Shields and Brooks on Jobs, Palin and Deeper Meaning of Old Spice Ads

POLITICS -- July 16, 2010 at 9:30 PM EDT

Shields and Brooks on Jobs, Palin and Deeper Meaning of Old Spice Ads

Even after the Senate's passage of a landmark financial reform bill, Mark Shields and David Brooks tell us about how difficult a sell Democrats and the administration face with voters as the midterm elections draw closer yet unemployment remains high.

For a historical view of economic disasters, Brooks suggested reading a book by two past NewsHour guests, Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, called "This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly.".

The two also offered their thoughts on Sarah Palin's popularity according to a recent Gallup poll and whether she is running for president. Brooks said she is not hiring the right type of staff for a run at the White House, but Shields points to her recent support of a key player in Iowa: Terry Branstad.

Finally, just because we can, we let Brooks wax poetic on the deeper sociological issues at play in the Old Spice guy viral advertising phenomenon. He even uses Chuck Norris Facts and the Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World" commercials as part of his thesis on the state of masculinity. Take a look:

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