Follow this link to Paul Krugman’s New York Times column.
With friends like this, perhaps we don’t even need Republicans.
According to Krugman, Obama’s plans aren’t enough and Obama is too weak to get more. Obama managed to get almost $800 billion in stimulus just a few weeks after taking office, and this shows what a failure he is?
Maybe Krugman is using reverse psychology. Taunt Obama enough so that he will try extra hard to prove you wrong. Well, if Krugman wants to guarantee his position on the outside looking in, then this is probably the best strategy.
I wonder what would happen if Krugman tried to write an article that would help Obama improve on what he has already accomplished? Maybe he has been on the outside so long he doesn’t remember how to do that.
I have been criticized for this post that seems to want to stifle Krugman from expressing his concerns about Obama policy.
Here is my reply:
You notice I didn’t say anything about the substance of Krugman’s column. I have almost no disagreement with that.
> I wonder what would happen if Krugman tried to write an article
> that would help Obama improve on what he has already accomplished?
That is not really a rhetorical question. I have used that successfully in work situations.
When you think something you have been asked to do won’t work, you ask yourself what would I have to do to make it work? If you can come up with an answer, then you can make it work.
What if Krugman had said what I said in answer to Brian Williams? When Obama finds that it is not enough, he will be able to come back and ask for more. After all that is what he is going to do with the financial bailout. The $800 billion does not match the shortfall of $2.9 trillion. Of course there is a multiplier on some of the stimulus spending, so it might be close to enough.
Krugman might suggest ways of making the case for coming back for more. He might suggest ways to measure if it is enough, so that people will be able to see that it is working, but needs more.
As I said, if he put his mind to it, he could think of ways to praise Obama and to help him do what Krugman thinks needs to be done.
Bush tried the all stick approach to convincing adversaries to do what he wanted, and we see where that got us. Maybe an occasional carrot would be nice. Maybe even a preponderance of carrots to your friends with just an occasional stick if absolutely necessary. That way they get to figure out who are your friends. Enemies can deal out enough sticks.