Paul Krugman wins the Nobel Prize in Economics

[Anonymous]

Paul Krugman, the scholar, economist, and NYT "Conscience of a Liberal" columnist, was named the 2008 Nobel winner in economics. I hoped he would play a major role in an HRC administration -- he was a strong supporter of her candidacy -- but perhaps he will be involved in Obama's administration, assuming Obama wins.

[Anonymous]

This was truly good news! Hooray for Krugman!

[Anonymous]

Remember, this his for his work on international economics theory, not his liberal political commentary in the Times. I am happy to see him get it, but I wonder whether there is some truth in DW's suggestion that this award, following Gore's, is intended as a slap at W.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember, this his for his work on international economics theory, not his liberal political commentary in the Times. I am happy to see him get it, but I wonder whether there is some truth in DW's suggestion that this award, following Gore's, is intended as a slap at W.

OP here. I'm an academic and have been a fan of Krugman's since meeting him at a dinner well before he began writing his column. His reputation is stellar and I frankly think it's more than a bit of a stretch to believe that he was awarded a Nobel Prize in an attempt to "slap" President Bush. I'm pretty sure he won the award on his merits as an economist. And I do hope he plays some role in an Obama Administration.

[Anonymous]

Hey OP, I believe you about his reputation. The WaPo article also cited scholars who thought he was well-deserving of the Nobel.

But speaking as a non-economist, column-reading fan of Krugman, I couldn't care less if he got it as a slap at Bush. Slap away, you Swedes!