“It goes without saying that Republicans oppose any expansion of programs that help the less fortunate-along with tax cuts for the wealthy, such opposition is pretty much what defines modern conservatism”

Krugman today.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And the rest of the column is similarly cogent. With one piece missing. Along with wanting to deprive the less fortunate, modern conservatives dislike them. Them, personally. Not just the resources they consume but them. Personally.  So conservatives are not just indifferent to the suffering of the poor, they feel they’re a good thing. Serves them right. A well-deserved punishment.

All conservatives ? That’s too strong. But did you hear of any dissent when Mitt made his 47% comment to a roomful of $50,000 /ticket supporters? Even a murmur? Anyone who said “Oh come on Mitt, aren’t you overstating your case?” They could have.  They’d paid their money and not only were entitled to hear the Governor; they were entitled to answer back.

And just maybe if someone had disagreed the Gov. would be the Pres. today. If that had prompted him to qualify his broad- brush dismissal of 47% of us . Could have made it less of a game changer. Perhaps just softening his indictment with a few offsetting compliments: patriotic, god fearing, the ever popular “good family man”. That might have been enough to swing New Hampshire. Or Ohio. Have to ask Nate Silver.

But in fact no one contradicted Mitt, probably for the very good reason that no one actually did disagree.

MSNBC a couple of weeks ago had on the bar tender who taped Mitt that night. He didn’t start taping, he said, with the intention of damaging Mitt’s campaign. He had heard Clinton in a similar event a decade ago and thought it might be interesting to make a record of another presidential contender. He might even have asked for Mitt’s autograph!

But the casual, and unchallenged, dismissal of half the country. Of people like him. Was a bridge too far.Mitt blew it. And his audience blew it. Not by lying. By being overly truthful. On tape.

Usually my contributions here are less contentious. Facts, or the occasional poem, even... Excuse this one. I promise to be boring again next time.