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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFrom Trump on Down, the Republicans Can’t Be Serious
A NYT OP-ed from Paul Krugman
This was, according to many commentators, going to be the election cycle Republicans got to show off their deep bench. The race for the nomination would include experienced governors like Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, fresh thinkers like Rand Paul, and attractive new players like Marco Rubio. Instead, however, Donald Trump leads the field by a wide margin. What happened?
The answer, according to many of those who didnt see it coming, is gullibility: People cant tell the difference between someone who sounds as if he knows what hes talking about and someone who is actually serious about the issues. And for sure theres a lot of gullibility out there. But if you ask me, the pundits have been at least as gullible as the public, and still are.
For while its 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 thats not an accident: Talking nonsense is what you have to do to get anywhere in todays Republican Party.
The answer, according to many of those who didnt see it coming, is gullibility: People cant tell the difference between someone who sounds as if he knows what hes talking about and someone who is actually serious about the issues. And for sure theres a lot of gullibility out there. But if you ask me, the pundits have been at least as gullible as the public, and still are.
For while its 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 thats not an accident: Talking nonsense is what you have to do to get anywhere in todays Republican Party.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/07/opinion/paul-krugman-from-trump-on-down-the-republicans-cant-be-serious.html?WT.mc_id=2015-AUGUST-OUTBRAIN-SHARED_AUD_DEV-0801-0831&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=AUDDEVREMARK
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From Trump on Down, the Republicans Can’t Be Serious (Original Post)
FSogol
Aug 2015
OP
"Talking nonsense is what you have to do to get anywhere in today’s Republican Party."
RKP5637
Aug 2015
#1
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)1. "Talking nonsense is what you have to do to get anywhere in today’s Republican Party."
Exactly! The GOP has become the big tent of fools. There was a time when one could respect the GOP for ideas, a different flavor, but IMO that all ended with Eisenhower. And then the GOP marched forward downhill to the big perhaps huge tent of fools the GOP is now.
FSogol
(45,524 posts)2. Yup, a must read from Paul Krugman. n/t
elleng
(131,077 posts)3. Talking nonsense is what you have to do to get anywhere in today’s Republican Party.
People cant tell the difference between someone who sounds as if he knows what hes talking about and someone who is actually serious about the issues.
Wounded Bear
(58,698 posts)4. Once again, the good Doctor nails it...
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)5. The last sane and reasonable adult who appeared at a Repuke presidential debate
was Jon Huntsman, and he was the first one in a couple of election cycles. And you saw what happened to him.
Gothmog
(145,496 posts)6. The GOP has a really weak bench of candidates
The GOP claimed that they had a strong bench but when you look at the people running, you have to laugh. Trump is doing well in large part because the balance of the GOP field are jokes
4lbs
(6,858 posts)7. They say things that are so out of whack of reality, they must live in Bizarro World.