More Fun with Krugman

Intrepid and cherished reader William posted a link on one of his comments that nails Paul Krugman. In one of his most dreadful NYT's columns, Krugman set out to prove that Republicans were encouraging violence with their rhetoric.

Sarah Palin put out a map literally putting Democratic lawmakers in the cross hairs of a rifle sight.

All of this goes far beyond politics as usual. Democrats had a lot of harsh things to say about former President George W. Bush — but you'll search in vain for anything comparably menacing, anything that even hinted at an appeal to violence, from members of Congress, let alone senior party officials. [my italics].

I have argued, and I think demonstrated, that all of Krugman's examples were commonplaces of political rhetoric and that Democrats use the same kind of rhetoric frequently.

But what about Palin's map? Here it is.

Now I argued that, so far from being menacing, this was very typical political graphics. As usual, I was right.

William found this post at Verum Serum. It includes a map from the Democratic Leadership Council webpage, from the Bush years. The map illustrates "targeting strategy" in the coming election. That is to so, it identifies districts where the Democratic Party has a chance to pick off a seat or two. Here it is:

Well, bull's-eyes may be more or less menacing than cross hairs, but surely, Mr. Krugman, they are at least "comparably menacing".

Krugman's column was part of the current Democratic playbook: ignore arguments about the economy and the deficit and instead attack the character of the opposition. Paint them as racists and dangerous radicals. Krugman's piece falls in the latter category.

But neither the Tea Party activists nor the Republican Party in general are in fact dangerous radicals. So Krugman had to make an idiotic argument, something that come naturally to him. The second map above proves the point. Thanks, William.

Comments

[Harold]

Actually those are mapping location symbols, not cross hairs.

[Guard]

Yawn...who cares. Pendalum swings left to right to left to right and things are getting worse. I'm just going to go and sit on my balcony and watch the squirrels. Enjoy the beautiful day!

[skp]

I wish you would get those gigantic things off the top of your page so I can enjoy your blog again...

[Stan Gibilisco]

Guard,

Seize the day, yes?

We have nothing to gain by worry.

Let us be in the world but not of the world.

Where have I read these things?

Worthy goals for anyone -- but I have trouble getting there when I see people who would, if they could, take the world as we know it away from us, and replace it with something a lot closer to hell.

Thanks for the heads-up, anyway. I give thanks daily for what I have, and I try to "stop and smell the roses" every day.

[KB]

Harold: they are close enough to cross hairs for government work. Bull's eyes on the other hand...

skp: I minimized them.