Who to believe, Paul Krugman or anonymous posters on an online message board?

[Cali_Democrat]

It appears Princeton Professor and Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman has caught some flack for praising President Obama:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025267002

Some folks here do not agree with his assessment and give Obama a much lower grade.

So whose assessment means more to you?

9 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Nobel Prize winning Paul Krugman
	7 (78%)
	anonymous posters on an online message board
	2 (22%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Dawgs]

1. Or, who to believe, the person who agrees with or the person who doesn't?

Dumb!!

[SidDithers]

2. Krugman, hands down...

The opinions of anonymous ODS asshats isn't worth much more than comic relief.

Sid

[Cali_Democrat]

4. Agreed. nt

[SidDithers]

7. The over / under is 25 posts, btw...

My money is on under.

Edit: 11!



Sid

[Dawgs]

11. What does their post count have to do with their point? n/t

[SidDithers]

12. I'll reply to them the next time they come back...nt

Sid

[greatauntoftriplets]

15. Is that who I think it is?

[SidDithers]

16. Not sure. Maybe...

MIRT is pretty good at spotting her, but they only got 11 posts in this time. Might not have been enough to be certain.



Sid

[greatauntoftriplets]

17. I think it was.

She got banned from Discussionist (again) this morning so I figured she'd be back here.

[maddezmom]

19. How do you get banned from the Discussionist?

[greatauntoftriplets]

20. Having enough zombies/sockpuppets that it takes hand and feet to count 'em all?

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[maddezmom]

21. LOL and that only like .00000000000001% of her names here

[greatauntoftriplets]

22. All her usernames here???

I don't think I can count that high!

[Gothmog]

29. WOW

Why so many sock puppets?

[greatauntoftriplets]

30. She keeps getting banned as a zombie.

[cyberswede]

33. She's like a hydra...

you cut off one username, and three grow back.

[Cali_Democrat]

13. LOL!

[gratuitous]

5. PRAISING? What the hell are you talking about???

Krugman gave the President an A-. That's "A MINUS"! And you think that's PRAISE??? Are you on drugs or something? An A- is not praise, it's saying that the President didn't do everything 100% right! Krugman should be on the next transport to Guantanamo for his lack of confidence in our President, and for trying to persuade others that the President would score less than 100. Better cut back on the haterade, hater.

[conservaphobe]

6. Unless these anonymous posters can produce better credentials than Krugman,

the choice is easy.

[Mass]

8. How about using some of your critical reasoning skills and make your opinion on the facts in

question, rather than BELIEVING any single person.

[Dawgs]

14. Too hard your way. n/t

[bullwinkle428]

36. El Drugbo always says "let me do your thinking for you". Guess

we're all supposed to follow that same line of thought re:Krugman, until he says something that places him back under the wheels of the Greyhound.

[m-lekktor]

10. the old appeal to authority fallacy.

i can think for myself, thanks!

[Scuba]

40. +1

[whatchamacallit]

18. As this OP is by an anonymous internet poster, I shall dismiss it. n/t

[Liberal_Dog]

23. LOL!!

I was just perusing DU2.

Believe it or not, there was a time when Paul Krugman was not too popular with Obama supporters.

[QC]

28. He was the Glenn Greenwald of 2009.

One person even advanced the novel theory that Krugman's criticism of the stimulus proposal was motivated by pure jealousy, since Obama is so much more handsome than Krugman and therefore undoubtedly got way more lovin' in college.

Seriously.

[Pisces]

24. You meant bots and trolls, and paid dissenters.

[Crunchy Frog]

25. I formulate my own opinions. n/t

[CBGLuthier]

26. All whining about DU is not the same?

Oh damn, now you made me whine about DU commenting on how your whine about DU is allowed to stay while other's whines are locked as they should be.

Oh well, whine on!

[Taitertots]

27. I believe who ever has the most compelling evidence based position

It just almost always happens to be Krugman

[wyldwolf]

31. I voted "anonymous posters on an online message board" because...

... the wisdom of DU never ceases to amaze me. They're ALWAYS right. (snort... snicker... hmm! ... bwahaha... bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... ahem.. sorry.)

[Gothmog]

32. There is a thread about Krugman leaving Princeton in disgrace on Discussionist

There is nothing on the internet on this other than the normal conservative websites citing the same article in the OP on Discussionist. Is there a back story there? I really do not care because Prof. Krugman is one of the best economists out there and is one of my favorite sources for good economic analysis

[Cali_Democrat]

35. He's still at Princeton. nt

[Jim Lane]

41. He's leaving Princeton but I'm not aware of any disgrace.

I'm surprised you found nothing on the internet because it's in his blog at the Times website: "Changes (Personal/Professional)". In that post from five months ago, he wrote:

Some news: I have informed Princeton that I will be retiring at the end of next academic year, that is, in June 2015. In August 2015 I will join the faculty of the Graduate Center, City University of New York, as a professor in the Ph.D. program in economics. I will also become a distinguished scholar at the Graduate Center’s Luxembourg Income Study Center.

