David Brooks: I'll miss Barack Obama

[Landslide Lyndon]

I bet he won't be the only one.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/david-brooks-i-will-miss-barack-obama

Conservative columnist David Brooks realized even he was going to miss President Barack Obama in 2017, according to his New York Times column published Tuesday morning.

"I’ve been disappointed by aspects of his presidency. ... But over the course of this campaign it feels as if there’s been a decline in behavioral standards across the board," Brooks wrote in the column titled, "I Miss Barack Obama."

Brooks wrote that presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle are lacking five character traits that we've "taken too much for granted" from Obama: "basic integrity," "sense of basic humanity," soundness" in decision making, "grace under pressure," and "resilient sense of optimism."

[Torie]

"But over the course of this campaign it feels as if there’s been a decline in behavioral standards across the board"

Yes, it has been at once disgusting and discouraging. The candidates clearly think the voters are hopeless dumbs, to the extent that they are not dumbs themselves.

[Virginiá]

Honestly, given the current race, I'd gladly take another 4 years of Obama IF it didn't result in another devastating midterm election.

[dead0man]

I agree with him.  Odds are pretty damn good (unless something a little crazy happens in the next 9 months) that whomever we get is going to be worse than Obama.

[hopper]

I'll be glad when Obama leaves the Oval Office because just like Bush W. he was a failure.

[Mercenary]

I'm no Obama fan but at this point he would be better than pretty much any of the candidates running.

[Lyin' Steve]

I'm no Obama fan but at this point he would be better than pretty much any of the candidates running.

I agree.  It also seems like Obama and Ryan have a reasonably good relationship, maybe they could have actually gotten something done if he wasn't a lame duck.
At least Ryan's making an effort to pass a budget.  Gotta start somewhere.

[Antonio the Sixth]

So, so true.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I'm no Obama fan but at this point he would be better than pretty much any of the candidates running.

I agree.  It also seems like Obama and Ryan have a reasonably good relationship, maybe they could have actually gotten something done if he wasn't a lame duck.
At least Ryan's making an effort to pass a budget.  Gotta start somewhere.

Yeah, they have such a good relationship that Ryan won't even bother to take a look at Obama's budget proposal.

[hopper]

I'll be glad when Obama leaves the Oval Office because just like Bush W. he was a failure.

It must be rough knowing how much you wish this to be true, it never will be.  hang in there, hope you get over it someday.

I just don't see the guy as a leader. He hasn't united the country like Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan did. Obama's approvals have been under 50% nearly his whole Presidency. Only 30% of people think the country is headed in the right direction. He doesn't have a relationship with Congress even with Congressional Democrats.

[Mr. Illini]

Interesting coming from David Brooks, but he's writing what we are all thinking.

I'll miss this President deeply, especially considering the field currently trying to replace him. I wouldn't take any of them over him.