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'Ssssshhhhhhhh'
WSJ Opinion Journal ^ | November 18, 2004 | Peggy Noonan

Posted on 11/18/2004 4:16:59 AM PST by condi2008

One night during the past campaign I made a speech at an annual county GOP meeting in Pennsylvania... There were a thousand people milling about, making quite a din. They were all standing and talking and eating chicken fingers from hors d'oeuvres tables dotted around the room. There were no chairs. Normally when I speak it's to people in chairs in a hall.

I was introduced at a little podium and began to speak and the people in the back continued their racket. I made some jokes to get them laughing and draw them in to my remarks, but the roar continued. People up front started telling them to be quiet back there. They got louder. I looked out at them and said if they didn't simmer down I'd start to sing, which would be terrible for them. The roar continued. All I could think to do at that point was talk through it and over it and do my best and say what I had to say and introduce the next speaker, a U.S. senator.

He--it was Arlen Specter--understood the room.

He took the podium, readjusted the mike, smiled and said, "Ssssshhhhhhhh."

He said it very softly, drawing it out, then letting the sound gently disappear. Then he said it again, even softer.

And the crowd began to quiet....And good advice for our country, isn't it? After all the Sturm und Drang of the past few weeks our country would benefit from an absence of sound. Next week we mark Thanksgiving. Today, in anticipation, and after our fractious election, we could declare National Settle Down Week. National Be Still Week. Or National Give It a Rest Week.

The Great American Ssssshhhhhhhh-Out.

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: goss; peggynoonan; rice; specter
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OK, but just for ONE week....
1 posted on 11/18/2004 4:17:00 AM PST by condi2008
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To: condi2008

Peggy Noonan's columns are typically overly sentimental, cheesy, and of absolutely no importance. Most of the time it seems she writes only to glorify herself.


2 posted on 11/18/2004 4:21:59 AM PST by counterpunch (The CouNTeRPuNcH Collection - www.counterpunch.us)
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To: condi2008
Faaaaatttt Chaaaaaaaaannnce.

Tell that to the mmmmeeeeeeddddiiiiaaaa.

3 posted on 11/18/2004 4:24:18 AM PST by FReepaholic (Proud FReeper since 1998. Proud monthly donor.)
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To: counterpunch
Peggy Noonan's columns are typically overly sentimental, cheesy, and of absolutely no importance. Most of the time it seems she writes only to glorify herself.

You're a cynic. You don't say nice things about anybody.

Noonan's columns are, usually, on target and express what many people are thinking and feeling.

She's a wordsmith and a joy to read.

4 posted on 11/18/2004 4:26:46 AM PST by sinkspur ("It is a great day to be alive. I appreciate your gratitude." God Himself.)
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To: tscislaw

Thanks, that's basically what I say in my "response" to the article. She's really dreaming, not paying attention to reality at all.

The put my responses up most of the time (boast! Boast!), I hope they put this one up. The sentiment usually runs with me anyway, so I'm sure plenty of people will respond as you and I have.


5 posted on 11/18/2004 4:27:51 AM PST by jocon307 (Jihad is world wide. Jihad is serious business. We ignore global jihad at our peril.)
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To: counterpunch
#2...You should have prefaced your statement with....in my opinion...

...because there are many many here who have a different opinion and a special appreciation for Peggy Noonan.

6 posted on 11/18/2004 4:28:23 AM PST by Guenevere
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To: counterpunch

Ja, cheesy & sentimental much of the time, but I still agree with her more often than not. There are plenty of cheeseless & unsentimental columnists.


7 posted on 11/18/2004 4:31:21 AM PST by condi2008 (There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations. -Patrick Henry)
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To: sinkspur

She's certainly a wordsmith, and yes, even enjoyable to read, much like poetry is enjoyable to read. But nonetheless, much like poetry, she has nothing important to say and is overly sentimental.

Not exactly the hard stuff when it comes to political op-ed.
Anyways, she had some nasty things to say about Reagan's REAL speechwriters. She got knocked down from "classy" to "full of herself" on that one.


8 posted on 11/18/2004 4:31:40 AM PST by counterpunch (The CouNTeRPuNcH Collection - www.counterpunch.us)
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To: condi2008

Peggy Noonan is a wonderful person who has written some very fine lines, but she is way overrated. And like every other member of the Republican Party establishment who assures us that Specter won't impose a litmus test, she completely ignores the fact that he said that he would impose a litmus test.

Specter hasn't said "I changed my mind". He's only said "I never said I would impose a litmus test". That's a lie.

