Feel the Hate
By PAUL KRUGMAN

Published: September 3, 2004

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/03/op...03krugman.html

I don't know where George Soros gets his money," one man said. "I don't know where - if it comes from overseas or from drug groups or where it comes from." George Soros, another declared, "wants to spend $75 million defeating George W. Bush because Soros wants to legalize heroin." After all, a third said, Mr. Soros "is a self-admitted atheist; he was a Jew who figured out a way to survive the Holocaust."

They aren't LaRouchies - they're Republicans.

The suggestion that Mr. Soros, who has spent billions promoting democracy around the world, is in the pay of drug cartels came from Dennis Hastert, the speaker of the House, whom the Constitution puts two heartbeats from the presidency. After standing by his remarks for several days, Mr. Hastert finally claimed that he was talking about how Mr. Soros spends his money, not where he gets it.

The claim that Mr. Soros's political spending is driven by his desire to legalize heroin came from Newt Gingrich. And the bit about the Holocaust came from Tony Blankley, editorial page editor of The Washington Times, which has become the administration's de facto house organ.

For many months we've been warned by tut-tutting commentators about the evils of irrational "Bush hatred." Pundits eagerly scanned the Democratic convention for the disease; some invented examples when they failed to find it. Then they waited eagerly for outrageous behavior by demonstrators in New York, only to be disappointed again.

There was plenty of hatred in Manhattan, but it was inside, not outside, Madison Square Garden.

Barack Obama, who gave the Democratic keynote address, delivered a message of uplift and hope. Zell Miller, who gave the Republican keynote, declared that political opposition is treason: "Now, at the same time young Americans are dying in the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of the Democrats' manic obsession to bring down our commander in chief." And the crowd roared its approval.

Why are the Republicans so angry? One reason is that they have nothing positive to run on (during the first three days, Mr. Bush was mentioned far less often than John Kerry).

The promised economic boom hasn't materialized, Iraq is a bloody quagmire, and Osama bin Laden has gone from "dead or alive" to he-who-must-not-be-named.

Another reason, I'm sure, is a guilty conscience. At some level the people at that convention know that their designated hero is a man who never in his life took a risk or made a sacrifice for his country, and that they are impugning the patriotism of men who have.

That's why Band-Aids with Purple Hearts on them, mocking Mr. Kerry's war wounds and medals, have been such a hit with conventioneers, and why senior politicians are attracted to wild conspiracy theories about Mr. Soros.

It's also why Mr. Hastert, who knows how little the Bush administration has done to protect New York and help it rebuild, has accused the city of an "unseemly scramble" for cash after 9/11. Nothing makes you hate people as much as knowing in your heart that you are in the wrong and they are in the right.

But the vitriol also reflects the fact that many of the people at that convention, for all their flag-waving, hate America. They want a controlled, monolithic society; they fear and loathe our nation's freedom, diversity and complexity.

The convention opened with an invocation by Sheri Dew, a Mormon publisher and activist. Early rumors were that the invocation would be given by Jerry Falwell, who suggested just after 9/11 that the attack was God's punishment for the activities of the A.C.L.U. and People for the American Way, among others. But Ms. Dew is no more moderate: earlier this year she likened opposition to gay marriage to opposition to Hitler.

The party made sure to put social moderates like Rudy Giuliani in front of the cameras. But in private events, the story was different. For example, Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas told Republicans that we are in a "culture war" and urged a reduction in the separation of church and state.

Mr. Bush, it's now clear, intends to run a campaign based on fear. And for me, at least, it's working: thinking about what these people will do if they solidify their grip on power makes me very, very afraid.

.... I like Krugman.

Something I’ve heard a million times on public debate boards is that when someone engages in personal attacks it is because they are with out either the mental capacity to debate an issue properly, or they know they are wrong so resorting to personal attack is the only option left to them.


And what did the Repubs do for three days . . . ? So which is it - are they dumb, or do they just know they're incompetent?

I hear there are support groups and a few good 7-step programs out there.

When you have information such as this to work with. Bush makes it so easy with his countless mistakes over the past four years. In a way I'll be a little sad when he is voted out. There won't be any reason to bash him any longer. Oh well, at least our country will come out of the rut he has dug us into during his term. We'll be able to finally move forward again.

There's a big difference between anger & conviction AND SINCERITY...something that stuffed shirt Kerry doesn't have. His response was so stupid, insignificant. Can you imagine? He doesn't think the war on terrorism is important but thinks it's more political talking point??? Now there's someone who isn't living in reality. WE WERE ATTACKED, STUPID!

"W" has some GREAT ideas to get the economy going & help Americans to change in this changing world we live in. As if you bothered to read his ideas. LOL Now if we can only shut up these stupid liberals who would like to scare Americans out of their prosperity, their freedoms, & their security.

What I got the from the convention is that EVERYONE in the party is united, & in agreement on issues of security regardless of social inclinations. Democrats are imploding about now & all they can do is say Republicans are mad??? hahahaha You won't find anyone to speak at any DNC convention who is for a strong national defense, prolife, pro-constitutional either. Democrats have been making a grab on all our rights & GW knows that it's people who vote & he is gonna do all he can to make sure Americans get their piece of the pie... THAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE LIKE YOU WOULD WANT AMERICANS TO FORGET! Liberals are nothing more than a bunch of girlie men who can't stand other people's success. What foolish idiots to believe someone like M. Moore who's making a ton of money at your expense. I find that hypocritical. I'd like to see him turn all that money over to the govt. that he seems to love so much more than the "FREE" enterprise system he always bashes.

I trust GWB to do more on the domestic front just as he's done with national security issues. No amount of talking points can talk me out of voting for him in November! I know an honest man when I see one. GEORGE BUSH IS THE MAN!

BUSH/CHENEY 2004!

Ah, muzzle the liberals. Okay, that's the First Amendment you would trash.

Really. Who was it who authored and fought for the provision in the Patriot Act that allowed the President, on his sole discretion, to imprison ANY citizen, for an indefinite period of time, without charge and without recourse to the courts or contact with a lawyer?

If that's not a "grab on all our rights", what is?

You know so much.

He comments on social and political issues, not free enterprise.

Really? Why? Because he's done so much in his first four years?

If he addresses domestic issues the way he addressed national security, he'll "address" education by drilling in ANWR.

Um, okay. But if you're not going to listen to what other posters have to say, why would you expect them to listen to you?

Funny, I thought the presidency and both houses of Congress were controlled by conservatives. Meanwhile, the GOP takes whacks at moderates like Arlen Specter, and Republicans who are pro-choice are called RINOs (Republican In Name Only).

Yeah, conservatives are really muzzled.

I'm not quite sure how an act that strips Americans of some of their most fundamental rights "protects Americans". Your second point is wrong: Jose Padilla is an American citizen. And anyway, so what? Rights that exist only as long as they're convenient for the government aren't rights at all.

It's curious to me how some people can insist they need to own heavy firepower because you can't trust the government, and yet they happily sign away fundamental rights without a shot being fired.

I have no idea what you're referring to, and it's irrelevant besides; whatever Clinton did, Bush is president now. He will be judged on his own merits.

You're really into binary choices, aren't you?

Again, what on earth are you talking about? I thought the standard criticism of liberals is that they want EVERYONE to share their toys. Neither is accurate, but consistency would be nice.