Paul Krugman
OK, so Obama did a terrible job in the debate, and Romney
did well. But in the end, this isn’t or shouldn’t be about theater criticism,
it should be about substance. And the fact is that everything Obama said was
basically true, while much of what Romney said was either outright false or so
misleading as to be the moral equivalent of a lie.
Above all, there’s
this:
MR. ROMNEY: Let — well, actually — actually it’s — it’s —
it’s a lengthy description, but number one, pre-existing conditions are covered
under my plan.
I guess you could say that Romney’s claim wasn’t exactly a
lie, since some people with preexisting conditions would retain coverage. But
as I said, it’s the moral equivalent of a lie; if you think he promised
something real, you’re the butt of a sick joke.
And we’re talking about a lot of people left out in the cold
— 89
million, to be precise.
Furthermore, all of this should be taken in the context of
Romney’s plan not just to repeal Obamacare but to drastically cut Medicaid.
So enough with the theater criticism; Romney needs to be
held accountable for dishonesty on a huge scale.
