Peggy: Answer Chavez

Wall Street Journal ^ | 09/22/06 | Peggy Noonan (got out of the strait jacket again)

[presidio9]

This is what I was thinking as I walked this week along the siren-filled streets of New York: The temperature of the world is very high.

We have a global warming problem, and maybe it's due to an increase in the output of heated words. And they too can, in the end, melt icecaps.

"The Pope must die." "The Holocaust is a lie." "I can still smell the sulfur."

The last of course from the democratically elected president of the republic of Venezuela, population 26 million, which helps keep America going economically by selling it, at significant profit, oil.

His remarks were startling. No one wants to dignify them with a response. But that's a mistake. Because the world heard them.

U.N. speeches are, by history and tradition, boring. You daydream to them. This is not all accident, not only the result of the fact that a nation's diplomats don't usually come from the more scintillating parts of its elites. (They rose to the U.N. in the first place because they didn't fatally offend anyone back home.) Their speeches are dull because they know divisions can be dodged or blunted by a heartening vagueness. And so their words are blankets, not bullets; meant to envelop, not pierce. But here was Hugo Chavez Wednesday to the General Assembly:

The "pretensions" of "the American empire" threaten "the survival" of mankind. The world must "halt this

[presidio9]

Since Charlie Rangle and Bill Clinton defended Bush, I guess Peggy decided it was ok to side with the President on this one. I miss the old old Peggy.

[dfwgator]

No one wants to dignify them with a response.

Our response won't come from the President, it will come from our military.

[LibLieSlayer]

The old Peggy would have blasted chavez right after the speech.

LLS

[cripplecreek]

The sad part is the fact that Sluggo made Ahmanutjob seem sane as he spoke out of the other side of his face.

[Liberty Valance]

I guess Peggy decided it was ok to side with the President on this one. I miss the old old Peggy.

Peggy isn't supporting Bush on this one...she's supporting the office of the President. Frankly, she can...keep it.

[presidio9]

We have a global warming problem

On the rare occasions that I still read her, I'm constantly asking myself "just what the hell happened to her?"

[Liberty Valance]

"just what the hell happened to her?"

She wasn't asked to be a part of the administration so she went the Mo Dowd route. JMHO.

[mtbopfuyn]

Hugo who?

[Cicero]

A very large part of what a national columnist does consists in how they write, as well as what they say.

"Style is the man," as St. Beuve said.

Once in a while there are flashes of the old Peggy, but this opinion piece is really turgid and dull, in the end not worth reading. After you have finished it, what do you know that you didn't know before you began it? What is her point?

[presidio9]

I remember her column in the spring of 2004 (a couple of months after she trashed Bush's SOTU speech), where she said she was taking a sabbatical to volunteer for Bush (even though she hadden't been asked). Right about then I knew this wasn't going to end well.

[Kenton]

"I can still smell the sulfur."

I'd say the smell of sulphur follows this nutjob everyplace he goes. God has a very special place in Hell for people who do bad things in His name...

[roses of sharon]

I know what happened to her; she is in denial.

She still believes that things can be "cooled down", if only someone will say and do the right thing, and all will be well again, just like its been thru all her adult life.

Peggy needs to realize that this is just the beginning.

[DelphiUser]

Wouldn't a nuclear detonation or two cool the earth by putting dust into the air? (anyone remember the Nuclear winter theories?)

We may have found the "Cure" for global warming, suggest this at your next evirowaco encounter

[what's up]

I miss the old Peggy.

I never liked her. Her writing style is irritating to me.

Plus, her recent views are...well...just strange.

[MNJohnnie]

The response came from John Bolton. It would be absurd for the President of the US to lower himself to engage a punk third world thug.

Typical of the Conservative Media establishment. Here was a perfect opportunity for them to come out and clearly and openly stand WITH the President one time. But no same old PR stupid fools try to be on both sides.

[Inspectorette]

Peggy did a wonderful job writing speeches for President Reagan. They were soaring and full of lofty rhetoric, i.e., "shining city on a hill". President Reagan delivered them so beautifully that it would actually bring tears to my eyes. His experience as an actor gave him an impeccable sense of timing and inflection.

President Bush is a plain-spoken Texan. He would be eminently uncomfortable trying to deliver the type of speeches Peggy writes. I doubt that it's any personal thing against her, but it seems as if that's how she's reacted to it.

[vetvetdoug]

I would have expected Noonan to offer to get down on her knees and service Chavez just like she offered for Clinton.

[DelphiUser]

>>I would have expected Noonan to offer to get down on her knees and service Chavez just like she offered for Clinton.

Um, That was Nina Burleigh (SP?) Peggy is probably gagging and dry heaving as we speak! (Um write!)

[juliej]

Peggy wants to be "loved". she isn't.

[pollyannaish]

I agree. I always enjoyed her ability to turn a phrase. It's still there, just turned in the wrong direction.