David Brooks is a giant dick.

I've recommended Brooks columns in the past, mainly because he is a more intellectual, more moderate conservative commentator and I like to branch out from my typically liberal reading material. But after reading his column today, I might be done. It was maybe the most petty, cynical, mean-spirited piece I've ever seen - I can't believe the New York Times published it. People, particularly youth, are becoming involved in the political system at astonishing rates, driven by not only Barack Obama's ability to inspire, but also by evidence that their contemporaries are also contributing. The funny thing is, that's one of the most powerful methods of persuasion -- and it carries over into a lot of topics (I read a headline recently that hotel guests are more likely to reuse towels if the hotel advertises facts about the rate of reuse by other guests, than if the hotel advertises the environmental benefits). To write something so... misanthropic almost... is highly irresponsible and counter-productive. I wouldn't even have cared if he tore apart the speech - surely flaws can be found - but to denigrate a "a generation that came of age amidst iced chais and mocha strawberry Frappuccinos®, a generation with a historical memory that doesn’t extend back past Coke Zero." Shame on him, seriously.