Accuracy in Prognostication

Paul Krugman pats himself on the back for his foretelling in February 2009 the stagnation and ugly politics to come caused by Obama's reticence to lead:

Failure To Rise

I’m finding it hard to read about politics these days. I still don’t think people in the administration understand the magnitude of the catastrophe their excessive caution has created. I keep waiting for Obama to do something, something, to shake things up; but it never seems to happen.

Here’s what I wrote in February 2009. It’s pretty rich that now the usual suspects are accusing me of having shared the administration’s optimism. But that’s a trivial point; the important thing is that all signs are that the next few years will be a combination of economic stagnation and political witch-hunt.

This is going to be almost inconceivably ugly.

This is a great, great tragedy. And especially bitter because some bright people, like Krugman, knew what was coming and tried very had to warn the powers-that-be of the disaster lying ahead.