She wasn't kept on in the new Bush administration and now we learn the Bush has hired a new wordsmith (Gerson has heart trouble).
This seems to be a good explanation for Noonan's obvious bitterness until a better one comes along.
"Hell hath no fury..."
You nailed it. Now I understand her latest attitude.
Bush couldn't possibly hire her, his golf game would suffer irreparably..
Particularly, putting.
Having said that, I think Noonan's criticism about the meat of the speech were curious. I never made the connection between her being hired as a speechwriter for the campaign but is now out.
Well, well. So it was most likely about Ms. Noonan's belief that she could have done it better.
Excellent observation. Your theory is sound, imo.
Hmmmm? I believe that's exactly what I also thought when she bad-mouthed Bush's speech.
She hasn't hurt Bush - she's only hurt herself.
George Gerson is a moron. I am happy he is gone.
Certainly possible.
There is no excuse for the personal viciousness of the assault, nor twisting the words of the President, to support what she THINKS he said rather than what he did.
My original thinking was that she was defensive about the idea Bush was entering territory competitive to Reagan, and therefore her contributions, that inspired the jealous bout. My feeling is that Reagan's achievements stand on his own, and he is not diminished by another achieving historic marker.
Peggy has since moved to illustrate for the rest of that jealousy may be involved, but that it is deeper than that. She is in favor of containment, limited vision, content with the expanse of freedom to stop at the current borders. I cannot respect HER vision. Steyn has an excellent rebuttal to this line of thinking.
I don't think that's it since the idea was always for her to come back to her day job after the election.
I think, ultimately, that she probably was sincerely a little off put by the speech (and maybe she was snubbed in preparing it, and that's the source of the annoyance), and she realized - as a creature of the media - that Peggy Noonan busting onm the speech is better TV and Radio than Peggy faling in line with a dozen other conservative commentators praising it.
Just marketing - it got her talked about. She succeeded. Now back to business.
"...Noonan's obvious bitterness..."
She's got a response to all the criticism she rec'd posted today on Opinionjournal.com and she still sounds bitter and very defensive. She also made a very strange remark about taking the three months to help with the campaign being a great financial loss. Peggy, who cares? If you couldn't afford it, you shouldn't have done it.
I always thought she was a bit of a flake, and she really does think a bit too well of herself.
Sounds plausible to me.
You have no evidence that Noonan desired to join the Bush White House. She's been there, done that as a speech writer. For Reagan, someone who was actually eloquent and could give life to her words. She's got her books, her commentating, her columns in the private sector and making much more money.
I am just amazed at the negative reaction to the President's references to God. Eisenhower, at his own inauguration, actually asked the audience to bow their heads and then he prayed. If a president did that today, they would have to pass out smelling salts to the wussies in the audience. People really need to get a grip.
God/Creator is a keystone in the foundation of the "American experiment." The belief that mankind was endowed by the Creator with certain rights, including a right to liberty, establishes that no human person or government can take that innate right away. We are all born hard wired with that right and not dependent upon government for it.
In Ex parte Virginia, 100 U.S. 366, the court stated that 'liberty,' as thus used, is meant something more than freedom from physical restraint or imprisonment. It means freedom, not merely to go wherever one may choose, but to do such acts as he may judge best for his interest not inconsistent with the equal rights of others; that is, to follow such pursuits as may be best adapted to his faculties, and which will give to him the highest enjoyment.
In fact, the Bill of Rights sets limits upon our government from encroaching upon our individual liberty.
In addition, this keystone establishes that all of mankind possess that natural right, regardless of tyrannical persons or governments or religions that currently supress the exercise of that right. The hunger for liberty lies in each like an ember awaiting a breath of fresh air to rekindle the fire.
The President's speech also spoke about the American ideal of character. He spoke about fundamental beliefs in concepts such as justice, liberty, integrity, tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives as universal - originating in the enduring wisdom of many religions. He spoke about them being ideals of conduct changeless throughout time. He said that "Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self." Implying that this concept of character is key to the process of self-government.
Although I am not religious, I don't think this was too much "God." In fact, extracting God from the American experiment is to leave it unanchored and adrift in a sea of relativism and the current whim of the majority.
Kinda like Maureen Dowd's disconcerting meltdown in early January in advance of a lonely 53rd birthday. As Paul Harvey says...
Peggy never wanted an Administration job. She lives in New York raising her son and has a great job with the WSJ as well as the books she writes.
If there is any bitterness perhaps it is that having taken a huge pay hit to work for gratis she found that her input and suggestions were not taken seriously.
Here you have a very experienced writer, who has essentially because of the Reagan funeral, wanted to get involved again and make a contribution, probably found that The Powers That Be just were not interested in her ideas or what she had to say. Would not be the first time this has happened to someone.
I like it! Nothing much against Peggy, but these times require Big and deep thinkers that can write and help a President put his thoughts into words.
Peggy might be good on "big themes" but this guy sounds like he could also write policy, not just write about it.
Oh, don't be silly. Peggy Noonan is not like that. She makes a good living and does not need all the DC cattiness and nastiness you have just displayed here.
I'm late to this party, but it's all very interesting...can someone bring me up to date on Frum's reaction to the speech and similar circumstances?