David Brooks with James Bennet on Election 2020

New York Times columnist and bestselling author David Brooks is joined by James Bennet for a deep dive into the political and cultural landscape leading up to the 2020 Presidential election. Recorded Feb 26, 2020 at 92nd Street Y.

[FlyingElvis]

This is old as I watch and I still enjoy the whole thing.

[matador]

I’ve been listening to David Brooks for a long time. He’s intelligent, speaks well, and I generally appreciate his perspective. In the last few years, he draws these comparisons of towns that are poor and our dysfunctional politics without drawing the lines between them as if the federal government is going to give a small town funds to help fix crumbling infrastructure for example, wherein the local politicians don’t use the funds properly and the problems never get fixed.

[denkerdunsmuir]

Love David Brooks -- nice person who expresses the compassion and optimism I want my public pundits to evidence since there really is nothing "safe" if by that word one means "invulnerable." Life is filled with risk! No amount of bullying, cruelty or living in a fantasy world of ones own creation can change that fact.
My fight with a severe case of low-grade depression lifted Monday March 2 after the South Carolina primary & Biden's enormous turn-around when Amy Klobuchar, and Mayor Pete, and then Beto O'Rourke came together in an uncharacteristic manner of solidarity for this era of White House administration. My faith in my fellow Americans was renewed! This meant a great deal to me after PTSD & nearly 4 years of Trump -- exhausting.
I want a boring, adult, who is focused, enthusiastic, positive & effective -- a POTUS who may bumble, but will be truthful and isn't a sadistic flip like 45 who enjoys causing pain, can not govern and "knows" everything -- so he can learn nothing! Get real and down to earth!

[erstwhilerambler]

Whoa. This was 2 months ago, yet it seems like a discussion from a long-lost time!

[jennifergross]

Sanders has never said that he doesnt believe in a free market economy.

[apacheresources]

Always interested in what David has to say. Always drops new interesting nuggets of truth to think and mull over. In this conversation, particularly, was the rootedness of people in their devastated communities, the unspoken spiritual crisis in America, and the transformation of moral relationships to transactional ones (and the lenses being turned on and off).

[apacheresources]

Another good nugget - "community is based on collective love of a thing, whereas tribe is based on a collective hatred of a thing".

[lallen]

For once someone says, there is no wealth, and no these ghost small towns---everywhere, USA

[diannamitzner]

If education divide is primary, then why not make public education extend another 4 years?

[Joebethere]

Yes, let's keep trying what has failed us for the last 30 years. It worked so well in 2016. Why keep asking people who were so wrong and continue to be so? Is that leadership?

[KFCJones]

This is a week old and already SO OLD.

[aramsimsar]

David Brooks travelled across the country and noticed division? I am beginning to think Brooks doesn’t ask many open ended questions to those he encounters leaving him without much to make meaning out of. He seems to be underestimate how angry everyone is still about 2008.

[morganverapen]

I reckon RESPECT is the Catalyst for the division to End in America. Sadly the current POTUS has no ‘respect’ for anyone.

[Trout]

I like David as a man. But I'll be damned if I understand his politics.

[aaron]

If you want to help all people where they are... universal basic income. Andrew Yang ran on this and no one was interested. Now we're stuck choosing from old men over a decade past retirement age with no new ideas.

[KAL]

Everyone who feels a vulnerability needs to grow the F up and be a MAN! The world isn't kind and forgiving!

[bradeast]

fighting the urge to ok boomer this... maybe young people are stressed for issues other than we have to many choices? like just one example please... here's two to start, open communication about intergenerational trauma... the ice caps... what the hell??

[CakesnHays]

Here to hear how wrong David Brooks is on everything. Again.

[ISpitHotFiyaa]

Part of the reason us millennials "hate" Buttigieg is he hasn't done anything. The guy is nothing but credentials. And the media throws him into the spotlight ahead of better-qualified candidates for reasons I can't discern. Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar but he was also a successful governor. Cory Booker was a Rhodes Scholar but he was also the mayor of a large city and a senator. This isn't about jealousy about a Rhodes scholarship. Most people don't even know what a Rhodes scholarship is let alone have they ever applied for it. But if you're going to run on nothing but credentials then let's look at those credentials. Buttigieg was a history and literature major at Harvard who later worked in management consulting - a job where you never have to actually execute on anything and which hires almost totally based on credentials. So what is it about this guy that makes people think he could actually be an effective president? I'm not seeing it. But go ahead and blame his politics if you want. As far as I can tell he's about as much a middle-of-the-road Democrat as you can get. Not all millennials are far left. There's plenty of people in my generation that fit that segment of the political spectrum.

[leenelson]

Books makes the Trump supporters the tribe... No the real tribe is the politicans in DC & he has built a community. which we have longed for for years.