Posted by: McQ on Monday, February 11, 2008 Paul Krugman uses a 1956 Adlai Stevenson quote about Richard Nixon's campaign style to go after Barack Obama and his followers in an op/ed piece entitled "Hate Springs Eternal". If you're wondering, Stevenson was decrying what he perceived as negative campaigning and warning against it: “a land of slander and scare; the land of sly innuendo, the poison pen, the anonymous phone call and hustling, pushing, shoving; the land of smash and grab and anything to win. This is Nixonland.”What you'll not see Krugman do is admit that Nixonland was renamed "Clintonland" long ago, because you see, his article is all about shilling for Clinton. It is they, the Clintons, and especially Hillary, who are the victims of this sort of campaigning, not the perpetrators. The irony, of course, is while complaining about the campaign style of Hillary's opponent, Krugman ignores the Clinton's use of the same sort of tactics (is it because they've used them for so long it's just expected of them?) while excoriating Obama: The bitterness of the fight for the Democratic nomination is, on the face of it, bizarre. Both candidates still standing are smart and appealing. Both have progressive agendas (although I believe that Hillary Clinton is more serious about achieving universal health care, and that Barack Obama has staked out positions that will undermine his own efforts). Both have broad support among the party’s grass roots and are favorably viewed by Democratic voters.Consider this attempt to hide the scrutiny of the Clintons by the media behind a term, "Clinton rules", to imply that such scrutiny has no foundation in fact. You want hyperbole, there it is. Obama and his campaign and followers, along with their lackies in the MSM are taking "any action or statement by the Clintons, no matter how innocuous, as proof of evil intent" Evil intent? Who is it out there that has talked about Obama's desire to be president all of his life based on a paper written in kindergarten? Or, on more than one occassion, floated the fact that he's used drugs as a kid? While the intent may not of been "evil" it certainly was clear, at least to most observers - "a land of slander and scare; the land of sly innuendo, the poison pen, the anonymous phone call and hustling, pushing, shoving; the land of smash and grab and anything to win." Clintonland to a tee. It may be that we've become so used to it on their part that we don't remark on it anymore, but to pretend that the Clinton campaign is the victim of such tactics while ignoring the campaign's use of them seems to be what most people would consider shilling. And, for some unknown reason, it comes as no surprise to find Paul Krugman doing exactly that. |
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