Two days after the death of G.O.P. icon Jack Kemp, Newsweek Senior Editor Michael Hirsh posted a classless obituary on Monday, "The Dangers of Amateurism," calling the football player, politician, and self-taught economist Kemp an "amateur econo-cultist."
One does not want to be disrespectful of the dead, and Jack Kemp was an admirable man in many ways. If the Republican Party had only followed his advice about reaching out to the inner cities and underclass -- and ignored his happy talk about supply-side economics -- the GOP might not be in nearly the fix it is today. Unfortunately the opposite happened. Kemp, a consummate professional as a football player, was a classic case of an amateur econo-cultist whose understanding never reached quite deep enough. In mid-life, when he decided to switch from sports to politics, Kemp became enamored of simplistic free-market ideas, in particular a toxic combination of Arthur Laffer and Ayn Rand. He then sold another gifted amateur, Ronald Reagan, on the idea that drastic tax cuts would so stimulate the economy that the ensuing growth would more than make up for the loss in revenues....Kemp was such an economic purist -- i.e., amateur -- that he argued with Reagan himself a number of times when the president decided that perhaps he'd cut taxes enough.
By the way, Reagan's "drastic tax cuts" of 1981 amounted to a 25% across-the-board cut in personal marginal tax rates -- a healthy cut, but hardly apocalyptic. After all, tax revenues continued to rise throughout the Reagan years, despite the reduction in tax rates.
And speaking of amateurism -- what are Al Gore's environmental science credentials again? Gore has no scientific training or background; he is a self-taught activist in his field, just like Kemp was. But Hirsh, far from criticizing Gore's environmental amateurism, lamented in a December 2007 post that Gore would not be running for the 2008 presidency:
Why isn't Al Gore -- Nobel laureate and enviro rock star, embodiment of the alternative history that never was, winner of the largest popular-vote total in U.S. presidential history (at the time) -- seeking the job that many people still think should have been his in 2000?
Hirsh concluded his Kemp tribute by portraying today's "economic disaster" as the most enduring part of Kemp's legacy. Classy.
—Clay Waters is the director of Times Watch, an MRC project tracking the New York Times.
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Comments Policy
typical....
May 7, 2009 - 10:50 ET by Willis_Leon_JohnsonThis fool throws the history books out the window and pretends he R smart....
Anytime he thinks higher taxes are a great idea, he can write a check to me for the balance on his income and I'll pay more taxes with his money.
http://gjresult.com
amatures?
May 7, 2009 - 11:03 ET by iveseenitallTo the "elitists" in every aspect of American society, anyone with "down-home" values and common sense is an "amateur", no matter what they accomplish. Look no further than their treatment of Sarah Palin to see how they view the world. In my profession, I met them every day. These are the modern "liberals"--- self-centered, souless hypocrites-- the most sickening people on earth. Its all about them, as they bore the hell out of everyone around them. Puke!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Unbiased as always!
May 7, 2009 - 11:02 ET by aakaakaakAnd people wonder why the newspapers are all going under. They don't write about the news anymore. They make it up on the fly. They don't follow history anymore. They spin it to their liking. There aren't many true news agencies anymore. The way things are going there won't be many pseudo-news agencies that haven't gone bankrupt. When a comedy show like The Colbert Report is more accurate and less biased than CNN/ABC/CBS/MSNBC then we have serious problems.
Keep voting these anti-newspapers out of business with your dollars. Eventually we won't have to listen to the lies.
http://www.americanw...
Once again, I take comfort
May 7, 2009 - 11:05 ET by Chris NormanOnce again, I take comfort only in the fact that fewer and fewer people are reading this now defacto publication of the Democratic Party and it's crass and classless partisan content.
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
Hirsh the jerk
May 7, 2009 - 11:05 ET by east tennessee john"Simplistic free market ideas". You mean the ones Newsweek can't live up to with its declining circulation to the point they want to be "rescued" by Comrade O? That will allow them to fully recognize their dream of becoming another Pravda? What exactly, are his economic credentials/accomplishments? Moron.
that is a classically
May 7, 2009 - 11:06 ET by seaniepthat is a classically trained economist we have running the show now though . . .
