Jerry Weissman: David Brooks Does a U-Turn

In his column after the vice presidential debate last week, the New York Times' David Brooks, a man with deep respect for erudition, surprisingly wrote of Sarah Palin's performance in the encounter, "She spoke with that calm, measured poise that marked her convention speech." This week, according to Danny Shea's piece here on the Post, Brooks reversed gears. He appeared at a reception to introduce The Atlantic's new design and sat down for an open microphone interview with Jeffrey Goldberg. Brooks, a long-time conservative himself, talked about his roots in politics and sang the praises of William Buckley and Ronald Reagan, particularly that they were men "who celebrated ideas, who celebrated learning." And then Brooks added, "But there has been a counter, more populist tradition, which is not only to scorn liberal ideas but... [read full story]