Following is my letter to the editor of the New York Times responding to David Brooks’ column today on Trump’s election.  I post it here knowing full well you won’t ever see it in their newspaper.

Re: David Brooks’ column -11/11/16 The View from Trump Tower.

Mr. Brooks begins by lamenting:  “If your social circles are like mine, you spent Tuesday night swapping miserable texts. Not all, but many of my friends and family members were outraged, stunned, disgusted and devastated.”

Earth to David: There are few social circles across the nation like yours. Those that share your ideals exist in NYC, Hollywood or inside the Beltway; not great locales for gauging the nation’s mood, as was made clear on Tuesday.  You are stuck with your family, but maybe you should find new friends.

Referring to Trump’s election, Brooks continues:  “This is victory for white supremacy, for misogyny, nativism and authoritarianism. Fascism is ascending.”

No, Mr. Brooks – this was a defeat for social engineering and corruption in government.  Your chosen candidate was mortally stained by the leftist cultures of pay-to-play, cronyism, and gorging oneself at the public trough. It was not a battle of liberal ideals vs. conservative views.

Brooks’ bombast continues:  “… emotions like disgust don’t do justice to the complexity of Donald Trump’s supporters. Their disgusted posture risks turning politics into a Manichean civil war between the alleged children of light and the alleged children of darkness  – between us enlightened, college-educated tolerant people and the supposed primitive horde driven by dark fears and prejudices. (my emphasis) Crude and ignorant condescension is what feeds the Trump phenomenon in the first place.”

No, Mr. Brooks, what fed the Trump phenomenon was social programs that promised better education for all children – but, despite billions spent over the past twelve years, failed miserably leaving today’s kids unequipped to perform effectively on the world stage. If we are ‘ignorant’ who is to blame?  Trump’s rise was also fueled by soaring social costs for pensions, immigrant welfare, disrespect for our laws and law enforcement practices. Also, it didn’t help your candidate’s cause that most of the reviled Wall Street money went to help elect her.

P.S. – The Manichean civil war, to which you allude, took place in what is now called Iran. Funny you should use that analogy. (Or is that an allegory?)

Brooks concludes:  “Trump’s bigotry, dishonesty and promise-breaking have to be denounced. We can’t go morally numb. But he needs to be replaced with a program that addresses the problems that fueled his ascendency.”

Dishonesty?  Has anyone lied to the public, and to Congress, more than Clinton in her thirty years in and around public office?

Promise-breaking? – How can you tell whether he will be guilty until he has been in office for a period of time?  Unless, of course, you have newer, more enlightened college grads on your staff who can forecast better than their predecessors. (I’ll assume you have fired the former for incompetence by now.)

Bigotry? Give me an honest bigot any day over a perpetual liar and crook. At least you know where he/she stands.

I don’t think I’d be too quick to try and fix a problem unless you clearly understand it and the unintended consequences thereof.

It occurs to me you face only one problem: your prediction was wrong – oops. Now you are embarrassed. Oh, darn.

My advice: Get over it or move on.  I’ve already moved on from the New York Times to a different news source.

You are welcome.