Paul Krugman examines the anger of disruptive crowds that assemble to talk about health care. Why the anger? Misinformation helps — the majority at one meeting that opposed government health care while acknowledging they were on Medicare.

But it boils down to the old Southern strategy — race and fear of otherness that have nourished the Republican Party for so long. It produces uncommon passsion, though, and that’s a problem, particularly against the lack on the other side.

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But right now Mr. Obama’s backers seem to lack all conviction, perhaps because the prosaic reality of his administration isn’t living up to their dreams of transformation. Meanwhile, the angry right is filled with a passionate intensity.

And if Mr. Obama can’t recapture some of the passion of 2008, can’t inspire his supporters to stand up and be heard, health care reform may well fail.

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ALSO RE HEALTH CARE: CNN newsman nails the former hospital CEO who’s been working to encourage the protests. His company overcharged Medicare millions.

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