Specter's exact words were that Roe v. Wade is "inviolate" and that: "[n]obody can be confirmed today who didn't agree with Brown v. Board of Education on integration, and I believe that while you traditionally do not ask a nominee how they're going to decide a specific case, there's a doctrine] and a fancy label term, stare decisis, precedent which I think protects that issue. That is my view, now, before, and always."


9 posted on 11/18/2004 4:34:35 AM PST by edwinland
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To: Guenevere
#2...You should have prefaced your statement with....in my opinion...

I was under the impression that everything posted here was someone's opinion. If we all started off our comments by stating this obvious fact, we'd waste a lot more bandwidth. Various people are attacked as "RINOS" "sellouts" and even "traitors" without ever being prefaced with "in my opinion." I'd say that sort of thing in in much greater need of a disclaimer than me pointing out what is readily observable of Noonan's writing style and choice of content.

But that's just my opinion...
10 posted on 11/18/2004 4:37:59 AM PST by counterpunch (The CouNTeRPuNcH Collection - www.counterpunch.us)
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To: condi2008

My first question was why she was asking Republicans and conservatives to shhhhhhh, when it is the loony left that is making all the noise? The left won't take her advice, not when she was an evil Reagan speechwriter, and because she did the noble thing (unlike Carville and Begala) and left her job while she was campaigning for her candidate.

Nice lady, good writer, but unwilling to face the reality of how truly rotten and desperately noisy the left has become. They are all sound and fury, signifying nothing.


11 posted on 11/18/2004 4:39:39 AM PST by alwaysconservative (It wasn't the GOP who ran sKerry for President and Dems want to think they're the smart ones? LOL!)
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To: edwinland

"Conservatives" will be so disappointed when the RINO Specter stabs them in the back as chairman of the Judiciary Com. Who said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"?


12 posted on 11/18/2004 4:40:27 AM PST by kittymyrib
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To: condi2008

Well said, Miss Noonan!


13 posted on 11/18/2004 4:43:45 AM PST by MEG33 ( Congratulations President Bush!..Thank you God. Four More Years!)
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To: counterpunch

I heard her on Laura Ingraham, and she seemed overly enthralled with Laura, speaking in that breathless, almost trying to be seductive, way that she does. Kinda weird...


14 posted on 11/18/2004 4:44:16 AM PST by Time is now (We'll live to see it......or something like it....)
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To: counterpunch
Peggy Noonan's columns are typically overly sentimental, cheesy, and of absolutely no importance. Most of the time it seems she writes only to glorify herself.

Would that you could express yourself with a tenth so much skill as Ms. Noonan when you regile us with your comments on this web.

Perhaps some training in linguistic skills would help you?

Or just a better attitude?

15 posted on 11/18/2004 4:47:28 AM PST by Logic n' Reason (Don't piss down my back and tell me it's rainin')
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To: counterpunch

Sorry, Peggy. We won't back down this time.

And even if we did, the blood of 45 million -- and counting -- will continue to cry out.

P.S. Hey Freepers...enough of the name calling!


16 posted on 11/18/2004 4:48:10 AM PST by oneday
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To: Logic n' Reason
I'll be the first to admit that as a writer I don't hold a candle to Peggy's eloquence.
But you know, I'd just love to see her actually use her skill to write about something important one time, to make a persuasive political argument about anything, rather than just perfuming the page with sweet nothings.
17 posted on 11/18/2004 4:51:50 AM PST by counterpunch (The CouNTeRPuNcH Collection - www.counterpunch.us)
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To: counterpunch

Peggy Noonan's columns are typically overly sentimental, cheesy, and of absolutely no importance. Most of the time it seems she writes only to glorify herself.

Then don't read her columns.

18 posted on 11/18/2004 4:52:21 AM PST by elli1
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To: kittymyrib

"Conservatives" will be so disappointed when the RINO Specter stabs them in the back as chairman of the Judiciary Com. Who said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"?

FINALLY!
Thank you for that response. The thread about Spechter being chosen and accepted with great fervor about knocked me on my.....
I thought I had entered the twilight zone. I thought wait is this still the FR site or did I enter another site by mistake.

Quite frankly I dont beleive this guy can be trusted.

But I like Peggy Noonan, and this article is good, I guess we all should just
Shhhhhhhhhhhh!


19 posted on 11/18/2004 5:00:08 AM PST by stopem
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To: condi2008

Good Luck!.....


20 posted on 11/18/2004 5:13:33 AM PST by Route101
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