Krugman: Obama Has Become "The Anti-Change Candidate"

New York Times:

Broadly speaking, the serious contenders for the Democratic nomination are offering similar policy proposals -- the dispute over health care mandates notwithstanding. But there are large differences among the candidates in their beliefs about what it will take to turn a progressive agenda into reality.

At one extreme, Barack Obama insists that the problem with America is that our politics are so "bitter and partisan," and insists that he can get things done by ushering in a "different kind of politics."

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[cognate]

Krugman has never seen a statist proposal he didn't like.

[factanonverba]

To quote Clinton v. 1.1 "it's the economy stupid." That's why Edwards is winning focus group polls and why Ron Paul is raking in the cash. The free trade model is pretty much broken. Globalization is rapidly becoming a race to bottom for most Americans and in reality for most people around the world. The seriousness of the economic crisis that confronts is not yet fully evident but it would surprise me if we don't start seeing negative growth this or next quarter. Confidence in an economy is generally measured by the credit market and retail sales, and those are awfully nervous markets right now. I believe that we need an 180 degree turn. Edwards or Kucinich accomplish that. Obama may be a 90 degree turn, after all hope does spring eternal, but Clinton represent no more than a modest redial of the same old same old. I don't dislike Senator Obama but I am also not drawn to him. Senator Clinton however is an anathema. She is offering a conversation, I am told, but frankly the time for conversation is over, it's time for action.

facta non verba
San Francisco, CA

[vbond]

Just a bit of fresh air and reality on the "special interest" debate:

1. Hillary's right. Most of the "special interests" actually do represent real people, not only plutocrats, from the NRA to the insurance lobby (who do you think works in all those huge buildings, the indentured servants?).

2. Edwards is also right. None of the corporate interests will willingly give up power without a serious fight. Third graders in Altoona understand this.

3. Neither of these truths in any way will unduly challenge an Obama Presidency... because...

4. He is smart enough to realize that - as Hillary and Edwards (notwithstanding his populism) understand - most Americans are in some way beholden to - and "protected" by - some rapacious corporate entity, or two or three. [Edwards' courtroom metaphor only works in a zero-sum environment, which our real-world matrix of entangled interests is certainly not.]

5. As President, Obama will be what Eddie Murphy's character in "48 Hours" thoughtfully and accurately told a racist barkeep was "your worst nightmare... a nigger with a badge."

Obama will have the "badge" of Presidential power and a greater bully pulpit than either Clinton or Edwards (because he will have a broader constituency and more rhetorical skill than either) and he will use them if he needs to, which he certainly will... just as Kennedy did with the steel executives.

For him to tout his readiness to do so now would only be to unnecessarily rouse the uneasiness of that part of our population for which his ownership of that badge just might be a bit much to contemplate just yet...

For this very reason, of course, Edwards, Clinton, and her surrogate, Krugman, would love to "call him out" on the "steel fist" question: "Is he tough enough?".

Obama and his campaign manager David Axelrod are far too smart to allow this to happen... especially in Iowa and New Hampshire.

For now, the "velvet glove" will be just fine.

[homovivens]

How Krugman (whose opinion on the economy I respect) can say with a straight face that Hillary is a candidate of change (what, from Bush back to Bill?), which he does in several of his unabashedly anti-Obama columns, or that she won't invite the drug and insurance companies to the health care negotiating table when she's already accepted substantial monies from them, is patently absurd. That the health care crisis can be resolved without all parties present at the table is equally ludicrous, as Obama points out.

Let’s call a spade a spade in acknowledging that Mr. Krugman has a horse in this race. This latest piece is nothing more than a study in non sequitur and irrelevant conclusions -- his heart pulling for Hillary when his head pushes in another direction.

[Melkor]

I'm annoyed by many of these comments not because I'm an Edwards supporter. He's still a politician and anything they say has to be well scrutinized. It's the crazy insults coming at Paul Krugman, one of the genuinely most progressive, articulate and outspoken liberals in American society today.

It was fine when he was taking Bush to task but now that he's trained his lens on Obama all kind of froth-mouthed ad hominem attacks are coming at him. The worst being that he is somehow in the pocket of Hillary Clinton.

Have you people even read Krugman's work? Not only is he a brilliant economist, but I think what's more important in this instance is that he understands history. We've been at points like this before - when the power of the economic elites was overwhelming. Many of the workers rights that Americans have today were fought for tooth and nail, and it was hard ugly aggressive combat.

Many of economic rights we've lost since the Reagan era were taken rather forcefully as well (a tsunami of corporate cash drowned Washington). This isn't a hold hands we can do this together moment. This is an emergency. And Krugman, a true patriot, not beholden to emotion-based cults of personality, is pointing out the flaws in the Obama campaign. What does he get - the same kind of vitriol you'd expect from right-wing brown shirts.

I think in a few years we won't be able to scapegoat the GOP anymore. I'm seeing seeds of some home-grown tragedy on the Left.

