On Sat, 21 Dec 2002, Doug Henwood wrote:
> > Krugman's latest says: The Washington Post reports that one of Mr.
> > Bush's frequent complaints about Larry Lindsey was that he didn't get
> > enough physical exercise.
>
> Yeah, and an earlier article said he looked "jowly" on TV. In other
> words, he's fat, but no one wanted to say that. Being fat is pretty much
> verboten at the upper reaches of U.S. society now.
True, but I think Krugman's delicacy is better interpreted as an
individual case. One of his very first columns for the NYT contained a
right down the middle gratuituous fat joke about another recently departed
administration economist. He wondered about alternative employment
opportunities for Larry Summers and wondered aloud parethentically
("Spokesman for Jenny Craig? Sorry, couldn't help myself"). I think he's
actually champing at the bit to make fun of fat economists, since all the
rivals he's most envious of (like everyone who got a job in the Clinton
administration) are chubbier than he is. (It may be rare among the ruling
class, but I think roundness, if not always on a Lindsian scale, is
actually more common that not among middle aged academic economists.) I
think his allusiveness here stems from a very recent acquisition of a
veneer rudimentary tactfulness for purposes of ambition. I think he
really wants a job in the next Dem administration and thinks with the
success of his column he's actually got a shot. He was reportedly very
hurt that all his rivals got one in Clinton's but not him. And I heard
the general opinion was that he was never even considered because all his
colleagues hated his guts because he was such a rude bastard. And after
that inaugural column they all jumped up and said See?
Michael
