Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has delivered a scathing critique of the current state of the Republican Party in his latest column for The New York Times. Krugman argues that the GOP’s culture wars are no longer just posturing by politicians mainly interested in cutting taxes on the rich, but that “many elected Republicans are now genuine fanatics.”
Krugman suggests that if House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is successful in winning enough votes to become House speaker, then “actual power will obviously rest in the hands of people like Marjorie Taylor Greene.” He goes on to say that if this happens, people will “spend much of 2023 feeling nostalgic for the good old days of greed and cynicism” in U.S. politics.
A GOP lawmaker who is supporting McCarthy says members are already hearing from Republican donors and constituents who think the party “looks stupid” for not being able to elect a speaker. Another McCarthy supporter expressed frustration with the opposition within the party, saying “they are embarrassing the whole team.”
Krugman’s column paints a bleak picture of the GOP’s current state of affairs. He suggests that the party’s unhinged lurch will lead to a future where people will look back at the “good old days of greed and cynicism” with nostalgia. It remains to be seen if McCarthy will be successful in winning enough votes to become House speaker, and if the GOP can turn things around.
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