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Peggy Noonan: Way Too Much God (Freepers let's tell her our thoughts)
WSJ ^ | 1/21/05 | Peggy Noonan

Posted on 01/21/2005 4:19:45 AM PST by Mikmur

PEGGY NOONAN

Way Too Much God Was the president's speech a case of "mission inebriation"?

The inaugural address itself was startling. It left me with a bad feeling, and reluctant dislike. Rhetorically, it veered from high-class boilerplate to strong and simple sentences, but it was not pedestrian. George W. Bush's second inaugural will no doubt prove historic because it carried a punch, asserting an agenda so sweeping that an observer quipped that by the end he would not have been surprised if the president had announced we were going to colonize Mars. A short and self-conscious preamble led quickly to the meat of the speech: the president's evolving thoughts on freedom in the world. Those thoughts seemed marked by deep moral seriousness and no moral modesty.

The president's speech seemed rather heavenish. It was a God-drenched speech. This president, who has been accused of giving too much attention to religious imagery and religious thought, has not let the criticism enter him. God was invoked relentlessly. "The Author of Liberty." "God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind . . . the longing of the soul."

And yet such promising moments were followed by this, the ending of the speech. "Renewed in our strength--tested, but not weary--we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." This is--how else to put it?--over the top. It is the kind of sentence that makes you wonder if this White House did not, in the preparation period, have a case of what I have called in the past "mission inebriation." A sense that there are few legitimate boundaries to the desires born in the goodness of their good hearts.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: bush; bushdoctrineunfold; god; gwbanointed; inauguraladdress; inauguration; noonan; peggydowd; president; shesrightguys; w2
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To: Mikmur

Wow. That was a surprise from her. Seperating the wheat from the chaff I guess.


21 posted on 01/21/2005 4:41:52 AM PST by stevio (Let Freedom Ring!)
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To: goldstategop
The ACLU must have dropped a load into its pants after hearing President Bush's address yesterday... and Michael Newdow's glass jaw dropped off his mugly face.

I don't know what Peggy's problem is. From where I sit, everybody around me knows where we are headed, and Bush's speech plainly laid it out. The United States is acting as a conduit for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which also translates into an umbrella of grace for Israel. We are in a global holy war against the state-worship religion of Communism and the UN, and against the totalitarian grip of the Islamofascists.

What's so hard to swallow about that? Is there something wrong with just plainly saying it?

Freedom is from God. It's all through the Bible. While I disagree with the Prez on a few issues, he's right in the groove with his vision.

22 posted on 01/21/2005 4:41:59 AM PST by ovrtaxt (Go Howard Go!)
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To: MEG33

I agree, maybe she partied a bit too much with her liberal friends.

Her outrage over the music is strange as well. Personally I found it to be fitting.


23 posted on 01/21/2005 4:42:00 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: Just mythoughts

i agree, i heard her on Foxnews right afterwards and she didn't react this way at all. she said she had to "think about it" awhile, but there was no negative reaction.


24 posted on 01/21/2005 4:42:08 AM PST by xsmommy
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To: MEG33
Peggy forgot another "constant"....scoffers. They scoffed about sending men into space, landing on the moon,establishing a democracy in Afganistan, defeating Hussein, etc. With this column she has put herself into that category.

She did a 180 within hours.......breathless w/admiration for the speech immediately after it, then scathing in comment a few hours later. Which is it, Peggy?

25 posted on 01/21/2005 4:42:22 AM PST by Carolinamom
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To: buzznut

I think GWB disagrees with you and that is the crux of the speech. ONly time will tell dont you think?


26 posted on 01/21/2005 4:45:13 AM PST by cajungirl (my peeps are freeps)
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To: ovrtaxt

If you cannot see what is wrong with your statements and why people might not like the ideas you express, you are just plain obtuse.


