David Brooks: Obama would be better president than Hillary Clinton

[antiimperialist]

In a piece due out in print Tuesday, but already present in the NYT website, columinst David Brooks (NYT) Tells his readers to vote for Obama over Hillary, because,

-Obama is an inner-directed man in a profession filled with insecure outer-directed ones.
-Obama possesses tranquility.
-There are virtually no flip-flops in Obama's past.
-Obama "has a worldview that precedes political positions. " and "does not lash out at perceived enemies".
-pursues liberal ends in gradualist, temperamentally conservative ways.

And he finishes with these words:

The presidency is a bacterium. It finds the open wounds in the people who hold it. It infects them, and the resulting scandals infect the presidency and the country. The person with the fewest wounds usually does best in the White House, and is best for the country.

Your comments please.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/opinion/18brooks.html?hp

[SaveElmer]

1. Ok...this ought to be interesting...

Obamanians...how do you feel about an endorsement from David Brooks...

[NewYorkerfromMass]

40. He said the same thing about Dean

about his blue blood upbringing being the perfect youth for a future prez.

[TeamJordan23]

2. About the same as Hillary planning to use Bush 41 in her administration. nm

[durrrty libby]

15. Poor ol 41 just sits around crying at the drop off a hat. What is he...

like 88 years old? Exactly what could he accomplish?

Inanity abounds

[annie1]

3. s--t.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. Right wing nuts are either 1) Great admirers of Senator Obama, or 2) having

some fun with us.

I'm no cynic... Weekly Standard alumnus and professional Clinton-hater David Brooks surely has America's best interests at heart.

[antiimperialist]

5. My theory: Since Hillary would win even some Southern states, Brooks is rooting for Obama

Just a theory. I saw a SC poll a couple of days ago in which Hillary tied her opponents in this red state.

[TeamJordan23]

8. And most polls show that Obama does better with Independent voters (and even some GOP voters). nm

[antiimperialist]

13. Hillary does better with "voters", period

Voters are a more important group than "independent voters".

[insanad]

37. Her Own Worst Enemy

There's a lot of theory as to how to win, who will win, and why they win, but the bottom line is that many many Americans, Republican and some Democrats just don't like Hillary Clinton and are still ashamed of the shennanigans of her husband as well as her lack of forthrightness throughout his presidency and her own career. She just does not and probably cannot overcome the legacy of mistrust that haunts her reputation.

Even if she does manage to rally support enough to win the nomination she'll have an even worse battle when the Rebublicans go after every nuance of her past, present, and future as well as her womanhood, her looks, her voice, etc.. It's unfair, but she will be villified continually by the Republicans, the press, and possibly the world.

It will be unfortunate if the Democratic party nominates her. Not because she can't do a good job, but because her personality and history will prevent her from having a worthwhile and progressive impact on anything. She'll have to spend so much time defending the indefensible things about herself that she won't be able or allowed to focus on the real issues.

The gridlock that we presently see will escalate and even more negativity and polarization will be the straw that breaks the allready overburdened camelback that is the U.S. Political world. Right now, the U.S. does not need that liability and it's imperative to our future and the health of the nation to elect someone that can unify rather than polarize the various factions that drive us apart. OF course I'm speaking of Barack Obama. I'll rant more on this in another post.

[ClarkUSA]

11. Former Gov. Mabus (MS) & Congressman Carson (OK): Barack Wins in the Red States

Guess there are people besides me who disagree with your theory:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3854650

[Maven]

6. I'm going to categorize the responses to this thread before they're posted

1) David Brooks, though a dizzy conservative twit in the past, has revealed his brilliance by endorsing Obama.

2) David Brooks, still a dizzy conservative twit at present, has revealed his actual preference for Hillary by endorsing Obama.

3) David Brooks, as a dizzy conservative twit, demonstrates Obama's bipartisan appeal by endorsing Obama.

:popcorn:

[readmoreoften]

32. You forgot: David Brooks admits that Obama is the candidate conservatives most prefer.

Yup. And there's a reason for that.

[burrowowl]

7. Dennis Kucinich

would be a hell of a lot better President for the People than Obama and Hilary, who are both Corporate shills!

[Maven]

9. Word. Up. nt

[readmoreoften]

33. Yup. /nt

[antiimperialist]

10. Or maybe Brooks hates Krugman so much that he's praising Obama

Just because Krugman has been critical of the senator regarding his health plan and was critical today as well.

