By Ryan Denson
In a recent op-ed in the New York Times, he
really laid into a few of the 2016 GOP contenders – Jeb Bush, Chris Christie,
Donald Trump and Scott Walker. And, given the recent 10th anniversary of
Hurricane Katrina, Krugman pointed out that these men, because of their
repeated blunders and sophomoric outlook on life, will ultimately be their own
Hurricane Katrinas.
In other words, their reputations are nothing but smoke
and mirrors and will eventually ruin them.
While Republicans like to think of every ‘”scandal” as “Obama’s Katrina,” nothing could be further
from the truth, Krugman contends. President Obama has fixed or made right all
his “scandals,” whereas Hurricane Katrina showed the nation how truly
incompetent and phony President George W. Bush was.
In Christie’s case, he used to be the tough-talking,
no-nonsense, up-yours-Washington outsider the Republicans were wetting
themselves over in 2012.
While his boisterous, Jersey-esque attitude resonated
with conservatives, his policies failed, and New Jersey saw an
unprecedented pattern of repeated credit downgradings. Christie can talk
the talk but he certainly can’t govern. And in order to make himself even
remotely relevant in the GOP, he’s resorted to outrageous immigration
“solutions” – like tracking them like FedEx packages.
Krugman is right when he says Christie looks pathetic.
With Jeb Bush (who rode on the coattails of his brother),
you have a very unexciting, pandering blowhard. Krugman admits in his
op-ed that Bush was once hailed as the best governor in the United States (in
part to a successful housing bubble).
But now that it’s time for the big boys
league – President of the United States – Jeb Bush can’t form a logical,
sustainable or affordable policy agenda, which Krugman points out means Jeb was
never all that smart to begin with.
Krugman’s words, not mine. Though I tend to agree
wholeheartedly.
While mocking the notion that Walker was “the man to watch”
and Bobby Jindal was smart, Krugman writes:
“I know, now I’m supposed to be evenhanded, and point out equivalent figures on the Democratic side. But there really aren’t any; in modern America, cults of personality built around undeserving politicians seem to be a Republican thing.”
This is where Donald Trump comes into play.
According to Krugman, Trump’s ignorance of past elections
and over-the-top rhetoric will only be his demise. While the Republican
establishment ogles at his actually anti-establishment positions, his
arrogance and lack of truly understanding the issues will cause him to
have his inevitable Katrina moment, ending all hope of a Trump presidency.
I hope Krugman’ observations extend past Bush, Trump,
Christie, Walker and Jindal. In the end, for the sake of the country in 2016, I
hope the GOP as a whole has their own Hurricane Katrina. The loonies from the
Tea Party have sabotaged a once respectable party and have turned it into a
bona fide freak show.
If anything, a Katrina-esque force will allow them to
pickup the pieces, rebuild, and become stronger for the better.
Author Ryan Denson lives blue in a red state (hopefully it will be
purple in the next 10 years). And can be reached at rdenson211@gmail.com