Paul Krugman: Rubio and the Zombies

The State of the Union address was not, I’m sorry to say, very interesting. True, the president
offered many good ideas. But we already know that almost none of those ideas will make it past a
hostile House of Representatives.

On the other hand, the G.O.P. reply, delivered by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, was both
interesting and revelatory. And I mean that in the worst way. For Mr. Rubio is a rising star, to such
an extent that Time magazine put him on its cover, calling him “The Republican Savior.” What we
learned Tuesday, however, was that zombie economic ideas have eaten his brain.

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.