Even David Brooks Says He’ll Miss Barack Obama

David Brooks, AB'83, acclaimed NEW York Times columnist, shares a stage with pundits during a panel discussion, "2012: The Path to the Presidency", at the University of Chicago in Chicago on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. ... David Brooks, AB'83, acclaimed NEW York Times columnist, shares a stage with pundits during a panel discussion, "2012: The Path to the Presidency", at the University of Chicago in Chicago on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) MORE LESS
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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.”

When detailing how Obama has embodied each trait, Brooks criticized New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, real estate magnate Donald Trump, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

“People are motivated to make wise choices more by hope and opportunity than by fear, cynicism, hatred and despair. Unlike many current candidates, Obama has not appealed to those passions,” he added.

Brooks said he “obviously” disagreed with many of Obama’s decisions, but appreciated the President’s “ethos of integrity.”

“Obama radiates an ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners and elegance that I’m beginning to miss, and that I suspect we will all miss a bit, regardless of who replaces him,” he concluded.

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