Times columnist David Brooks reflects upon election 2012

New York Times columnist David Brooks reflected upon the changing nature of the American political landscape during the annual Theodore H. White Lecture delivered Thursday night (Nov. 15) at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum.

“The big takeaway from the election was that it marks a social transition,” Brooks said. “The 2012 election was a shift from one demographic picture of America to another,” Brooks said, noting the significant levels of support President Obama and Democrats received from young people and ethnic minorities.

Brooks also noted how the shifting family structure in America is affecting campaigns and elections. The traditional two-parent two-child family model is becoming less prominent he pointed out, as 28 percent of Americans now live alone.

“Now there are more households in America with dogs than there are with kids,” Brooks commented. “This translates into [changing] political alliances.”