Obama Pushes Back On David Brooks

One of the most depressing parts of this Sunday morning's political fare was the sad sight of Tom Brokaw flying halfway around the world just so he could dully recite Friday's David Brooks column from the New York Times at a Barack Obama who must have been wondering if the National Broadcasting Company bought all their airtime at wholesale prices or something that it could be so wasted. Many commenters and emailers had the same head-cradled-in-hands-moaning sensation at the sight of it, and today, you can all say that you have been of the same mind of this site's founder, who emailed me soon after, stating her own incredulous disbelief.

Brokaw read more or less the entire column, panning the Berlin speech on the air, and Obama basically scoffed, citing the fact that there are nine good reviews of his Berlin speech to every negative one. He goes on to point out numerous examples in the speech that undercut Brooks' central thesis, insofar as he can be said to have one.

Really, when you read the piece, you hardly worry about Obama. You worry about Brooks! That Brooks is no longer impressed with Obama seems to be, by and large, a function of his own boredom. But, even if we take him at his word (and in fairness, it's completely understandable to be bored by Obama), one worries that Brooks is replacing "being rapt with Obama's rhetoric" with blank-headed cynicism:

Much of the rest of the speech fed the illusion that we could solve our problems if only people mystically come together. We should help Israelis and Palestinians unite. We should unite to prevent genocide in Darfur. We should unite so the Iranians won't develop nukes. Or as Obama put it: "The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down."

As Obama goes on to point out, Brooks is a McCain supporter. Here's Brooks providing his best version of McCain's campaign slogan: "Don't hope for a better life!"

Worse, Brooks goes on to make some terrifyingly myopic conclusions about history:

The great illusion of the 1990s was that we were entering an era of global convergence in which politics and power didn't matter. What Obama offered in Berlin flowed right out of this mind-set. This was the end of history on acid.

Since then, autocracies have arisen, the competition for resources has grown fiercer, Russia has clamped down, Iran is on the march. It will take politics and power to address these challenges, the two factors that dare not speak their name in Obama's lofty peroration.

Of course, the autocracies that have arisen, the resources which have dwindled, the clampdown in Russia and the rise of Iran are just four of the malign things that happened on the watch of President Bush, as a result of his "my mandate is to project blunt American power into the world forever and ever" doctrine One of the reasons Obama went to Europe was to signal that this great delusion of the 2000s was nearing an end.

That's why so many people cheered!

Comments

[BTJ46]

Let's take this seriously. Brokaw could have had other priorities for the discussion certainly, but by clearly attributing and quoting from Brooks' silly piece, he gave Senator Obama the opportunity to respond. And the response knocked Brooks out of the park.
A much better performance than Stephanolopolus and Gibson gave in the debate.

[jjmcrare]

First Obama is subjected to a ridiculously narrow interview with Katie Couric on the surge which was one of the worst she’s ever conducted. Then Tom Brokaw picks up right where Katie left off, badgering Obama about the surge. Then Tom takes a McCain staffer pose with his agitated broadside about Obama’s speech and his insulting “Get to the point!!!” - two negatives long and drawn out without a word about the legions who praised the speech. Brokaw has forever lost my respect. McCain could never attract an enthusiastic audience of 200,000 here or abroad. And why do they think spending billions on the surge with a result of getting back to the conditions of 2004 is a hammer to pound on Obama???? Both Katie and Tom are missing the big picture here.

[paul15260]

You are soo right.

[Kristen777]

O M G. . . . Tom Brokaw - your hey day is long gone - go somewhere and garden or play bridge or something. This world has suffered enough with you and your colleagues who turned their heads away from the glaring truth that could have prevented this "dumb" war. Now you'll spend the rest of your jaded days trying to redeem yourself so you can sleep at night.

[Scryinglass]

Oh hey... you know what could have prevented" this "dumb" war"? If all the people who voted for George Bush had stayed home or if they'd just cast their vote for AG, like I did. Don't blame the media. They didn't start this war. Blame the president, VP, secy. of Defense, congress, senate and the various constituencies that voted them in.

[JJeff88]

Does anyone doubt that, had Obama adopted a more wonkish, less inspirational persona during the campaign, Brooks would be all over him for "lack of vision?"

I continue to repeat my Memo to the Media about Obama - "Maybe, just maybe he's really that good."

[batspaul]

The prominence of David Brooks, a second-rate pundit at best, demonstrates pretty clearly the bankruptcy of talent on the right. He can't even come close to the quality of thought of William Safire or William F. Buckley. While I always disagreed with them, at least they had impressive intellects.

And Brokaw? Never very bright, and his bias is well-known; but attacking Obama with Brook's limp effort is trying to beat someone with a twizzler.

Naturally, Obama brushed it off with good nature, as well as a cogent, specific, and ultimately presidential response.

