Peggy Noonan: Philosophy, Not Policy - Why Bush isn't good at interviews(Bush and Russert on MTP)

WSJ via Drudge ^ | 2/9/04 | Peggy Noonan

[Tall_Texan]

What I'm waiting to hear from Bush or somebody close to Bush is "We can spend years studying what was right and what was wrong about our intelligence but we can't undo what's been done, nor should we want to. Unless the debate is about handing Iraq back to Saddam Hussein with a letter of apology, let's discuss where we are now and how best to move forward. I think that better serves our nation."

Challenge Kerry and the Demwits on "what do you suggest we do now?" rather than "what would you have done differently?" Other than a larger U.N. presence, I doubt the Demwits are going to offer an honest answer significantly different than Bush's.

[macamadamia]

I agree completely! Something has always bothered me about her. Admittedly, it is something trivial because I don't disagree generally with her politics. But......I am fed up with her kind of post-game analysis, the contextualizing and scrutinizing, the inside the beltway poltical-junkie fervor. I'm about ready to gag on it all...like eating too much frosting on a bad sheet cake.

At this point I'd take a stumbling, rambling Walter Brennan president if he bugged the hell out of the media, the pundits, the insular Washington crowd, the literati-left, the literati-right......

[Common Tator]

The reason Peggy Noonan is writing about governance instead of being on the staff in the Bush government determining governance, is abundently apparent in this article.

Peggy Noonan doesn't have any more ability to understsand winning elections than she has ability to win a beauty contest against Ann Coulter.

[Fenris6]

In case you didn't notice, this was a grilling under the guise of an interview and I think the president did an EXCELLANT job of defusing a contentious and irritating Russert. Agreed. But Russert is not his AUDIENCE. This was a waste of good oportunity. Hopefully CR is holding the big guns back until mid-summer.

[SquirrelKing]

Ouch.

[_Jim]

This was a waste of good oportunity.

Yeah, a breast-beating, stilted, fact-citing, algore-type performance or a smarmy, over-jovial, question dodging performance reminiscent of a Clintinoid (take your pick - him or her) ...

I take it you didn't watch or review this interview a second time - did you?

[onedoug]

By this eye, Peggy's got that one.

[dc-zoo]

You're repeating yourself Austin. You seem to take great pleasure in declaring President Bush a loser in '04. You're in for a rude awakening.

[lelio]

Peggy Noonan doesn't have any more ability to understsand winning election

Yep, Peggy doesn't have any experience in being on a winning conservative Republican team whatsoever. Well except for that Reagan bit. Doh, better rethink that claim.

[Fenris6]

"I take it you didn't watch or review this interview a second time - did you?"

Nope. To be quite frank - the first time was kinda painful for me. Cheney should have been the go-to-guy for this one.

[Austin Willard Wright]

I'll make sure to save this.

[Fenris6]

"I am fed up with her kind of post-game analysis"

Sigh. You gents can continue to take your cheap shots at Noonan or recognize that she IS a pro (whether you agree or not) and that she IS on our side. I'm fed up with post-game chatter too - but you must identify & correct your mistakes now... or spend the next 4 years whining about what you should have done.

Knock off the fratricide gents.

Half the country is ignorant re Iraq & WMDs. Thats OUR fault.

[Delta-Tango]

he was His great honest self

That is not the issue.

[he] controlled the interview....

Quick! Email me the brand of Kool-Aid your drinking, I want to send it to the DNC....

[Fenris6]

The President once said he abhored "psycho-babble", in which Peggy's punditry class makes their living "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

[Fenris6]

"Peggy Noonan doesn't have any more ability to understsand winning elections than she has ability to win a beauty contest against Ann Coulter"

LOL. I'd take Peggy over Noonan over Coulter. Every. Single. Time. (If you're lurking - PM me - I'm in Gaithersburg. LOL)

Ann is a hottie yes. But I prefer Audrey Hepburn to Britney Spears :)

[Fenris6]

//I need an editor :) - should read:

LOL. I'd take Noonan over Coulter. Every. Single. Time. (If you're lurking - PM me - I'm in Gaithersburg. LOL)

Ann is a hottie yes. But I prefer Audrey Hepburn to Britney Spears :)

[Fenris6]

"The President once said he abhored 'psycho-babble', in which Peggy's punditry class makes their living"

VS

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

[_Jim]

- the first time was kinda painful for me.

Hmmm ... would a trained animal act help out next time?

How about - a cameo appearance by Bill Clinton!???

I guess there is JUST going to be no statifying some people, we have become too jaded as a people, too demanding in our expectations, expecting - no demanding entertainment level banter and MTV-level performances from anybody's mug who appears on TV.

Is that last explanation close to the mark?

[cyncooper]

When he was thrown the semisoftball question on his National Guard experience--he's been thrown this question for 10 years now--he spoke in a way that seemed detached. "It's politics." Well yes, we know that. Tell us more.

Exhibit A in my opinion that Noonan completely misses the mark in her appraisal of this interview.

Number one, it was not phrased in a softball way.

Number 2, the president had MUCH more to say than "It's politics". Much more.

Number 3, guess which topic from the interview Russert has declared alive and well and a problem for the president? Why, his "softball" about National Guard service. Russert is ignoring the factual state of the record, and misrepresenting what the president said in this interview.

Read that again and everybody realize Tim Russert has decided that this election is when he will cross the line and embrace pure partisan politics and propagate DNC (Kerry) talking points in order to defeat a sitting president. Russert has said the president offered to "release" his records about his service, when what was said is the president pointed out those records have been available for years and reviewed during all of his election campaigns, He said much more, but the key is Russert reporting that records will be "released". Then on Imus this morning he stated what will be needed are tax records.

BTW, Peggy's prediction of how mainstream media would receive this interview was also wrong. It's all over the map, but the Daily News, for one example of a not pro-Bush publication, had a very favorable commentary on it.

[Delta-Tango]

If you don't like the way the President's speeches are prepared and delivered, then apply for Mrs. James Carville's job, and write them yourself.

I'm gonna take a wild stab and assume that you are being a bit critical of Noonan. But the law of unintended consequences is making you a wise poster indeed. I'd rather have one Peggy Noonan on staff right now than that room full of "yes men" he has now who put him on Meet the Press unprepared. This is a truly conservative person who knows what she's talking about.

We have two options between now and November. Listen to wise voices like hers. Or go the old Joe Stalin route and shoot anyone who has the temerity to say the Boss could do a lot better. Besides, the issue here is about putting the President in venues where he is admittedly weak. As incongruous as it may seem, strength truly is the ability to recognize your weaknesses.