27 posted on 01/21/2005 4:47:20 AM PST by cajungirl (my peeps are freeps)
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To: Mikmur

Quick word count FWIW:

freedom - 27
liberty - 15
God - 3
soul - 3
Creator - 0


28 posted on 01/21/2005 4:52:14 AM PST by Lord Basil (Hate isn't a family value; it's a liberal one.)
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To: Mikmur

The following letter has been submitted via the OpinionJournal article response feature. Contents of response as follows:
Date: Fri, January 21st, 2005

Subject:
Re: Way Too Much God

Comment:
Peggy, I admire you very much. I think you are without peer in writing skills. I am not a religious zealot, but I think you are way off base in your criticism of GW's speech. I think Bush's pledge to end tyranny in the world was a grand gesture. I think freedom deserves such a pledge from those who enjoy such an existance. We are retired military which may explain our fervent patriotism and desire to spread freedom. My husband served two tours in Vietnam which may explain our knowledge that there can never be "way too much God" in a speech or in life. We will continue to appreciate you.


29 posted on 01/21/2005 4:52:30 AM PST by FryingPan101 (Ya know?)
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To: xsmommy

She had changed her mind by the time Hannity and Colmes aired, because that's when I first heard her criticism of the speech.


30 posted on 01/21/2005 4:52:35 AM PST by pubmom (Suffering from DITS (Democrat induced tourette's syndrome)since 1992.)
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To: Mikmur

I actually liked the transcendent rhetoric myself, but it would've been nice to have some practical realism in the form of how many divisions will be added to the military in order to actually achieve the soaring objectives..


31 posted on 01/21/2005 4:53:42 AM PST by AntiGuv (™)
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To: pubmom

you have to wonder who she talked to or what she heard in the interim to cause such a dramatic turnaround. she was praising it immediately afterwards.


32 posted on 01/21/2005 4:53:57 AM PST by xsmommy
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To: MKM1960

You said it best in your post #9


33 posted on 01/21/2005 4:56:20 AM PST by OldFriend (Isaiah 40:31)
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To: syriacus

His references to God and his faith were wonderful and definitely not overdone.
On the other hand his foreign policy while extreme if it could be accomplished more power to him.


34 posted on 01/21/2005 4:56:46 AM PST by stopem
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To: AntiGuv
Why would we assume GWB mean a military tactic in terms of spreadiing freedom. He talked about pressuring governments to treat their people better, "standing" with those who fight for freedom. We did this many times without a single soldier going to war. Standing with someone, as we do with Cubans who want Castro gone, is not going to war. The President has much powerr that is not military and I think he will use it.
35 posted on 01/21/2005 4:58:07 AM PST by cajungirl (my peeps are freeps)
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To: AntiGuv
Poor Peggy, she wanted domestic policy rhetoric???????

That's what the State of the Union speech will be about.

Wow, she's one miserable gal. Wonder why she has her panties in a twist.

36 posted on 01/21/2005 4:59:29 AM PST by OldFriend (Isaiah 40:31)
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To: utahguy
When I read the "preamble" to her column, I got a funny feeling. Mentioning that Warren Buffet and James BAker were in the hotel lobby show me that this gal has drifted into the camp of the elites. Her criticism is unwarranted and over the top. All inaugural addresses are utopian in nature. Reagan's first was a battle cry: "government is not the solution, government is the problem."

Peggy, take a deep breath and stop taking yourself so seriously.

37 posted on 01/21/2005 5:00:15 AM PST by Don'tMessWithTexas
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To: Mikmur

Why do people fear GOD so much? Could it be that something in ones life is not right?

Just a thought.


38 posted on 01/21/2005 5:00:19 AM PST by standing united (The second amendment does not stand for the right to hunt, but to over throw a corrupt Gov.)
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To: Mikmur
"Way Too Much God"

When your creation, existence and everything that you have is a gift from God, then how can there be too much?
39 posted on 01/21/2005 5:00:57 AM PST by leprechaun9
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To: MKM1960

What I noted was alot of FEAR. As if talking of wanting the world to be a freer place was a fearful thing. Like a bunch of scared old maids are fearing someone rocking the boat. I think he disavowed the policies of the past, those of cosying up to tyrants. The very policies that the dems say resulted in 911. I don't think GWB is starting a military crusade.


40 posted on 01/21/2005 5:01:33 AM PST by cajungirl (my peeps are freeps)
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