[JudgeCrater]

Brokaw validates Bob Cesca's prediction of a negative media backlash - all in the name of 'balance' - following Obama's trip. Ignore the overwhelmingly positive results and instead focus solely (in this case) on Brooks' intellectual gibberish because it provides a 'counterpoint' (having no validity whatsoever) for a media reflexively grasping at negative straws.

[wkitwizard]

Neocons, trolls, wingnuts, all say: "blah, blah, blah."
NEWSFLASH:
Republican swill is no longer being swallowed by the masses in America.
Karl Rove's Koolaide is so YESTERDAY!
November is going to be a TIDAL WAVE of blue.

[Busterdawg]

As much as I loath Brooks... he was right.

The O-Man trotted out every feel good cliche in the book. The speech was treacle. It's just that you Obama-crats suffer from "the Emperor's New Clothes" syndrome; no matter what Obama does, it's all good... even when it sucks.

[Heru1]

Brooks' article smells like Schmidt's sausage.

[colette]

And why did he have to quote about 10 paragraphs from it? Tim Russert would have gotten to the point quickly, instead of practically reading the whole article...

And thank you Barack! For mentioning, which Brokaw didn't bother to, that Brooks is an ideological conservative who never loved Obama that much anyway and has been sniping away at him for months....

[WomanInOrangeSweater]

Don't ya just hate attack politics? You know, when people have nothing of substance to say and personally attack anyone who disagrees with them?

[steeler5]

I agree, I hate to see McCain go down to Obama's level or even Clinton's with gutter politics. Just tell people the facts and let them decide.

[nclayla]

For McCain to function on Obama's level he would have to 'recall' and apologize for most of his recent comments and ads. My personal favorite is ad in which he infers Obama is responsible for the high gas prices - so ridiculous I was quite sure no one at all could possibly believe it. But after reading your comment, I guess it is possible some will fall for McCain's blatant lies and attack ads.

[LORISNJ]

Obama's level? Really? - Clinton I agree with but Obama has not once gone for the cheap shot - not once. Obama did not go after McCain for mixing up the Sunnis & the Shias, didn't bring up his confusinsion over the old Soviet Bloc countries that haven't existed for 15 years, hasn't once said that McCain was too old to be President - all true but instead Senator Obama has only gone after McCain's policies. That is the difference between a politician and a leader.

McCain has stepped down into the gutter and he is there by himself.

[steeler5]

Classic leftists strategy! Name calling, insults, etc. I can't believe McCain is going down that road.

[bigbingtheory]

Classis righty strategy, accuse the left of the behavior you engage in while insulting them. The Steelers suck btw. Choke, choke choke.

[johnwinner]

Brokaw was clearly trying to look tough the way Stephanoupolis tried to look tough by channelling questions from Sean Hannity during the ABC debate. Really, these corporate media journalists are so dull and out of touch.

[Sandi7552]

They just get meaner, uglier and less lucid with every attack they enjoin. Their terror and paranoia are showing. They envy his ability to move people and their shrinking base will not be bolstered by this drivel! An Obama Mama!

[PhantomAviator]

..

Didn't you all KNOW Tom Brokaw political lean?.

That's why I turn off MTP.
The ony thing worse than a Republican, are upper-class East Coast Democrats.

.

[HatingTheGame]

What really pisses off these so called MSM journalists is not so much the content of O's speech, but the content of his character. They hate a smiling confident black man who will talk and think circles around their country club smugness. Uppity is a problem. They can handle an ignorant, uncurious, snickering, sliver spoon no-nothing white man, because he's one of them (snicker snicker, shrug shrug, wink wink). But a smooth talking, smiling black man that will smack them down, and dunk all in their face -- now that's a problem.

[Elrancho]

Totally agree. You hit the nail on the head.

[nypoet22]

yup, he's the "Sweet River Banes" of politics.

[stepintothelight]

Couldn't have said it better. These GOB'S can't wrap their brains around the fact that just because they "think" they are superior doesn't mean that they actually are. Hide your daughters ... Hide your votes .... don't look behind the curtain!!!

[BeastOfYuccaFlats]

If this comment by HatingTheGame doesn't have "HuffPost Pick" written all over it, I don't know what would!

[flydoghead]

nailed it !

[qdog112]

The best I have read in awhile.

We have looked everywhere went it was right in front of our faces.

Good post!

[edwcorey]

Of all the "journalists" operating today, Brooks is the one I would like to take into the high school bathroom and beat to a pulp. I'm not a bully, but he brings out the bully in me. He's a pseudo-intellectual, a Trojan horse, the equivalent of Arlen Specter--they're both Republicans who try to market themselves as reasonable and law-abiding but can be counted on to toe the party line when it comes time to vote.

[LABC]

Can I come too? I'll bring a bat...

Brooks is so predictable you can set a watch as to the time he becomes a pretentious a$$hat.

[blackmouth]

I''d like a piece of that too.

[flydoghead]

he is a total lightweight