Neocon David Brooks’ Fading Infatuation with Obama

Neoconservative NY Times columnist David Brooks has devoted at least three previous columns to gushing over Barack Obama. In today’s piece, however, he seems to have noticed what several of us have long been trying to point out: Obama represents the second coming to his followers as he repeatedly turns political rallies into frenzied foot-stomping, screaming, chanting revival meetings.

Brooks writes:

“Obama offers to defeat cynicism with hope. Apparently he’s going to turn politics into a form of sharing. Have you noticed that he’s actually carried into his rallies by a flock of cherubs while the heavens open up with the Hallelujah Chorus? I wonder how he does that.”

Acknowledging Hillary Clinton’s appeal to the working class, Brooks describes this demographic in typical condescending fashion before asking:“Did you hear the message of Clinton’s speech Tuesday night? It’s a rotten world out there. Regular folks are getting the shaft. They need someone who’ll fight tougher, work harder and put loyalty over independence.”

Brooks next describes the Obama effect:

“Then did you see the Hopemeister’s speech? His schtick makes sense if you’ve got a basic level of security in your life, if you’re looking up, not down. Meanwhile, Obama’s people are so taken with their messiah that soon they’ll be selling flowers at airports and arranging mass weddings. There’s a “Yes We Can” video floating around YouTube in which a bunch of celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and the guy from the Black Eyed Peas are singing the words to an Obama speech in escalating states of righteousness and ecstasy. If that video doesn’t creep out normal working-class voters, then nothing will.”

Brooks concludes by taking a shot at the Democratic party’s process: The superdelegates will pick the nominee — the party honchos, the deal-makers, the donors, the machine. Swinging those people takes a level of cynicism even Dr. Retail can’t pretend to understand. That’s Tammany Hall. That’s the court at Versailles under Louis XIV.

Readers take note: In today’s NY Times column, Brooks reveals the agenda behind those earlier paeans to Barack Obama: manipulating the race between Obama and Clinton to give the Republicans the greatest possible advantage in November. Be on the look out for more of the same from spinmeister Brooks.