Obama Dons the Presidential Cloak (Peggy Noonan Barf Alert)

Wall Street Journal - Opinion ^ | February 27, 2009 | Peggy Noonan

[rightwingintelligentsia]

A mysterious thing happened in that speech Tuesday night. By the end of it Barack Obama had become president. Every president has a moment when suddenly he becomes what he meant to be, or knows what he is, and those moments aren't always public. Bill Safire thought he saw it with Richard Nixon one day in the new president's private study. Nixon always put a hand towel on the hassock where he put his feet, to protect the fabric, but this time he didn't use the towel, he just put up his feet. As if it were his hassock. And his house.

So with Mr. Obama, about four-fifths of the way through the speech. He was looking from the prompters to the congressmen and senators, and suddenly he was engaging on what seemed a deeper level. His voice took on inflection. He wasn't detached, as if he was wondering how he was doing. He seemed equal to the moment and then, in some new way, in command of it. It happened around here:

"The eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us—watching to see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead. Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in extraordinary times."

[tapatio]

Years ago I wrote of an Italian woman in my neighborhood who made spaghetti every day. When I asked how you tell it's done, she showed me: You take a strand and fling it against the wall. If it's done, it sticks. If it's not done, it falls off the wall down the side of the stove. You keep flinging till one sticks. At the end of the day that is Obama's recovery plan.

Is Peggy Noonan completely crazy?

[andy58-in-nh]

I think she is positively smitten: not by Obama, all kidding aside; but by access to power.

[Prospero]

MAN, Oh, man. Just reading the first sentence of this headline made me grateful for two things. 1. I purposefully and happily refused to watch the pseudo-STOU address (I've seen enough of them, and from inside the House Chamber) and 2. I didn't read this column.

I read the substance of his essentially meaningless speech and my opinion of Bobby Jendal hasn't been changed because of some disappointment with his choice of ties or tone or body language, or whatever. I can see now that I made the right choice.

[shadeaud]

Miss PIGGY PEGGY felt rejected after Ann Coulter became the female face of conservatism. She needed the attention and wasn't getting any, sooooo she chose to put toothpicks in her nose and play pompus liberal on the second rate shows. Good luck Peg, don't let the door hit ya on the way down.

[icwhatudo]

Never did like her. Always came off as a BS artist who was into the cocktail party scene.

[Mac from Cleveland]

Some other "journalistic" twit wrote about "The Speech":

We witnessed a young man at the height of his political power, supremely confident and self-possessed, who is determined to rush through his extremely ambitious agenda...”

As I wrote after seeing that:

What does this remind me of? Oh, yeah:

Moscow, 1917

Berlin, 1933

Peking, 1949

Havana, 1959

and now:

Washington DC, 2009

[originalbuckeye]

She was always way too faux intellectual for me. Breathy voice, measured speech. I can't believe she still is considered a Conservative voice in DC. It's people like Peggy who give the Democrats cover for their antics. I heard a Dem on FoxNews blame California's financial problems on the ‘Republican’ Governor. I wish these types would change their party status. They are not Conservative or Republicans.

[outinyellowdogcountry]

Peggy must be smokin’ wacky tobacky.

[randita]

Anybody know what company sells knee pads? I’m going to invest in that company.

[Raster Man]

Noonan redefines “swarmy.” I read one sentence from her, and I feel like vomiting. My guess is that she is a victim of alien abduction, and they rewired her brain.

[dirtboy]

And we’re supposed to listen to this bi-otch about the supposed shortcomings of Sarah Palin?

[nathanbedford]

Michelle Obama was inspirationally beautiful,

Does anyone here find this woman gawky, gangly, borderline grotesque?

When is some child going to stand up and just say, "hey the Emperor has no clothes and his wife is unattractive."?

[reagan_fanatic]

Hard to believe this woman used to be a speechwriter for President Reagan.

[Mac from Cleveland]

Oh, and by the way, Peg-leg Noonan, Miss Washington insider know-it-all, FDR didn’t smoke Lucky Strikes, as you wrote-he smoked Camels.

Which is better than what you’re smoking......

[puroresu]

LOL! You hit the nail on the head!

We have a president who has never run a business, who got into law school via affirmative action, who held a couple of offices but never passed a single important bill, and whose main accomplishment is being a “community organizer”. He's obviously in over his head, having just signed a “stimulus bill” written by congressional staffers, and which he didn't even read. Yet, we're supposed to regard him as presidential because he sounds okay giving a speech using a teleprompter.

[CWW]

Emotional drivel ... she's pathetic and typical of 56% of America right now.

Giver her 18 months. She will feel like the other woman and will suddenly realize that she was just another a sucker!!

[andy58-in-nh]

"We have a president who has never run a business, who got into law school via affirmative action, who held a couple of offices but never passed a single important bill, and whose main accomplishment is being a “community organizer”.

That is an extraordinarily fine summary of the life accomplishments of one Barack Hussein Obama. I shall consider making a copy suitable for framing, and arrange to have it delivered to Ms. Noonan's home in Georgetown. I expect it will look rather fresh, tacked upon the mantle wall just above her fading autographed portrait of Ronald Reagan.

[throwback]

Conservatives don’t read her anymore, so I always wonder why she has so much visibility in the WSJ. Is she related to an editor. I never read her columns or buy her books. She’s clearly a court jester and performs for whoever currently holds the court. Did kings consult the jester for wisdom?

[Antoninus]

I'm sorry, Peggy Noonan is persona non grata as far as I'm concerned.

[KC_Conspirator]

This article highlights the ineptness of Peggy Noonan, who once had a functioning intellect. Any village idiot can see that Obama’s first weeks of his presidency have been a disaster.