for the democrat just because the republican is immoral? hell, you WANT your politician to be immoral! he's on your payroll BECAUSE he's immoral!