A key part of GOP messaging in the 2024 election is: Be afraid, be very afraid. From the economy to crime, everyone from former President Donald Trump to the Republican National Committee (RNC) is making a concerted effort to terrify voters. But in his January 29 opinion column for the New York Times, liberal economist Paul Krugman argues that Republican fear-mongering “isn’t driven by reality” in 2024. “It is, instead, driven by dystopian visions unrelated to real experience,” Krugman emphasizes. “That is, at this point, Republican political strategy depends largely on frightening voters who …