That includes Marco Rubio, according to Paul Krugman. Of course, he's right. Zombie ideas have eaten Rubio's brain. Zombie economic ideas.
In case you’re wondering, a zombie idea is a proposition that has been thoroughly refuted by analysis and evidence, and should be dead — but won’t stay dead because it serves a political purpose, appeals to prejudices, or both. The classic zombie idea in U.S. political discourse is the notion that tax cuts for the wealthy pay for themselves, but there are many more. And, as I said, when it comes to economics it appears that Mr. Rubio’s mind is zombie-infested. ...Paul Krugman, NYT
Even when proven wrong -- serially wrong -- Republicans persist in their nuttiness.
... The zombie keeps shambling on — and here’s Mr. Rubio Tuesday night: “This idea — that our problems were caused by a government that was too small — it’s just not true. In fact, a major cause of our recent downturn was a housing crisis created by reckless government policies.” Yep, it’s the full zombie. ...Krugman, NYT
The facts?
No, the government didn’t force banks to lend to Those People; no, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac didn’t cause the housing bubble (they were doing relatively little lending during the peak bubble years); no, government-sponsored lenders weren’t responsible for the surge in risky mortgages (private mortgage issuers accounted for the vast majority of the riskiest loans). ...Krugman, NYT
There's more. Did government borrowing send interest rates sky high as the zombies predicted. No. Interest rates are at historic lows. Did deficit spending destroy jobs? No. Is the Republican party willing to back off, admit they got it wrong? No. They continue to believe that "apparently believes that all will be well if it just keeps repeating the old slogans, but louder."
The general consensus among the critics seems to be that an early 2013 film, "Warm Bodies," marks the end of the zombie fad. Maybe. As far as the Republican party goes, dead cold bodies seems much closer to actuality.
