Monday, August 12, 2013

When facts don't matter anymore

Krugthulu's latest accurate point.
Jonathan Chait finds Rand Paul talking about the evils of “running a trillion-dollar deficit every year” — which, as it happens, is not at all what we’re doing; the deficit is at around $600 billion and falling fast. This follows on Eric Cantor’s talk about “growing deficits”, when deficits are in fact shrinking.

I think it’s pretty clear that Paul actually has no idea that the deficit is falling; it’s quite possible that neither does Cantor. The whole incident reminds me of 2011, when supposedly well-informed candidates like Tim Pawlenty went on about soaring government employment during a time of unprecedented cuts in the public payroll. Once you’re inside the closed conservative information loop, you know lots of things that aren’t so.

What I’m curious about, however, is what the public knows. Larry Bartels likes to cite a 1996 poll in which voters were asked whether the deficit had increased or decreased under Clinton (it had, in fact, fallen sharply). A plurality of voters — and a heavy majority of Republicans — thought the deficit had gone up.
When was the last time David Gregory or any of the other Sunday Morning Wankers actually pointed out the fact the deficit is shrinking so maybe the poor need not be flogged so much?

Never you say?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really hate the phrase" 'Sez it all', but this kinda fits:

"Once you’re inside the closed conservative information loop, you know lots of things that aren’t so."

Anonymous said...

Why let pesky facts get in the way of mythology and stereotype.

Besides, if Gregory had to do some honest research/leg work, it would cut into those evenings at his $100,000 dollar initiation fee country club.

Yastreblyansky said...

Approximately never. Krugman goes on TV from time to time though. That's how he found out Paul isn't lying: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evtInoMaeew&noredirect=1

The People remain obstinately uninformed. It would really be nice to do something about it.

pansypoo said...

WHERE WAS HE WHE GEOGEE'S TAX CUTS PUT US SO DEEP IN THE RED?????

i call BULL SHIT. the 'conservatives' NEVER EVER CUT DEFICITS, its the tax + spend party. BECAUSE WE KNOW WE NEED TO TAX.

when did it EVER go down under a publican? and eisenhower does not count.