Soul-Searching in GOP? Don't Believe It

Political chatter has it that some "new Republicans" are emerging in the wake of Mitt Romney's loss, a group willing to budge on economic and social issues, writes Paul Krugman at his blog in the New York Times. Don't believe it for a second, he adds. "Anyone who imagines that there is any real soul-searching going on is deluding himself or herself."

Today's GOP has a simple agenda: Keep taxes low for the rich and impose "conservative social values" on the nation. That may change someday, but we're not there yet. As for all those on the right who seem open-minded about such things, the key word is "seem," writes Krugman. "When it matters, they can always be counted on—after making a big show of stroking their chins and agonizing—to follow the party line, and reject anything that doesn’t go along with the preacher-plutocrat agenda." Read the full post here. (More Election 2012 stories.)