A Sourpuss? Moi? [Peggy Noonan responds to her last column on the inaugural speech]

WSJ - Opinion Journal ^ | 1-26-05 | Peggy Noonan

[bellevuesbest]

I have been called old, jaded, a sourpuss. Far worse, I have been called French. A response is in order.

You know the dispute. Last week I slammed the president's inaugural address. I was not alone, but I came down hard, early and in one of the most highly read editorial pages in America. Bill Buckley and David Frum also had critical reactions. Bill Safire on the other hand called it one of the best second inaugurals ever, and commentators from right and left (Bill Kristol, E.J. Dionne) found much to praise and ponder. (To my mind the best response to the inaugural was the grave, passionate essay of Mark Helprin.) So herewith some questions and answers:

A week later, do I stand by my views?

Yes. If I wrote it today I wouldn't be softer, but harder.

[Maigrey]

Tolerance from radicals will get you a knife in the back when you are trying to understand your enemy.

You cannot appease those who want to harm you.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Have to admit, I thought GWB went way too far in that address. He did not assure me that he has a plan for Iraq and quite the opposite... it seems as he would be quiet content to just create havoc over the entire middle east.

That's what the Liberals have been saying since the Taliban were denied their self-entitlement to power in Afghanistan.

[7thson]

Yes, and she deserves that question mark. If anyone taped the inaugural last week, immediately after the speech she was speaking to Brit Hume. She gave the speech a thumbs up though she did say she would have to think on it. An initial thumbs up and then a thumbs down. Her statement in this column of garbage cans and trash. I wonder how many people in 1776 thought along those lines? Or in 1861 when the Civil War came along - how many thought back then and still today that blacks and the south are trash? In the 20th century we saw what happened to people when their own governments thought they were trash - from the Russians to the Jews to the Gypsies to the Chinese to the Cambodians - and even today to children to unborn babies to the elderly to the infirmed to the mentally handicapped.

The list goes on and now she hints that some people do not have what it takes to be free. She seems confused about President Bush's message yet to me the message from him has always been clear. He promotes freedom and liberty not because it is ours to give but because it was given to all by God and no man or woman has the right to withhold those two rights from anyone. I think she is one of those former Dems that fell in love with JFK - her reference to 1961 - and refuses to see that for all his money, JFK and his family are white trash just as much as Clinton.

Her farewell to Safire is too sweet for me. Goodbye and do not let the door hit you on the way out. IF the NYT were smart they would hire Mark Steyn and within a month people would say Safire who? I stand by my earlier statements that she is embittered and jealous because of younger and better writers than her are now coming forth. As someone stated earlier in this thread, she suffers from the "has been" syndrome. Or maybe we should start calling it the PJB syndrome.

[MEG33]

Could you link us to the site that you are copying and pasting from?

[trisham]

Moderation, forgiveness and tolerance are the family values which will bring freedom and liberty to all the peoples of the world. Your brand of hate will only rain death on the young men and women so bravely defending your right to go through life sucking our oxygen and corrupting our children. I thank God and Jesus Christ that lacking your repentance, your eternal soul will know no peace. God Bless America, and may you too find the strength to let the Love of the Lord into your heart.

****************

I love the smell of ozone in the morning.

[iopscusa]

I think Peggy is saying what many are feeling, we are tired. It is a difficult time, this is an underestimated and complex war of survival. I don't think she has gone over to the dark side but rather she writes from her heart and IMO, truthfully. That said, there certainly is a difference of opinion as to what we needed to hear. I think, this inaugural speech was right and it's effects are positive for the efforts both domestically and world wide, especially if the State of the Union builds on this with a true game plan for both domestic and international policies. There is a lot to do in the USA to move this country in the right direction, and 2nd term Presidents do tend to drop domestic issues as they become lame-ducks and try to build their legacy internationally. I hope Peggy will continue her writing and spend a bit of time outside of NYC & DC. This may cheer her up and help her perspective.

[BigSkyFreeper]

There is no place here for your brand of liberal sarcasm. If you cannot contribute to a serious discussion of serious issues, please remain silent. We will all be better for it.

Inflated ego won't get you far here either.

[Coldwater Creek]

I did not realize that Peggy was part of West Wing. I very seldom watch network TV, so I am really out of the loop there.

[beckysueb]

Oh please! Go back to DU and spew this garbage! Where are the Viking Kitties when you need them! And you misspelled "quite"

[woofie]

How about this for a speech:

We are a nuanced and complicated nation.... Tyranny is kinda bad and we dont like bad things,however sometimes we will just shut up to get along.I will talk in circles for the rest of my time but a new day is sort of dawning. My mother said "never bite off more than you can chew. "Healthcare is important for everyone....as is freedom from/and of the press.We will try hard during our next 4 years but ya never know. Thanks for coming.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Peggy Noonan part deux PING

[trisham]

We all must remain tolerant, forgiving and respectful or we will be crushed by the emerging markets of China and India.

************

[BigSkyFreeper]

Moderation, forgiveness and tolerance are the family values which will bring freedom and liberty to all the peoples of the world. Your brand of hate will only rain death on the young men and women so bravely defending your right to go through life sucking our oxygen and corrupting our children. I thank God and Jesus Christ that lacking your repentance, your eternal soul will know no peace. God Bless America, and may you too find the strength to let the Love of the Lord into your heart.

Practice what you preach. Too early in the morning for your brand of hatred.

[Coldwater Creek]

Why are you lumping me in with this guy that has just signed on today?

[niteowl77]

Moderation, forgiveness and tolerance are the family values which will bring freedom and liberty to all the peoples of the world. Your brand of hate will only rain death on the young men and women so bravely defending your right to go through life sucking our oxygen and corrupting our children. I thank God and Jesus Christ that lacking your repentance, your eternal soul will know no peace. God Bless America, and may you too find the strength to let the Love of the Lord into your heart.

Schizophrenia is not your friend.

[woofie]

Loose cannon?

[mystery-ak]

It's a little hard to prove your point when you start calling other posters names.

[Preachin']

I love our president, but this freedom of speech thing is quite nice.