Now Is the Time [Peggy Noonan is taking three months off from column and WSJ to help GOP]

Opinionjournal.com ^ | Thursday, August 5, 2004 | Peggy Noonan

[Recovering_Democrat]

ATTENTION BUSH VOTERS:

Please consider this an example and appeal to YOU to help get out the vote!! Go to your local Republican HQ and start offering to knock on doors, stuff envelopes, or make phone calls to potential voters!! The leftwingnuts are PAYING FELONS $10 an hour or more to go door to door registering Bush Haters! We must counter them!!

Do whatever you can, give an hour a weekend, or whatever you can!! There is little that is more important for the next 90 days than securing this election for President Bush!! Please do something!!
Recovering_Democrat

[Brian Allen]

Me too.

This lady and this piece has provided the keystone to overarching ideas that have been kicking around my head for weeks now -- and I intend to do the same.

Just as soon as I can extricate myself from out here in the [Asian/'North African'] wild I am off home [To LA, Bob] to help out, too.

I love my America and need to also put my money where my mouth is.

See all y'all soon. [Arrange FReeps and jobs!]

God bless our President -- and God bless My America!

Blessings -- Brian

[Taxman]

A Class Act!

[q_an_a]

hope she can get close to Karen Hughes and the two of them can work some speech magic. The president's everyday words are so powerful when he leans on the podium. Maybe Peggy can help get more of his speech to feel like he is leaning into the audience.

[presidio9]

They appropriately decided I cannot write for them during this time even now and then, because it is not the business of The Wall Street Journal to employ Republican or Democratic operatives.

Except, of course, for Al Hunt.

[EllaMinnow]

Peggy ping.

[1Old Pro]

This will take a bite out of my finances but I can do it

Peggy gets $10,000 a speech, she's rich.

Anyway, I'm glad to see her volunteer for the cause

[daviddennis]

It is rather interesting to read our old friend JT, and to remember that he honed his skills over on David's Amazing BBS(*).

I'm sure he was supportive and respected Peggy's decision.

But there is something I don't get. Any political campaign worth its salt would love the services of Peggy Noonan. Why on earth does she feel she has to take a huge financial hit to get in on the game? I would think that, managed reasonably well, her earnings would actually increase. Why make the sacrifices if there's plenty of money sloshing around for everyone?

D

(*) For those tuning in, this was a computer bulletin board system I ran in the late 80s that had Ambrose and James Taranto, now head of OpinionJournal, as users. JT or The Bood, as he called himself back then, honed his already first-rank debating skills on my system. Computer bulletin board systems were the percursor to systems like Free Republic.

[babaloo]

Good one! Mr Judy is the worst.

[NutCrackerBoy]

I think this move takes bigtime guts. It can't help but be a bumpy ride, especially at first. I'm guessing she won't do straight speechwriting. Different operative stuff. I'm guessing after moving up through some minor-league seasoning, she could conceivably be advisor/spokesman ala Karen Hughes. Wouldn't that be something? Does she have the fire in the belly and killer instinct?

[cyncooper]

Thanks for the ping. I just went and read the whole column. Very interesting mention of how she ended her contract with NBC/MSNBC as she felt she wasn't advancing the ball in that venue (probably perceiving up close that Matthews has become impervious to fact and reason and is increasingly strident, rude and mocking in tone toward Bush supporters), so ended her contract with them.

As to this:

Because politics is such a spectator sport and an obsession for so many people--I include myself in this group; who else would watch almost every minute of the Democratic convention, and enjoy it?

LOL! Raising my hand.

[MeekOneGOP]

bump!

[Dolphy]

Folks, it sounds like some of you are having doubts about Team Bush.

I don't have doubts about the Bush team as it stands. I am concerned that some don't see that we all can and should have a role.

[Pagey]

"...some political reporters will call me and ask who I'll be trying to help or what I'll be doing. Let me give them my answer now, and it is an answer that will not change. It is the wonderful reply of Terry Edmonds, a speechwriter for John Kerry, who was pressed by a reporter on what work he was doing at the Democratic convention. "I don't exist," he said. He doesn't want to talk about whatever contributions he's making. Neither do I..."

I really wish the RNC would see the benefit of allowing her to speak at the convention. Having her articulate Republican values on national TV, uninterrupted and in prime time, would be a slam dunk moment. I suppose I can only wish they're that smart.

[rabidralph]

(If it is not, one should take one's heart to a minister, rabbi or therapist, and get one's heart in order.)

What, no iman? *giggle*

[Guenevere]

Well, I'm certainly not in the Peggy Noonan league, but I called my local Bush/Cheney headquarters this week to do the same thing....volunteer!

Good for you, Peggy!!

[hershey]

Maybe Peggy will write a few of GW's stump speeches? They'll find a use for her talents.

[HitmanLV]

Though I suspect I am around 20 years or more her junior, I really want to fool around with Peggy Noonan.

There, I admitted it!

[gentlestrength]

Hooray!!! I'm in shock...I prayed for this exact thing. Use her skills, White House and GOP!! Thank you Peggy!