Krugman: GOP The Party Of Racial Backlash

In his latest case for big government, economist Paul Krugman boils down current Republican troubles, and by extension, the nation’s, to the former’s Southern Strategy: “Forty years ago the GOP decided, in effect, to make itself the party of racial backlash. And everything that has happened in recent years is a consequence of that decision.”

So you see, the GOP are nothing but a bunch of incompetent, racist thugs, with the Bush Administration acting as figurehead dutifully carrying out its “divisive tactics” and conservatism’s failed economic philosophies.

But fear not, the New Age of Enlightenment is here. And if the Republicans attempt to thwart Obama’s bold plans, Krugman warns that they’ll quickly learn two things: the recent financial crisis has invalidated capitalism and free markets; and, criticizing big government is racist.

So much going on here. For one, Krugman’s argument that racism is at the heart of the GOP’s downfall is, as Jonah Goldberg says, nonsense on stilts. When there’s a race card to be played, more often than not it will be dealt by a Democrat (examples here and here). What is Krugman's evidence of this? He cites Bush’s decision to visit his ranch in Crawford, Texas to “stay in touch with real Americans” as proof of racial bias. Now surely everyone who is as culturally nuanced as Krugman knows that black people don’t live in Texas, but there are lots of Mexicans, so doesn’t that count for something?

Finally, Krugman admonishes Republicans for not knowing the “real America” – one that is “more diverse, more tolerant, and more demanding of effective government.” More tolerant – really? I wonder what Dr. Krugman would say to the various gay rights ballot initiatives that went down in defeat, some of which in liberal Blue States? What would he say to the subsequent vitriolic backlash demonstrated by the supporters of gay marriage against religious groups (in particular, the Mormon Church) who dared to raise their voices (and funds) against it? What would Krugman say to a politician who condescendingly scolds an electorate for “clinging to God and guns” during troubling times? And finally, what would Krugman say to the “coded” language of his mainstream media colleagues who excoriate Sarah Palin and George W. Bush for their unabashed faith in religion?

If we are to accept racism as one of the factors that led to the downfall of the Republicans, than surely religious intolerance and elitism will be the downfall of the left.