“Why, then, is there so much venom out there? I won’t try for fake evenhandedness here: most of the venom I see is coming from supporters of Mr. Obama, who want their hero or nobody.” He’s been teetering on the brink for awhile now. (Not for nothing did TNR deem his last anti-Obama column the “least surprising NYT column ever.”) But NYT columnist Paul Krugman finally, irrevocably jumps the shark with his column this morning, which blames the “cult of personality” around Obama for all the venom in the Democratic race at the moment, and claims Obama is turning the Democratic party into “Nixonland.” Um, yeah.
First off, it doesn’t seem like Krugman gets out around the blogosphere much, since every political board you can find out there is strewn with Clinton supporters saying wildly intemperate things. (I’m sure he’s suffering from a selection bias — given that he’s invariably writing anti-Obama pieces, he probably gets a lot more prObama hate mail.) Second, there’ no mention at all of any of the shadier tactics employed by the Clinton campaign over the course of the past few months, of course (and he cherry-picks rather drastically when it comes to discussion of the race card.) No, the problem for Krugman resides only in Obama cultists and a vast media conspiracy. Right.
When it comes to economics, Krugman is usually a sound thinker, even if I do think he has a tendency to belittle the progressive position on matters of political economy. (The title of his recent book, The Conscience of a Liberal, makes it plain.) But, when he strays off the economics reservation to dabble in history or politics, hoo boy. This column, frankly, is partisan hackery of the first order.
I’m sorry, but I believe Krugman has a valid point…I wish he didn’t! I only started looking for articles about this when I saw all the hate filled posts from Obama fans on Facebook attacking Hillary to the point that she was all things evil.
They even thought McCain was a nicer person and better choice. Actually the conservative hate for McCain is the only thing similar to it out there, but they actually have reason based on positions he took and the Judas effect. These Obama fans send around and post anything attacking Hillary more than Rush fans do.
This also wasn’t in any particular candidates Group, but in the Colbert one that pulls people of all political stripes…even the right-wing. I looked in the Edwards, Obama and Clinton group boards and only the Obama one had these frequent pure venomous threads or posts that said little about their own candidate and only negative stuff about Hillary. Don’t take my word for it. Join Facebook…go to all the groups I mentioned and browse the thread posts. I even created some threads to attempt to understand this and got yelled at constantly for even asking why…I should know she is next to the devil. Also check the anti-hillary groups with misogynistic terms in the name…they are heavily populated with young, usually male Obama fans.
I was an Edwards supporter and didn’t have a bias except I am old enough to be of voting age during the Clinton years and before it became a part of every Rush show. Talk to any observer outside of the United States…they are baffled at how many don’t see how negative the attacks are against her and how positive and uplifting the coverage is of Obama.
I like him…he totally toasts her on style and inspiration and I just give her the edge on experience and toughness. I don’t pretend that her and Bill haven’t play hardball and sometimes go over the line in this campaign. (but it might as well be touch football in comparison to the Swift Boat to come) They are career politicians who have had people going at them for like 20-years solid. That is who they are and I accept that….maybe I trust the bulldog over the puppy.
I challenge you to show me on how the coverage on any network or the posts on any board that shows anywhere near the same level of blatant vitriol I only see from Obama fans…it is scaring many Clinton supporters to consider voting for McCain as his supporters are less scary. Reality is not subjective!
The anti-Hillary passion of many Obama supporters is a direct consequence of how she (and Bill) have conducted the campaign. I can understand how such tactics may of bypassed Edwards supporters, but now with Edwards out of the race, his supporters should catch up on how Rovian (far beyond merely shady) the Clinton campaign has been. See the ongoing list compiled at clintonattacksobama.
I’ve been blogging about this one all day. I’m sure that there are people who will vote for Obama who hate Hillary for all the wrong reasons — but when it comes to venom in and around the campaign itself, Clinton wins hands down. I also agree with Ted that a lot of reasonable Obama supporters have lost their patience with Clinton’s tactics — and Krugman calls Obama Nixonian! I generally respect Krugman, but as far as this whole thing goes, he’s on drugs.
James, thanks for posting.
Just jumping into the ABC top political story at the moment, this was all of two comments down.
“Every one is turning towards a Muslim here, I hope they put this one in the History books trader, pirates and all are falling for a Muslim leader here in our own Country help were being invaded help send the Marines back here”
Or, maybe the top Salon political story? On the first page of comments, we have this nugget:
““Then we have Obama, the self-deprecating but egomaniacal newbie who has the cachet of his blackness and a trendy slogan–“Change”–and cultish organization.”
A little further down:
“Be careful now as all those votive candles to Barack are a fire hazard and that huge picture of him is particularly in peril. His ears look very similar to E.T’s and, when you’re let loose again you should try to contact Denis Kucinich to find out if Barack is really an extra-terrestrial.”
Hmm. What about the venerable Atlantic Monthly? Let’s go to the top Obama story (on his WI ad):
“Along with a couple of other wives. Obama’s biological grandmother abandoned her children, including Barack Sr. and moved to Nairobi. Where she may or may not have worked as a prostitute…Brainwashing the Unwashed. The average Obama supporter may not be diligent about personal hygiene, but at least THEIR BRAINS ARE SCRUBBED CLEAN.”
Here’s are some classics, from a Salon discussion I was involved in the other day. Unfortunately, some editor there has dialed back the most vitriolic posts. There was a great one that went on and on about “Obamamite Dogs”:
“His speeches are vacuous. There’s no ‘there’ there. His wife is catty…Being a cult figure or flavor-of-the-month may be fine for rock stars but a President is someone we have to deal with for four years.”
“It is too late for Obama to win the multiracial votes. He call himself black when he is white and black .. becos he plays the race card. He disown his white mother for political convenience … no mothers would vote for him Voters are not stupid .. and follow Oprah and Kennedies (the wrong half) blindly…. they canthink and when the media try to push it down their throats .. they think again.
“I agree. The whole phenomenon has eery echoes of the Rev. Jim Jones supporters…with a misty look in their eyes, and a kind of zombie like posture. You see the same thing in Obamaniacs, especially the young…Finally, the chanting and demonizing bears similarity to the pod people in the remake of ‘Invasions of the Body Snatchers’ – I mean the 1978 version with Donald Sutherland. Watch the film and then check the eyes and mode of behaviior of the newly taken over humans. They look just like the fervent Obama supporters!”
“It’s a cult, basically. If you disagree, raise any questions at all about their demigod, they swarm you, demonize you, chant in your face.”
And I’ve even been skipping the all-caps crazies. Do I need to go on? This is not to say that there isn’t deeply virulent anti-“Billary” stuff out there. But, like I said, there’s no monopoly on intemperance among Obama folk. By the way, I am a member at Facebook, although I don’t really read the political boards there.
Also, check this one out:
“Fuck you Obama supporters! I hate you! Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate!!!!
Fuck off and Die!
PS. I hate you all!”
I rest my case.
Krugman is a socialist, and a Hillary flunkie. Hell will freeze before Billary will get a plan passed that MANDATES buying health insurance from the federal govt. It’s amazing this point hasn’t gotten more coverage, because it’s absolutely stunning in its implication. Krugamn, for all his intelligence, is just a hack, following in the steps of the New York (“National Enquirer”) Times. All you sheep that want to trust the Feds after the job they’ve done with SS, welfare, defense dept., CIA, you better leave me the F’ out…..