Noonan fancies herself the best speechwriter of all time. She wanted to write for Pres. Bush so badly she could taste it, but Bush prefers Karen Hughes and others to Peggy. Maybe he likes straight talk rather than nuance. In any case, Noonan's petty reaction to a fine inaugural address is just sour grapes. Now, we know which side she's been on all the while--her own. Poor little girl needs to grow up.
I don't think she really thinks that she is the best, but there is a certain style and approach that she likes and she shows how much she appreciates those who do the same. I don't think it's exactly the same as thinking that she is the best?
But as G.Mason indicated, I wish her a speedy recovery.
I think you hit on something - that Noonan wanted to write for the President.
Now in retrospect, I wonder if the reason she took a "sabbatical" from WSJ online was to make herself "available" to the President and he never called.
I was struck by her first comments on FNC with Brit Hume when she really couldn't seem to digest the speech and didn't have any comment and I think said something to the effect that she needed to think it over.
Obviously on further reflection, she decided she didn't like what she heard and found the will to say that, but only much later in the day. Certainly Mort Kondracke, Fred Barnes and Bill Cristol heaped immediate praise on the President and his main speechwriter, and her only comments were with respect to how early the President started working on the speech - the day after the election.
"Grating" and "over the top" were certainly not the assessments I expected from Peggy. She does sound a little bitter, doesn't she?