Peggy Noonan: Way Too Much God

Wall Street Journal ^ | January 21, 2005 | Peggy Noonan

[RWR8189]

Was the president's speech a case of "mission inebriation"?

It was an interesting Inauguration Day. Washington had warmed up, the swift storm of the previous day had passed, the sky was overcast but the air wasn't painful in a wind-chill way, and the capital was full of men in cowboy hats and women in long furs. In fact, the night of the inaugural balls became known this year as The Night of the Long Furs.

Laura Bush's beauty has grown more obvious; she was chic in shades of white, and smiled warmly. The Bush daughters looked exactly as they are, beautiful and young. A well-behaved city was on its best behavior, everyone from cops to doormen to journalists eager to help visitors in any way.

For me there was some unexpected merriness. In my hotel the night before the inauguration, all the guests were evacuated at 1:45 in the morning. There were fire alarms and flashing lights on each floor, and a public address system instructed us to take the stairs, not the elevators. Hundreds of people wound up outside in the slush, eventually gathering inside the lobby, waiting to find out what next.

The staff--kindly, clucking--tried to figure out if the fire existed and, if so, where it was. Hundreds of inaugural revelers wound up observing each other. Over there on the couch was Warren Buffet in bright blue pajamas and a white hotel robe. James Baker was in trench coat and throat scarf. I remembered my keys and eyeglasses but walked out without my shoes. After a while the "all clear" came,

[cyncooper]

I missed the replay last night but thanks for the alert.

I remembered this morning that Chrissy was probably peeved to have John Kennedy thrown in his face (nicely) two days in a row, contradicting the "point" he was trying and failing to make. The first time was inauguration day during his long ramble about the clothing (I know you know what I'm talking about) and someone reminded him that JFK wore a tophat.

LOL

One sentence and his whole theory collapsed, just like last night (not that he'll admit it) and both times the examples that proved him wrong were none other than John F. Kennedy.

Ya gotta love it.

[ohioWfan]

At least he had the good grace to admit his mistakes and quit.

You know, when I copied and pasted this comment of yours I just noticed something............you could get a job as a White House press corps guy.....

This comment of yours is one of the DNC talking points...............(I pay attention to these things).....

[meema]

bump to read comments later

[cyncooper]

In this case, THEY attack Bush's speech and when anyone responds to that attack in any substantive manner, cry foul and protest that it's unfair because "anyone who dares to criticise Bush is being attacked". They wish to claim immunity yet remain free to take their shots whenever they please. I refuse to play by those rules.

Exactly.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

PN made these comments of Hannity's program at one of the inaugural balls. No doubt she wrote and submitted her column earlier that afternoon or evening.

If she truly felt that our president suffered from "mission inebriation", it would have behooved her to withhold judgment. That's a pretty caustic allegation. Kind of got a feeling that she ain't gonna be invited to the White House for awhile.

[cyncooper]

I don't think that it was any more than focus-group-tested wordings,

Too bad for you, this administration doesn't do "focus group testing".

Your theory just went flying out the window.

It's not our fault if you don't recognize a great speech when you see it, but embarrassing yourself by uttering things like the above makes it appear you have reached the point of lashing out.

So sad to watch...

[hgro]

Peggy has started believing her press releases. Its obvious that Nancy Reagan had Ms. Noonan figured out.

[MEG33]

Thank you for your measured and balanced opinion.
(Seems like some the hits Reagan got when he coined the term Evil Empire.)

[Tribune7]

I kind of see her point. I watched the speech on the late-night C-span replay. I didn't think it was eloquent and it didn't make me feel like going out to kick tail in the third quarter, and I think that's the kind of speech that Peggy likes.

OTOH, I think that speech is going to be very inspirational to the good guys in Iraq who have concerns about the upcoming elections and very upsetting to the ayatollahs which I think was Dubya's goal.

I see her point concerning God too but I liked the references even if only for the unchristian reason it upset the atheists.

[cyncooper]

Oops...there you go again

Throwing in historical context...and from Reagan, no less.

I love how some of these types adopt this "I'm more learned than thou" tone as they post their rambling "thoughts".

LOL

[ohioWfan]

Exactly the hit, MEG.

Those on the left thought that Reagan was "irresponsible" and "irrelevant" too when he called a spade a spade and used the term "Evil Empire."

No difference here. The left is still the left.

[MEG33]

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres13.html
George Washington
First Inaugural Address
In the City of New York
Read the second and last paragraphs for invoking the all mighty
last paragraph
Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.

[Mo1]

Ya gotta love it.

You got that right

I tend to do that to lib family members and they so hate it when I do :0)

My NEA Lib brother got on my case about George Bush's "Leave No Child Behind" once

I tried having a reasonable conversation/debate about it .. but fail

I got so sick of his BS .. that I just look at him and said .. You do know that Teddy Kennedy wrote that bill don't ya ?

Apparently the NEA Talking heads forgot to mention that in their memo

[cyncooper]

You actually dispute my insinuation that the bulk of this thread (typically) is made up of time wasting flames of Noonan rather than critiques of her comments?

What was bizarre (in addition to some of your other bizarre "reasonings") was addressing that opinion to me who had not done any psychoanalyzing of Noonan.

[Revererdrv]

Peggy Noonan knows she is getting old; she is no spring chicken. She probably made these comments just to get noticed again. The speech was excellent. An old (has been) speech writer is not going to tell me the speech was bad. We can think for ourselves about the speech and her comments!
Noonan is entitled to her opinion but she may be hanging around too many liberals. She should read "Talking to a liberal but you must not."

[Tribune7]

Or this:

This nation has placed its destiny in the hands, heads and hearts of its millions of free men and women, and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God.

Or this

They know that victory for us means victory for religion. And they could not tolerate that. The world is too small to provide adequate "living room" for both Hitler and God. In proof of that, the Nazis have now announced their plan for enforcing their new German, pagan religion all over the world--a plan by which the Holy Bible and the Cross of Mercy would be displaced by Mein Kampf and the swastika and the naked sword.

Once upon a time Dems weren't half bad.

[cyncooper]

It's too bad you don't recognize the many substantive posts on the thread addressing her contentions.

Either that or you're deliberately ignoring them.

Either way, you aren't to be taken seriously.

[cyncooper]

Would it be asking too much if you cited a portion of President Bush's speech and then explained why you are characterizing it as you are?

[MEG33]

I am relistening on CSPan..Great Speech. He talks Texan..but he is better at speaking now..(I can't find his prompter and he seems to be speaking it from memory)..

It has soaring ideas in it and we as a nation always have been idealistic and had soaring ideas. I've enjoyed going back and reading other inaugural addresses.

Standing for liberty and freedom is hardly a shock coming from a President of the United States.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

What did Nancy figure out about PN?