Yesterday President Biden signed executive orders regarding federal vaccine mandates while promising to use he claims to have to override certain state governors. It’s quite clear that the president’s a Democrat because this is Paul Krugman’s initial assessment:
Biden's vaccine mandate is terrific public policy; it is, more or less literally, what the doctor ordered. Is it good politics? We don't know. But one thing worth noting is the contrast with Obama 1/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 10, 2021
The Biden administration must think it’s good politics, because they don’t do anything without considering the political implications. Oh, and here’s how the Biden economy isn’t the fault of the Biden administration:
It's now clear that Republicans effectively sabotaged Obama's economy, slowing the recovery, by imposing fiscal austerity (using completely false claims that they were worried about debt.) And Obama was basically passive, even accepting their premises 2/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 10, 2021
Forget that it was mostly Democrats who shut things down last year which created an economic disaster while slamming Trump for not supporting lockdowns.
Rs are now sabotaging Biden by undermining the fight against Covid; how self-conscious they are about this is something we can argue, but that's how it's working out. And having blocked basic public health measures, they're all set to blame Biden for Covid's persistence 3/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 10, 2021
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But Biden is fighting back. He's using executive authority to save lives, and basically daring Rs to put themselves on the side of the minority trying to ruin life for the rest of us 4/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 10, 2021
Again, he's doing the right thing regardless of the politics. But he may also have chosen favorable ground for a big political fight 5/
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 10, 2021
Imagine how different Krugman’s take would be if these mandates came via executive order last year…
It's the "terrific public policy" you'd be calling fascism if Trump threatened people's livelihoods to try to force government compliance.
— Fuzzy Chimp 🇺🇸 (@fuzzychimpcom) September 10, 2021
Astonishing, just astonishing. And Trump was the facist?
— DaveyG (@daveyboy103) September 10, 2021
Once again, if Trump or a Republican prez did the same w the vax mandate u would have the complete opposite position. U just revealed what a partisan political hack u truly r.
— Kyle deVries (@KyledeVries7) September 10, 2021
Everybody knows what Krugman would be saying about Trump if he were still in the White House and imposing mandates like these.
It's really hard to write about the GOP's handling of Trump without violating Godwin's Law. I mean, right-wingers backing an authoritarian because they thought he could be controlled and serve their economic agenda, then discovering the awful truth … https://t.co/SBcpGTGAhU
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) April 9, 2018
But when Biden flexes some authoritarian muscle, it’s “terrific public policy.” So much projection.
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