Decades ago I saw Peggy Noonan speak at a Catholic college in Allentown PA. She was rational then.
I really enjoyed her book “What I saw at the Revolution” pertaining to her years as a speech writer for Reagan. I’m not sure what happened to her.
She wrote at length about Reagan’s “Tear down this wall” speech. Every speech had to be vetted by all of the various cabinet members. Once the President spoke it, it became American policy.
That part of the speech kept on being deleted by the State Department. They thought that was being too aggressive, and didn’t want it deemed as policy.
The speech (as all of the speeches) was sent back numerous times, with the President changing things, the departments changing things, etc.
Reagan added in the line (again) as he rode to the wall to give the speech!
Peggy Noonan is much like that other “conservative” pundit, George Wills.
They wore the label “conservative” because they could earn a living in Washington applying that label. But their allegiance to the principles of the Constitution and the Republic was only skin deep.
Much more important to them was the praise of fellow commentators and media types in the Washington press club.
Before we back a conservative these days, we should rightly ask: what crowd does this guy hang out with after hours?