David Brooks Speaks in Desert Town Hall Series

The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa welcomed New York Times Columnist David Brooks as the second speaker in the 20th season of the Desert Town Hall series on February 12.

In his lecture entitled, "Political Outlook: Election 2012,” the self-proclaimed moderate conservative touched upon this year's presidential race and discussed themes of his most recent book, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement.

Before beginning the lecture, Brooks took a moment to answer any questions that young students might have had as part of the Youth Ambassador Program with participating schools across the district. During the Q & A session, Brooks recalled how he first aspired to become a writer, and how he wrote many short stories and movie critiques until he eventually made journalism his vocation.

"When I was a police reporter in Chicago, I found out that life was not always a pleasure and I saw a side of America that I never knew existed," expressed Brooks on the often violent crimes that he would report in his previous newspaper publications.

Brooks credits the effectiveness of his writing style to the degree of organization he puts into every story. "Writing is all about traffic management; know the order before you get the facts," he advised. Brooks went on to describe the thrill of journalism as "a fatal intoxication" before leaving the students and beginning his lecture in the main auditorium.

"I was originally a liberal--then I came to my senses," began Brooks. The New York Times columnist discussed the characteristics possessed by many of the politicians that he has come across over the years, such as their "phenomenal social skills" and their ability to capture the attention of the general public. "[Politicians] are impressive people caught in a rotten system," stated Brooks.

Brooks provided his political commentary on the nominees of the Republican party, naming Mitt Romney as his choice, claiming that he possesses all the attributes of a good politician: humility, ambition, and concern for the issues. However, there is one negative aspect. "Romney's intense ambition and drive is a legacy of a story about a hard-working man rising to the top, but he refuses to tell it," commented Brooks.

In addition, Brooks provided insight on his view of Obama's presidency. Even though he does not agree with the past decisions that President Obama has made, Brooks still admires his character. "The problem I have is that [Obama] had a chance to break the mold and go outside the normal Democratic box, but he pulled away," said Brooks, referring to the policies that Obama has failed to put into effect. 

Brooks also expressed that there has been a shift in culture to self-expansion in recent years, and people and politicians alike have become less humble and more proud. "We have become a country very confident in ourselves," exclaimed Brooks, who credits this as one of the causes of the current economic situation.

As for a solution to recent political issues, Brooks expressed his opinion that people should come up with their own morality and abandon distrust in their government. "It's harder to rally maturity because of the cynicism of the political backdrop in this election," stated Brooks.

To end his lecture, Brooks alluded to the confidence of the American public in a more positive light. "We have the spirit of America to guide us. There are a lot of optimistic people in this country and we'll be fine in the long-run," concluded Brooks.