David Brooks: If GOP Wants Public Support For Medicare Reform They Must Be ‘More Crafty’

Conservative columnist David Brooks discussed the election results in New York state’s 26th Congressional District with liberal columnist Mark Shields on the PBS Newshour, and Brooks admitted that the disappointing result from the special election suggests public opinion says “do nothing” to fix the drivers of the nation’s debt crisis. Brooks also revealed his thoughts on Sarah Palin‘s bus tour.

Brooks’ take on the mood of the country regarding entitlement reform:

“The depressing thing is not a partisan thing, is just the lesson for both parties is never touch Medicare, never touch Social Security, don’t touch it. And that would be fine if we could afford it. The problem is we can’t afford that.”

Shields, on the other hand, suggests that it was Congressman Paul Ryan’s plan in particular that was rejected and not reform overall, since Ryan’s budget was hastily introduced without any effort at public persuasion. Shields called it “an act of incredible political arrogance and hubris on the part of the Republicans, and they’re going to pay for it, and they are paying for it.”

Yet Brooks has some advice moving forward for how to convince the voters to support reform, concluding “I think a lesson for the Republicans has to be, do something more crafty. Don’t just run straight at it.” Whether “crafty” measures need be resorted to just yet remains to be seen, but first Ryan is leading a renewed attempt at persuading the public of the need for reform.

Finally, after mourning the loss of Governor Mitch Daniels from the race, Brooks commented on the reemergence of Palin as a potential presidential candidate. Brooks quickly dismissed her, commenting, “I think she is just on the endless publicity tour. This is her business.”

Watch the clip from PBS below: