Ok, it's late, i was going to bed. i'm used to mountain time and i'm on the east coast at a meeting and can''t sleep. So I thought, let's go see what's going on over at the new york times before I toss in the towel and call it a day. The wake up call is gonna be here soon.
So what did i see but David Brooks' latest article. He's been saying some very interesting things as of late. Things that people have been writing diaries about (and if someone else has posted this while i was trying to follow the rules, and write something substantial, I will dutifully delete this). I did do several searches while writing.
Anyhow, Mr. Brooks has been saying things like, "Sarah Palin represents a fatal cancer of the Republican Party",
sarah cancer
and things like "The Republicans have alienated whole professions. "
repugs hate smart folks
Well, well, well, look what he says now in today's editorial
And it is easy to sketch out a scenario in which he could be a great president. He would be untroubled by self-destructive demons or indiscipline. With that cool manner, he would see reality unfiltered. He could gather — already has gathered — some of the smartest minds in public policy, and, untroubled by intellectual insecurity, he could give them free rein. Though he is young, it is easy to imagine him at the cabinet table, leading a subtle discussion of some long-term problem.
today's editorial
Almost sounds like one of those 'full-throated' endorsements, but the poor guy just can't quite get himself to actually come out with a "full-throated' endosement. But I say welcome aboard Mr. Brooks! Lord knows we mostly don't agree on things. But this we can most certainly agree upon.
It IS truly easy to envision Barack Obama as a great president! wahoo!
So this train's leaving the station but there's still room for you Mr. Brooks! I left him a comment on his page at the Times and asked him to just come on out and just say it. It's not hard. Listen and repeat after me:
"I support Barack Obama. I support Barack Obama. I support Barack Obama."
See! It's easy.
Now to be fair, he did not exactly end on a chipper note.
It could be that Obama will be an observer, not a leader. Rather than throwing himself passionately into his causes, he will stand back. Congressional leaders, put off by his supposed intellectual superiority, will just go their own way. Lost in his own nuance, he will be passive and ineffectual. Lack of passion will produce lack of courage. The Obama greatness will give way to the Obama anti-climax.
We can each guess how the story ends. But over the past two years, Obama has clearly worn well with voters. Far from a celebrity fad, he is self-contained, self-controlled and maybe even a little dull.
But he did actually say that Obama was like FDR (reagan too, but bleh, i'll skip that part). So go on over to the times, drop Mr. Brooks a note, and invite him on over for awhile. Let's welcome him and every other disillusioned republican! Then maybe we can get to work fixing this country, bill of rights and all.