AN ELITE OPINION

Hillary Clinton, bless her heart, is unambiguosly pushing the idea of a gas tax holiday. For reasons I outlined in my last post-- reasons that were repeated in pretty much every single mainstream media outlet in the days following-- the gas tax holiday is a really, really, really dumb idea.

This idea makes absolutely no economic sense. Not one scintilla. That is why every single economist, of all political and professional persuasions, have lined up to deride this really dumb idea.

Economists don't agree on very much. They are falliable human beings. But when they speak in unison... dude, listen up.

But Hillary Clinton isn't listening. There she was, on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopolous, basically putting her fingers in her ears and shouting "LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA!" Stephanopolous had just issued a challenge: name one single credible economist that supports the idea of suspending the gas tax.

She couldn't, obviously, because there is no credible economist who would support this idea. There isn't even a credible undergraduate econ major who would support this idea. You might as well be looking for physicians who recommend smoking and heroin, or nutritionists who endorse the fried-foods-and-liquor diet.

Her response: "I'm not going to put my lot in with economists." She rejected the "elite opinion" of the small army of economists and policy experts who have reached consensus on the stupidity of suspending the gas tax.

My interpretation: "You know what? Screw economists. I mean c'mon, what the hell do they know about the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services?"

"Elite opinion" (?!?!) Personally, I cannot think of anything more elitist than a politician insisting that she knows better than every single expert in a particular field.