Peggy Noonan: The President Within

Opinion Journal ^ | 11/16/2001 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

He walked into history an obscure, flat footed, bantamy little fellow in a light gray suit, the inhabitant of an eloquence-free zone who gave boring speeches in a flat voice. He was not compelling. This was more obvious because he followed a charismatic leader who did big things and filled the screen. He was quickly defined and dismissed by the opinion elite as "a first-rate second-rate man." And maybe at the beginning he feared the appraisal was correct, for when he became president he said very frankly that he felt the moon and the stars had fallen upon him.

[nopardons]

There is such a thing as being too obtuse , whilst trying to be too clever. You fall into that group, dear.

I'll reiterate. YOUR STANCE STANDS ALONE ! No one agrees with you. Not a single person has come to agree with you. Not ONE reply repeats your stance. Ever hear about being alone in a crowd ? You are !

[St.Chuck]

Okey dokey. Thanks for playing anyway.

[ohioWfan]

And I believe we are seeing the makings of a similar greatness in George W. Bush, the bantamy, plain-spoken, originally uninspiring man who through a good heart and a good head, through gut and character, simple well-meaningness and love of country is, in his own noncompelling way, doing the right tough things at a terrible time.

I believe the antecedent to the word bantamy in this sentence is George W. Bush, not Truman,
is it not?

btw, while I like Peggy Noonan a lot, I agree that she does get a bit carried away at times.

[summer]

Thanks for the flag on this.

[Howlin]

Laura Bush will make the Saturday radio address tomorrow.

[RonDog]

To the rest of you smitten fans-You will LOVE this article, I guarantee it, that is, if you can pull yourself away from Rintense's thread long enough to read this gem! LOL

Hey Republic! What do you wanna bet that Peggy is a fan of the 'Dose'?

AT MINIMUM, we know that Peggy Noonan is a big fan of Free Republic, in general. (So you are PROBABLY right!)
See, from another thread,

To: Republic

Thanks for the report. You asked a good question. I'm not surprised you got in :-)

I was at a book signing tonight by Peggy Noonan with tgslTakoma. When I told her that we were FReepers who were at 'Cheney's House' last year, she excitedly jumped out of her chair and said, "FReepers !"

She told us we had done a great thing there and how she loved that we kept coming up with new bits during that time.

Like Angelwood says--we're everywhere !

15 posted on 11/14/01 7:04 PM Pacific by kristinn

[RonDog]

Thanks for the "Peggy Noonan PING!"

[JulieRNR21]

Thanks for the ping....always like to read Noonan....she paints such wonderful 'word pictures'.

And I'm glad that GWB 'trusted in the Lord' that he should run for president.....and grateful that God in His Mercy gave US exactly the right leader for these times.

[RonDog]

I can't help wonder why Ms. Noonan is obsessed with lionizing Pres. Bush. Surely it is not unreasonable to think it quite premature to canonize the man.

I am beginning to wonder if Ms. Noonan has a Dubya lunchbox.

Since you asked, I have been poking around. The best summary of the "history of lunchboxes" seems to be at:
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/lunchbox2.html

"...Beginning in the late 1800s some tobacco companies sold products in tins that were designed to be reused as lunchboxes. These tins, which might have one or two handles, came in a variety of colors and sometimes featured elaborate artwork. Such items of "tobacciana" have been popular collectibles for more than a century.

Manufacturers, perhaps watching their own children tote R. J. Reynolds tobacco tins to school, soon realized that they could sell lunchboxes made especially for children. These colorful boxes debuted around 1900. A number of children's lunchboxes appeared in the following decades, including a 1935 model featuring Mickey Mouse.

A Cowboy Blitz

Lunchboxes didn't become a mania until after World War II, when the Aladdin company in Nashville, Tenn., decided to make lunchboxes that featured movie and television heroes. In 1950 Aladdin issued a Hopalong Cassidy lunchbox, which was available in red or blue and included a matching thermos. Lunchrooms would never be the same.
As sales of the Hopalong Cassidy lunchbox soared, another cowboy wanted to get on the gravy train. Roy Rogers teamed up with the Thermos company for a groundbreaking 1953 lunchbox. While Hopalong's box had been decorated with a simple decal on one side, Roy's featured brilliant colors and full-color lithography on every side.

