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Obama and Brooks: Best Buds

The odd friendship between a conservative columnist and liberal president

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 31, 2009 5:41 PM CDT

(Newser) – Nominal conservative David Brooks is one of President Obama’s unlikeliest allies, writes Gabriel Sherman for the New Republic. The New York Times columnist was on board early, publishing an op-ed titled “Run, Barack, Run” in 2006. Lately, Brooks has written more favorably of Obama than Paul Krugman has. Sherman explores the “bromance” between the prominent pundit and “the most liberal president of his lifetime.”

The closeness between the two stems from Brooks’ particular strain of conservatism, which embraces a deep distrust of ideology and “party line” thinking—qualities he sees in Obama. For the president, Brooks is a powerful ally because he validates the “myth” that the current administration is “post-partisan,”—even though Brooks' biggest audience is not conservatives, but the liberal baby boomers who are some of Obama’s strongest backers.

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WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 19: David Brooks, a Columnist at the New York Times, speaks during a taping of 'Meet the Press' at NBC October 19, 2008 in Washington, DC. Former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell... (Getty Images)

Barack Obama and David Brooks. (AP)

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I remember distinctly sitting on his couches, and I was looking at his pant leg and his perfectly creased pant. And I’m thinking, a) he’s going to be president and b) he’ll be a very good president.
- David Brooks, on his first meeting with Obama

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 26 comments

Robert_Dada

Sep 1, 2009 12:32 PM CDT

I thought I smelled something on you.

Snowleopard

Sep 1, 2009 12:00 PM CDT

“the most liberal president of his lifetime.” No, Lindon Johnson, JFK, and Carter were all further to the left than Obama.

brawne

Sep 1, 2009 8:09 AM CDT

You mean the Nixon who went to Communist China, Jon? Yeah, it would be nice if people learned more and dropped the party line. Clinton cut more of social cost-the-taxpayer money than anyone--to get elected, again. Why do Democrats or progressives or liberals or trolls whatever see the flaws in their elected officials while conservatives are still harping on Carter? Reagan set in motion every single that that is now eating the economy but we liberals rarely mention it!!! You know why? Because we know that it wasn't Reagan, it was the money that elected him as well as Carter and Clinton and Bush---and OBAMA.

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Obama and Brooks: Best Buds