reformer (political . . . ) n.: goo-goo
[The googoo movement (from the initials of “good government”) was a reform movement, often associated with Theodore Roosevelt, aimed toward making government more honest. Today it is often used in a disparaging way(though not in this example), as if to suggest that the effort is naive or will be unsuccessful. The noun form for the movement itself is “googooism.”]
Before Mr. Obama can make government cool, however, he has to make it good. Indeed, he has to be a goo-goo. … Franklin Roosevelt was a goo-goo extraordinaire. He simultaneously made government much bigger and much cleaner. Mr. Obama needs to do the same thing. (Paul Krugman, “Barack Be Good,” New York Times, 12/25/2008.)
No Comments
Comments Off