[XemaSab]

18. I'd pay money to watch a NYTimes op/ed cage match.

It would have to include Kristof, Brooks, Krugman, Dowd, Rich, Friedman, and Safire. And anyone else I'm forgetting.

:popcorn:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

12. I think David Brooks was actually saying

Obama would be better president than Hillary Clinton...

...for me to Poop On!

[NOVA_Dem]

22. I don't like HRC but that was funny! Too bad for her that...

Conan and the Leno are coming back but lucky for her that they haven't been here the entire time b/c she would be demolished every night.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

23. That's a serious point. I have always attributed the "angry white male" phenomenon

of 1992 to the Baseball strike. All Summer a lot of old white guys who used to have ball-games on the am radio in the background switched over to Rush Limbaugh's show, and got into the Clinton hate-mill, leading to Newt Gingrich.

The writers strike does play a part, and I'm sure it does help Hillary because she's always an easy target.

[Renew Deal]

14. Is the NYT's going to endorse anyone?

And can you imagine the internal fight if they want to go with Obama and Krugman doesn't?

[Maven]

17. They only endorse before Super Tuesday.

They endorsed Kerry last time around.

[Renew Deal]

21. I imagine they will endorse before NY.

Makes sense I guess.

[TeamJordan23]

16. Hillary has flip flops? I always thought her positions were always consistent?

Who would have guessed?

[Rageneau]

19. Brooks is a wingnut who has never been right about anything.

His endoresement of Obama should make all Obama supporters look twice ... at Obama.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

20. What part of "Hope" do you not understand?

[paulk]

24. this is an endorsement Obama certainly doesn't want.

it's becoming clear who the right wing wants to run against...

[dkf]

25. Republicans can dream of a better America too...

They can follow a truly good and decent man if they believe in him and his goals. Why be so ugly when they are reaching out?

[yourout]

26. I am no Hillary lover but if Brooks said it....it must be crap.

[Onlooker]

41. Exactly what I was thinking n/t

[Beacool]

27. Well, there's one endorsement that Hillary would never want!!

Brooks endorsing Obama, way too funny!!! :rofl:

At least he admits that's she's a much better senator than Obama.

[JTFrog]

35. She already got W's... doesn't get much worse than that. n/t

[Radical Activist]

28. What seperates Obama from Clinton and Edwards

"virtually no flip-flops." Clinton and Edwards both have a big problem with that.

How many times do we let the Republican beat us over the head with the flip-flopper label before we stop playing into their game?

[readmoreoften]

34. Obama can't flip flop. Obama never makes a commitment in the first place.

He'll never say "I voted for Kyl-Lieberman before I voted against it." That's because he never shows up to vote.

Is that the answer to flip-flopping? You shouldn't stand for anything? Commitment avoidance?

[Radical Activist]

46. The other way is to have a long consistent progressive record

including support for unions, which is what Obama has done.

[Maven]

39. While running for the Senate, Obama said he would not vote for an additional $87 billion for the war

When he got to the Senate, he voted for all the Iraq war funding bills.

So was he against sustaining the war before he was for it?

One of many examples.

[Radical Activist]

45. Obama has voted against unconditional funding.

He voted for some funding bills but frankly I don't think the war is going to end by de-funding the troops anyway. Sorry but Dennis is no longer "the only candidate who" votes against the war AND opposed it from the beginning.

[Hippo_Tron]

29. Obama supporter here, but I can't fucking stand David Brooks

[gmudem]

30. Anybody who takes this at face value is being foolish

Brooks obviously doesn't have the Democrats best interest at heart. All this article deserves is to be laughed at, along with the rest of Brooks "writing."

[readmoreoften]

31. If ever there were a better reason NOT to vote for Obama... /nt

[Perry Logan]

36. "Obama possesses tranquility." Oy vey!

[ellisonz]

38. "I will crush them"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZC8C_JH2eQc

[Forkboy]

42. Who cares what that smeghead thinks?

[joeybee12]

43. My God! I never knew Brooks was so smart, and Krugman was an idiot!

Silly me!

[dionysus]

44. ugh, isn't he that RW tool?

[yellowcanine]

47. I like Obama but I don't need that weasel to tell me who to vote for.

Butt out, Repuke. You can chime in once we have a candidate. We don't need your help.