That Texas "Miracle" (Wink Wink) You'll Be Hearing About

Paul Krugman writes about one of the only selling points for former governor and future Lenscrafters spokesmodel Rick "Oops" Perry:  the so-called "Texas Miracle:"

Remember the Texas economic miracle? In 2012, it was one of the three main arguments from then-Gov. Rick Perry about why he should be president, along with his strong support from the religious right and something else I can’t remember (sorry, couldn’t help myself). More broadly, conservatives have long held Texas up as a supposed demonstration that low taxes on the rich and harsh treatment of the poor are the keys to prosperity.

So it’s interesting to note that Texas is looking a lot less miraculous lately than it used to. To be fair, we’re talking about a modest stumble, not a collapse. Still, events in Texas and other states — notably Kansas and California — are providing yet another object demonstration that the tax-cut obsession that dominates the modern Republican Party is all wrong.

Krugman also contrasts the Republican economic governance of Texas and Kansas with the Democratic economic governance of California.  You might guess how that comparison goes, but if not:

For those who haven’t been following the Kansas story, in 2012, Sam Brownback, the state’s hard-right governor, pushed through large tax cuts that would, he promised, lead to rapid economic growth with little, if any, loss of revenue. But the promised boom never materialized, while big budget deficits did.

And, meanwhile, there’s California, long mocked by the right as an economy doomed by its liberal politics. Not so much, it turns out: The budget is back in surplus in part because the emergence of a Democratic supermajority finally made it possible to enact tax increases, and the state is experiencing a solid recovery.

Keep in mind too, the prevailing right-wing philosophy behind Perry's economics is deregulation, which has certainly added greater meaning to the concept of a "booming economy."

Meanwhile, in the Republican-wired newsroom at the once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle, cub reporter Jimmy Olsen Stephanie McCrummen wonders if Perry is more style or more substance, a question she somehow avoids answering ("we report, you decide").  Is the "Texas Miracle" mentioned?  Why, of course it is, but only with attendant glowing quotes from a corporate  suit who was "incentivized" to build his plant in Texas (no unions, no taxes, no environmental protections, yee-haw!).  So what issue does McCrummen spend the first 19 paragraphs talking about (and refers back to as a theme)?

... a man poses a question about the importance of speaking plainly, and Perry pauses a moment before he answers by asking rhetorically, which is to say confidently: “Did I say anything today you couldn’t understand?”

People laugh, and this is when it happens: Rick Perry winks.  (our emphasis)

Yes, Perry's wink!  Nineteen paragraphs.  He's winking at you, Stephanie! Looks like he made the sale.