I hate the New York Times more than it hates the US Military
Beware of those who use the
May 7, 2009 - 11:08 ET by mattmBeware of those who use the term "simplistic" as a way to discredit an idea. Economics can be a very complex topic when you get into the minutiae of it. But in fact the basic principles are pretty simple:
High demand + low supply = high prices. Taking a dollar from Peter in order to give Paul 28 cents harms Peter, indirectly harms Paul (because it eliminates the incentive for Paul to earn his own dollar) and only benefits the bureaucracy which confiscates the dollar, and in the end, it devalues the dollar so that the bureaucracy will need two dollars the next time it wants to give Paul 28 cents.
Hirsch is a typical Ivory Tower snob who uses sophistry to confuse the "little people" his type seek to rule.
Don't blog it here
May 7, 2009 - 11:13 ET by FedUpEvenMorePost your blog about this where hopefully the asses, I mean horses, mouth will be more like to read it.
http://blog.newsweek...
1. Joe Biden can't count letter (3 in J-O-B-S)
2. Barack Obama can't count States (57)
3. None of us can count on either of them to do anything right.
Silly Newsweek
May 7, 2009 - 11:30 ET by BondPlainBond"The Dangers of Amateurism" is a headline that applies to the continually demonstrated ineptitute of Barack Obama, certainly not to an upstanding man of Jack Kemp's character, in and out of politics.
Liberal journalism. Always a sham.
Or...
May 7, 2009 - 11:49 ET by StarAZNewsweak is a little amateurish these days, too.
they state: Kemp, a
May 7, 2009 - 12:48 ET by USA4freedomthey state:
Kemp, a consummate professional as a football player, was a classic case of an amateur econo-cultist whose understanding never reached quite deep enough.
I wonder how do they feel about...Algore..
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
Oblahma is a lousy basketball player.
May 7, 2009 - 13:03 ET by sevenNever could go pro and get paid for it. I also see he is a ways from being a trainee in economics. Our stock market has lost 6 trillion dollars since it became apparent Obama would run the place. All Obama had done is create havoc and seized Chrysler.
I hope he can sell the New Dodge Rahm truck with a 3 cylinder motor.
Kemp knew enough about
May 7, 2009 - 13:15 ET by EdhenryKemp knew enough about economics to understand that a dollar to government is inefficient & largely wasted, but the same dollar left in the free market has 'velocity' = more jobs.
Hirsh knows nothing about economics, but knows everything about twisting history to beat the message of distribution of wealth to ensure we all have an equally miserable life, which is the tennet of socialism.
3 cylinders?
May 7, 2009 - 13:48 ET by Willis_Leon_JohnsonI was told it would be 2 1/2 cylinders, all different bore sizes.
The 2 cylinders would have no valves or plugs, leaving the half cylinder to do all the work and be the sole producer that drives the rest of the vehicle.
http://gjresult.com
Will they call it the NEW
May 7, 2009 - 16:58 ET by SRPwrdWill they call it the NEW "Economy" engine?
"I believe in American Exceptionalism, just like Brits believe in British Exceptionalism and Greeks believe in Greek Exceptionalism." - PreBO, 4/4/09
Newswhat???
May 7, 2009 - 13:28 ET by Anneke9Can't remember the last time I saw this rag at the checkout stand or in a doctor's office or have seen someone read it. It still exists?
_____________
Camouflage conservative in Baghdad-by-the-Bay
Jack Kemp is an amateur and the money is wasted on the pros-
May 7, 2009 - 14:17 ET by Roscoe MendagoJack Kemp is an amateur and Barack Obama is an economic "super genius". Using the standards the Newsweek author applies to the amateur label, there wouldn't be an economist he could praise, example: Paul Krugman. Even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.
They wait until the man passes and lay the wood to'em, the cowards.
Kemp's policies, and for that matter, all the attempts to lower taxes appropriately have never really been implemented to the level they should. Every attempt is always tempered, and compromised, leaving enough of the offending taxes in place to not reap the increased revenue to remove all doubt of "supply-side" beneficial effects.
When Obama's policies have been shown to be "amateur" I'll be interested to see Newsweek's take on the offending "super genius" messiah.