[sarnold49]

Insurance companies is one of the biggest problems in the U.S., they only want to insure people, homes, etc. that will never need to collect. What good is insurance if you can't use it when you need it? Another big problem is manufacturers selling you stuff that works until you get it home and then it either tears up or you find out that it is extremely dangerous and then you go through h__l to make them honor the warranty. Companies used to take all our money if we wanted stuff now they just take all our money!

[Stokes]

I like Obama. He's a nice kid and I hope he goes far in our government, but John Edwards knows what he's doing and how to go about toning down globalization, which is making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Globalization is the devil's tool for the rich man. Edwards could fill the space that Bobby Kennedy was robbed of. Go Edwards.

[MRb1000]

They will do anything for money trying to take Obama down. It will not work.

[SeanGardner]

Former Nebraska Gov. Bob Kerry, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton, is engaged in a brewing controversy, that is the next big headache for The Clinton Campaign: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2007/12/why-did-bob-ker.html

[WestLittleRock]

1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the White Community
3. Commitment to the White Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace 12. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

Now if that actually appeared and in anyone’s church, could you imagine the outcry.
The actual creed is below.

Barak Obama’s Trinity United Church of Christ of Chicago
1.Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the Black Community
3. Commitment to the Black Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace 12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.

[brucds]

Incidentally,Democrats running on "mandates" as the centerpiece of putting the "universal" in health care reform is 2008 GOP strategists dream. Again, Krugman is confusing policy papers with effective politics.

[brucds]

This is a steaming pile of crap. Krugman, the born-again "bitter partisan" doesn't have a political clue. He's great at dissecting BushCo and it's nice that he came down after all those decades from his academic mountain of Globalization Uber Alles and dedicated Centrism to fight the good fight, but his argument that Obama is the candidate of "anti-change" shows that he's as naive and callow as so many Come Lately Believers.

Not only does Edwards not have a clue as to how Democrats can win the general election - and hopefully strengthen razor thin margins in Congress (although unfortunately with little or no hope of gaining the kind of genuine progressive bloc that would be necessary to govern by "anticorporate" fiat) - but he I don't believe he has core beliefs that sustain his primary rhetoric. Among other things, Honest John made one of the worst, Cheneyesque speeches in support of the Iraq war resolution of any Democrat in Congress. Did he believe it ? Surely not. Does he believe what he's saying now to gain a foothold toward the Presidency ? Not likely.

Obama is the only person running for the Presidency with authentic progressive credentials AND the political saavy to reach across the partisan gap at the base. Further, anyone who tells you that they will march into the White House and simply fight the good fight against the corporations, given the current poltiical terrain in DC, is lying to you. It's really that simple.

St. Paul is swinging a bit wildly these days with his hysterical attacks on Obama - and doing the dirty work of the Clinton campaign in undermining her most plausible competitor. Stick with the stuff on Bush, Paul. You're a political naif.

[Melkor]

From these comments it seems to me that many Americans don't understand the country in which they live. Corporations have gutted this place. From the destruction of labor unions, to outsourcing, to media deregulation and health care - corporations have ground the interests of the general public to dust. They are almost completely ascendant.

A truly progressive candidate knows this. At the very least it should be a regular part of his rhetoric. I'm not advocating a total socialist state, but vigorous methods are needed just to get back the equilibrium of the 60's and 70's.

Mealy-mouthed platitudes about working together may make us all feel good and remind us of that good old happy America (which never existed), but it obfuscates the truth - that America has become a sinister, greedy place in the clutches of the ultra-wealthy.

We need a candidate with not only the will to make some fundamental changes, but also the inclination. Nothing Obama has said or done indicates to me that he is such.

[Ginzaman]

Obama says he's not getting any special interest money? Big Lie #1. He's getting money from major Wall Street firms, the HMO's and others. Hillary is getting lots of defense industry money (in addition to HMO, drug company and AIPAC money).

Big Lie #2. Obama misses major votes and says, can't be helped when you're campaigning. What the hell is your job, Senator? Are you getting $135,000 a year, universal health care and other nice perks for you and the lovely wife and kids to be a professional candidate? Or, are you in Washington to (naive question here) actually serve your constituents? On many fronts you have a golden opportunity in front of you. And what do you do? You're shooting yourself in the foot by doing all this stupid crap that makes you no different than Hillary.

If you think Hillary's racist crap is bad, just wait and see if you get the nomination. Watch what the racist neocons will do to you.

[liberalrebuttal]

KEEP UP YOUR RACIST ATTACKS AGAINST BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA DEMOCRATS!

YES. DO KEEP IT UP.

WHY?

IF HILLARY CLINTON OR JOHN EDWARDS WINS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION AND IT IS PERCEIVED BY THE BLACK COMMUNITY THAT THEIR WIN WAS AS A RESULT OF YOUR RACIST TACTICS....

WE HAVE A BACK UP PLAN

CUZ WE GOTTA GOLDEN TICKET

WE GOTTA CANDIDATE TO BACK

HERE'S THE TRUMP CARD YOU BIGOTED DIXICRATIC DOGS.

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Home.Home

SAY GOOD BYE TO THE BLACK VOTE!