He elaborates on his reasons. The one he highlights is that his focus has been shifting toward issues of inequality, and the Luxembourg Income Study Center is a good place to pursue that. He also mentions lifestyle issues. In another thread on DU, people seemed to be emphasizing the idea that he didn't want to keep teaching the children of the elite at an expense private university. Krugman's own blog includes something like that but more as a throwaway one-liner: "I also, to be honest, like the idea of being associated with a great public university."

BTW, you can rely on everything I've written in this post, because I'm not an anonymous poster on an online message board. In that capacity, I'll opine that Krugman's grade of A- for Obama was somewhat too generous (and not completely consistent with his own writings, such as his criticism of Obama for not even asking for a larger stimulus and for overselling the benefits of what he did propose). When I voted for Obama I expected that, in the sixth year of his administration, I'd probably be giving him a B+. Instead, I'm giving him a B, so you can count me as mildly disappointed but not very, because I never expected a call for single-payer or the like.

[Gothmog]

42. Thanks

[archaic56]

34. wading into and knowing it will cause me trouble..

While I do not occupy the lofty places with good sources you all may, recently we all at FB had an experience that validated some theories I have. I HOPE and PRAY that I am wrong.IN fact so much so that sometiems I wish this all was a bad dream.

In the seventies, many outlandish methods were used by J EDgar etc and his cronies to shut down the grassroots movements of the seventies. Does anyone doubt that no tech is being used to play same games. Look at the Koch brothers money. A great deal of it has been used to spread disinformation about our president .

ON the Media , on Saturdays show.. reported 15 to one negative ads. Now do you really think ads are all they are doing. I won't go into all I saw at FB that proves this to me. BUt let's just say FB taking right wing money has made that place herd management for the powers of darkness. IF the REpublicans get in in NOvember , which if folks keep telling others all politicians are the same.. we all will regret it down the road.
I believe Obama is so often attacked because he does care about the people. he just works in an environment full of vipers.

There has been a concerted effort both here, in the UK and other countries to trot out shills like Russell Brand to say "all are not worth voting for" To me this seems an obvious ploy to disengage the voter from caring .It's also to encourage hopelessness. Four years ago the apathy and low voter turnout got us a rabid bunch of right wing nutcases trying to win the day. Now , in NC, we have a RETHUG governor.. I shudder to think what will happen to folks in my populations of disabled.. if they win.

mY experience with backlash to outspoken truth tellers.. is this.. IF someone is telling the truth... they will be attacked. I'd take the attacks as proof of a stories veracity and also proof that Obama is not what the nasty lying media has painted him to be. He's a good man.. who has had a hell of a time.. Has anyone looked at that mans face lately.IF you cannot see the strain ..get glasses.

The above is only an opinion.. but it's an honest opinion. Want to beat me up about it ..I won't engage.I live for peace.. with respect.

[applegrove]

37. This whole Obama pileon is GOP manufactured attack on things he has no responsibility for.

The world is a creepy and bad place at times. They've made it all Obama's fault. That is bullshit.

[Jim Lane]

44. I'm very unhappy that we still have troops in Afghanistan.

Are a lot of Republicans piling on Obama for not withdrawing our forces?

Is the presence of troops in Afghanistan something that the Commander in Chief has no responsibility for?

He also signed a bill that extended (i.e., made permanent) big chunks of the Bush tax cuts. He could have vetoed the bill and let taxes return to their prior, more appropriate levels. There was no GOP pileon about that (their attacks were of course from precisely the opposite direction), and it's hard to make the argument that Obama had no responsibility for Obama's signing of the bill.

To some extent, yes, we see a hypocritical GOP pileon, for example concerning some of the Bush administration's violations of civil liberties that Obama has continued. But if you're a Democrat who denounced those policies before 2009, then you're being equally hypocritical if you support them now just because it's Obama who's now responsible.

[Roy Serohz]

38. I think Obama's doing a good job

You cannot speak about Obama's Presidency without factoring in the ROR: Racist Obstructionist Republicans.

[Caretha]

39. Thanks for the

stupid poll & the user list.

[TheKentuckian]

43. Whoever makes the best and most comprehensive case? I'd also remember the whole thing

is subjective and compelling arguments could be made for any number of grades depending on what is being focused on and what comparative weight in relation to other benchmarks. Or in other words, everyone doesn't grade the same and in this case maybe even for the same things.

If you don't agree with a poster's rationale for their grades then argue it or if you don't think they have one then call them on it or if you think yours is better then explain but arguing to authority is lame and does both you and your audience the disservice of pretty much discounting what is between our ears.

Discernment must be your first filter, not credentials.