David Brooks says it’s Cory Booker’s moment because he’s a healer, not a fighter. Is Brooks right?
You need to keep in mind that this is the pundit who kept insisting, against all of the evidence, that Barack Obama wasn’t trying hard enough to work with the GOP during his first term. That aside, my reactions are as follows:
- Trumpism is the enemy, not just Trump himself. As a result, civility doesn’t represent unilateral disarmament; it is actually the best way to fight back.
- For a variety of reasons, the Democrats would be wise not to try to demonize the GOP or its followers.
- That doesn’t mean they have to be naïve about the legislative process if they win the election. Mitch McConnell is going to be every bit as obstructionist as he was in 2009. Not demonizing the GOP doesn’t mean having an unreasonable expectation of bipartisan cooperation.
As for Booker himself, I’m keeping an open mind. He’s clearly qualified for the job, and he has some reasonable and interesting ideas. Whether he is the right man at the right time remains to be seen.