Between 1950 and 1985 some 450 different decorated metal lunchboxes hit stores. Most were made by the three big lunchbox companies—Aladdin, Ohio Art, and Thermos. As these companies competed for the rights to depict television and movie characters, they tried to outdo each other with eye-catching new ideas.
In 1957 Aladdin introduced the "dome-top" box, which offered more space for lunchbox art and a shape that had creative potential. Disney's dome-top "Schoolbus" lunchbox became the best-selling lunchbox of all time. In 1962 Aladdin again made history when it began making lunchboxes with embossed designs that gave a three-dimensional effect.

For a while in the 1960s, vinyl lunchboxes had a share of the market. Made of cardboard coated in shiny vinyl, they were prone to split seams and crushed corners. Relatively few survive. The most popular vinyl lunchboxes were pink and featured Barbie.

End of an Era
Sales of metal lunchboxes slowed in the 1970s. In 1985 what was believed to be the last one rolled off the line. Why? Some say that it was because Florida mothers had lobbied to outlaw the metal boxes, which had caused injury when they were used in fights. Others say that it was just cheaper for companies to make molded plastic boxes.
What some refer to as "the dark ages" was underway. Still, it became a profitable time for dealers in vintage lunchboxes. Scarce classics could sell for hundreds of dollars.

Nostalgia Wins Out

Just in time for the new millennium, however, metal lunchboxes began making a modest comeback. The Thermos company reissued a few old favorites, including Spiderman, and some new models debuted. At long last, children who had been denied metal lunchboxes could become proud owners.

But did they? Collectors may spring for special metal lunchboxes—new ones in 2001 honored such pop topics as the Planet of the Apes movie. But for kids, soft plastic boxes and bags are the order of the day. They're rust-free and offer good insulation. Plus, they squash nicely into a backpack and won't do much harm in a playground brawl.

If you guys are SERIOUS, perhaps we should CONTACT the Thermos Company, at their website?

[kristinn]

Peggy Noonan was expounding on the premise of this essay Wednesday night. It is fascinating to see her complete her thoughts by committing them to paper.

I can see where she is coming from, but I worry about where he is coming from. (I say this with a heavy heart).

[occam's chainsaw]

I'm Picking out a Thermos for you, not an ordinary thermos for you.
But the extra best thermos you can buy with vinyl and stripes and a cup built right in.
I'm Picking out a thermos for you. And maybe a barometer too.
And what else can I buy, so on me you will rely, a rear-end thermometer too.

[ohioWfan]

I'm with you, RonDog!! I'd love to have a W lunchbox!!! For real!!

[ChemistCat]

I added my voice to their form--yes, please--I'd buy FIVE W lunchboxes. One for each of us.

[St.Chuck]

Regarding bantamy, mea culpa. I saw the first reference referring to Truman. Didn't bother to see if she used that nifty little adjective again. (shouldn't be applied to W ) Thanks for the correction.

[ohioWfan]

No problem. It is a nifty little adjective.............it just makes me think of roosters, though.....
or very small boxers (not shorts...fighters).

[ohioWfan]

Hey, RonDog, I just sent an e-mail to Thermos asking for them to make a George W. Bush lunchbox. I told them it would sell!! LOL!

[St.Chuck]

Thanks for sharing the history of the lunchbox. I suggested to Thermos that a W lunchbox might find a very receptive market at this time. I'd have buy several. If I am unwilling to eat my words at least I could eat out of them.

[St.Chuck]

Thanks for sharing the history of the lunchbox. I suggested to Thermos that a W lunchbox might find a very receptive market at this time. I'd have buy several. If I am unwilling to eat my words at least I could eat out of them.

[wyopa]

Mr. Clinton, whose eight years in the presidency could be compressed like an accordion into one inch of meaning, was no FDR.

That's the quote that stood out for me, too. I busted out laughing.

[rwfromkansas]

anyone know if Peggy is a Freeper? She would love this place (minus some, of course. but then again, no place is perfect).