Krugman on the Democratic race
I agree. I will add, however, that I believe Bill Clinton’s remarks have, on occasion, undermined Hillary’s efforts. Not to the degree that some claim, as he has - per usual - been quoted out of context. But still.
As for Obama, his supporters will find the man doesn’t fart petunias. There’s nothing wrong with enthusiasm but when accompanied by rudeness and young adults saying they know it all, it’s very annoying to those of us who really do.
So if Obama gets elected and his plans get thwarted, I expect they’ll blame it all on everyone else and tell us what he would have done, if only…
If only they stopped viewing any presidential candidate as a messiah. That kind of ardor is what can get folks killed.
As Krugman pointed out, think of how many folks have died by being just as supportive of Bush.
February 11th, 2008 at 4:24 am
Shorter Kevin Hayden/Paul Krugman: “Obama doesn’t fart petunias.”
Yes. Well.
That’s the issue oriented debate we’re having now, in the Democratic party, in advance of the next round of primaries? And that’s Obama’s fault?
February 11th, 2008 at 4:38 am
On second thought, I think I was too dismissive of you Kevin. Let me tell you in greater detail why the “Obama is too inspirational” meme is counter productive to the anti-Obama crowd of Democrats:
Can a candidate — and his campaign — ever be too inspirational? Jake Tapper seems to think so, as does Suzanne Goldenberg of the Guardian and now Paul Krugman — and perhaps you, too, Kevin Hayden — although I’m new enough here not to be familiar with your work.
Closer to home, when discussing the relative merits of Obama over Clinton, certain people have even commented to me, “Gosh, you’re talking like one of them.”
What’s going on here?
Present company excluded, I suspect the accusation of “cultism” is being put out by people who are uncomfortable with their own emotions; and/or by people who feel that we (Democrats) must be dispassionate in order to win elections. Of course, that is wrong. Dispassion never wins; a quick look at recent history will tell you that.
That is not to say we have to abandon the reality-based community in order win success at the ballot box. On the contrary. But we, as Democrats, need to recognize that people and voters are moved to action by emotion. Study after study shows that people will rationalize all sorts of things contradictory things about their candidate if the emotion moves them.
Just look at John McCain: he’s already running on the emotions of fear (of jihadism) and pride (St. John suffered so that you might live). His voters (including a lot of Independents) will overlook the hypocrisy that has rotted his career because they like feeling the feelings he invokes in them. And that says nothing for the hatred-for-Hillary that will be unleashed if she gets the nomination.
How do we deal with that?
Well, the positive emotions of hope and optimism about the future are what moves our voters (and a whole lot of Republicans and Independents). Labelling that “cultism” is just silly.
People are moved to act by emotion, whether the candidate is Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, Bill Clinton or Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy or Harry Truman.
The sooner we learn that lesson, the bigger our victory will be in the fall.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:18 am
I have a girlfriend who’s quite passionate about Obama. “He’s the first person to have inspired me in years!” she says, and she’s really fervent about it. Inspiration is an important political and even economic force and I think it’s a mistake to discount it as cultism.
However, I think it’s certainly possible for a candidate to be too inspirational. If you look at the 1984 debates, Reagan was obviously already ill, but he won in a landslide anyway. And I think such electoral success as GWB has enjoyed has owed a lot to people’s longing for the second coming of Reagan.
Personally, I tend to take a rather dim view of inspiration in politics, but its power is undeniable. Maybe what would be best for the country would be if Obama and Clinton had a Bush/Cheney (or, to