Krugman: On Their Positions ‘You Have A Lineup Of Cranks’
Paul Krugman says it’s false to think that, compared to Donald Trump, the other Republican candidates have plausible positions. They don’t.
…while it’s true that Mr. Trump is, fundamentally, an absurd figure, so are his rivals. If you pay attention to what any one of them is actually saying, as opposed to how he says it, you discover incoherence and extremism every bit as bad as anything Mr. Trump has to offer. And that’s not an accident: Talking nonsense is what you have to do to get anywhere in today’s Republican Party.
For example, Mr. Trump’s economic views, a sort of mishmash of standard conservative talking points and protectionism, are definitely confused. But is that any worse than Jeb Bush’s deep voodoo, his claim that he could double the underlying growth rate of the American economy? And Mr. Bush’s credibility isn’t helped by his evidence for that claim: the relatively rapid growth Florida experienced during the immense housing bubble that coincided with his time as governor.
Mr. Trump, famously, is a “birther” — someone who has questioned whether President Obama was born in the United States. But is that any worse than Scott Walker’s declaration that he isn’t sure whether the president is a Christian?
Mr. Trump’s declared intention to deport all illegal immigrants is definitely extreme, and would require deep violations of civil liberties. But are there any defenders of civil liberties in the modern G.O.P.? Notice how eagerly Rand Paul, self-described libertarian, has joined in the witch hunt against Planned Parenthood.
And while Mr. Trump is definitely appealing to know-nothingism, Marco Rubio, climate change denier, has made “I’m not a scientist” his signature line. (Memo to Mr. Rubio: Presidents don’t have to be experts on everything, but they do need to listen to experts, and decide which ones to believe.)
The point is that while media puff pieces have portrayed Mr. Trump’s rivals as serious men — Jeb the moderate, Rand the original thinker, Marco the face of a new generation — their supposed seriousness is all surface. Judge them by positions as opposed to image, and what you have is a lineup of cranks. And as I said, this is no accident.
Copyright 2015 Liberaland
8 responses to Krugman: On Their Positions ‘You Have A Lineup Of Cranks’
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The Original Just Me August 7th, 2015 at 23:24
Mr. Krugman is on the mark. Trump has not come up with any new ideas. He is only rehashing the same old crapola that has been coming from every Tea Party/Republican today. So what is different about Trump ? It is his Bar Room Bombastic delivery of the same old thing. It now sounds fresh and new coming from him. He is the deliverer and not the message. Trump is a Bar Room Loud Mouth and that is what is getting the extremist’s attention.
whatthe46 August 7th, 2015 at 23:36
and apparently they are all drunk.
The Original Just Me August 8th, 2015 at 00:38
Drunk on Right Wing idealisms.
Buford2k11 August 8th, 2015 at 11:09
that is what is commonly called the gop “Kool-aide”…
The Original Just Me August 8th, 2015 at 12:26
They definitely need aide but I don’t think there is anything KOOL about them.
Tommie August 8th, 2015 at 02:23
We already knew these “candidates” has a screw loose since their answers were ridiculous about everything!
Warman1138 August 8th, 2015 at 07:15
It’s like a vast array of candies laid before a group of children and given permission to gorge upon their favorite. The only thing that comes from it is ill health and a painful trip to a dentist.
allison1050 August 8th, 2015 at 07:16
None of them disappoint.