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Peggy Noonan: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 25, 2008 | Peggy Noonan

Posted on 01/25/2008 12:49:01 AM PST by Aristotelian

Declarations: The primary campaign is tearing the Democrats apart. President Bush already did that to the Republicans.

We begin, as one always must now, again, with Bill Clinton. The past week he has traveled South Carolina, leaving discord in his wake. Barack Obama, that "fairytale," is low, sneaky. "He put out a hit job on me." The press is cruelly carrying Mr. Obama's counter-jabs. "You live for it."

(snip)

As for the Republicans, their slow civil war continues. . . . The rage is due to many things. A world is ending, the old world of conservative meaning, and ascendancy. Loss leads to resentment. (See Clinton, Bill.)

(snip)

It will all come down to: Whom do Republicans believe? Mr. Romney in spite of his past and now-disavowed liberal positions? Or Mr. McCain in spite of his forays, the past 10 years, into a kind of establishment mindset that has suggested that The Establishment Knows Best?

Do conservatives take inspiration from Mr. Romney's newness? Or do they take comfort and security from Mr. McCain's rugged ability to endure, and to remind?

It is along those lines the big decision will be made.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: noonan
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President Bush already did that to the Republicans.

A word to the wise: Look at what's happening as a result of not having a conservative in the White House. I recall railing against Bush eight years ago and being stomped on by Bush apologists. Now look. The apologies for Bush have stopped and look at the mess that's been left.

We best remember this when it comes to picking this year's candidate. Another non-conservative GOPer would be disastrous.

1 posted on 01/25/2008 12:49:02 AM PST by Aristotelian
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To: Aristotelian
Yes, you're right, we should have supported Gore in 2000... Or McCain. Or...

It's so trendy to bash Bush that we forget many of the sins perpetrated by the genuinely great Ronald Reagan, which we so conveniently forget.

Bush has not been a conservative in spending, but he's done quite a bit I'm happy with, and quite a bit the worshipers of Reagan conveniently ignore.

2 posted on 01/25/2008 12:52:06 AM PST by Darkwolf377 (Pro-Life atheist)
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To: Aristotelian
Do conservatives take inspiration from Mr. Romney's newness? Or do they take comfort and security from Mr. McCain's rugged ability to endure, and to remind?

It's a false choice--I can imagine conservatives, like me, holding our nose and voting for Romney, but can't imagine conservatives voting for McCain for any other reason than "Not Hillary".

3 posted on 01/25/2008 12:53:37 AM PST by Darkwolf377 (Pro-Life atheist)
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To: Darkwolf377

I don’t regret voting for GWB for one sec.

He’s not perfect but compared to the alternatives he’s far superior.

Do you really want Hillary to appoint the next 3 or 4 Supreme Court Justices? If that happens it’s all over. A lot of the leftist on the court have stubbornly refused to retire because the wanted to out wait Bush. The moment Hillary is in they will retire.

Romney was not my first choice, and he’s not perfect. But getting him in is very important.


4 posted on 01/25/2008 12:59:26 AM PST by Truthsearcher
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To: Aristotelian
Another non-conservative GOPer would be disastrous.

True, so now what?

The above "so now what?" is not sarcasm. It is a genuine question looking for an answer.

The usual "My favorite RINO" - _____________ (fill in blank) is not it.

The alternative DEM _______________ ( is a seemingly a worse horror).

Living in a blue state, I am inclined to say pass the popcorn while we watch the ship sink. Unfortunately I am on the ship.

5 posted on 01/25/2008 1:02:49 AM PST by verklaring (Pyrite is not gold)
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To: Aristotelian

I didn’t vote for Bush in the 2000 Republican primary.

Once it became only choice between Bush and Gore there was only one possible choice - which I don’t regret making. Gore would have been far worse.

So it is what it is. That’s life.


6 posted on 01/25/2008 1:03:33 AM PST by DB
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To: Darkwolf377

My view of Bush isn’t “trendy.” I was a staunch Forbes supporter.


7 posted on 01/25/2008 1:08:37 AM PST by Aristotelian ("I have a million ideas. The country can't afford them all." Hillary Clinton)
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To: verklaring
The usual "My favorite RINO" - _____________ (fill in blank) is not it.

Conservatives are the new RINOs. Rockefeller has replaced Reagan as exemplified by the remaining GOP candidates.

"Liberal Republican" has now become redundant.

 

 

8 posted on 01/25/2008 1:19:36 AM PST by peyton randolph (tag line taking a siesta)
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To: Darkwolf377
". . he's done quite a bit I'm happy with"

Some just find it difficult to give credit where credit is due.

OTOH, since GW is not running, I suppose even conservatives can vent, to make a conservative point, without much harm.

Saying, "He should have vetoed the Democrat budget" does not exactly help Democrats.

yitbos

9 posted on 01/25/2008 1:24:12 AM PST by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds. - Ayn Rand")
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To: Aristotelian
My view of Bush isn’t “trendy.” I was a staunch Forbes supporter.

So was I, neighbor. And because I don't like "dialogging" with idiots, I won't say anything more. I'm just hiding out in the swamps until later...

10 posted on 01/25/2008 1:24:21 AM PST by backhoe (Just a Merry-Hearted Keyboard PirateBoy, plunderin’ his way across the WWW…)
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To: Aristotelian

That’s exactly where we’re headed. Minds are made up, you can’t say a word to them.

Romney has bee anointed and the only thing left is to start the daily threads with pictures. At least we can hope that some person would have the good sense to pray for the nation this next eight years, instead of one individual that doesn’t care enough about U.S. Citizens to stop them from be killed by foreign nationals.

Lordy, we lean NOTHING from history and wonder why conservatism is dying.

In four years, we’ll do it again.

Just duh!


11 posted on 01/25/2008 1:29:02 AM PST by DoughtyOne (< fence >< sound immigration policies >< /weasles >< /RINOs >< /Reagan wannabees that are liberal >)
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To: peyton randolph
Conservatives are the new RINOs. Rockefeller has replaced Reagan as exemplified by the remaining GOP candidates. "Liberal Republican" has now become redundant.

I fear conservative is fast becoming "a dinosaur" or more accurately - a museum piece: rare and valuable but considered obsolete.

12 posted on 01/25/2008 1:29:08 AM PST by verklaring (Pyrite is not gold)
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To: Darkwolf377

Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of Reagan bashing around here to make Bush and Romney look better.

Neither one of them is fit to carry his slippers.


13 posted on 01/25/2008 1:30:26 AM PST by DoughtyOne (< fence >< sound immigration policies >< /weasles >< /RINOs >< /Reagan wannabees that are liberal >)
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To: Aristotelian
My view of Bush isn’t “trendy.”

Oh, you're right--praise for Bush is IN!

I was a staunch Forbes supporter.

Explains a lot.

Yeah, he would have DEMOLISHED Gore--except he couldn't even win the nomination.

14 posted on 01/25/2008 1:30:34 AM PST by Darkwolf377 (Pro-Life atheist)
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To: bruinbirdman

I can give him credit for the good, but it doesn’t excuse the bad!
There was a time when I would have walked on hot coals for George Bush, don’t call me disloyal. The damned Amicus brief is the final nail, I’ve seen the light!


15 posted on 01/25/2008 1:31:13 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: DoughtyOne
Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of Reagan bashing around here to make Bush and Romney look better. Neither one of them is fit to carry his slippers.

Noticing that Reagan was a human being, and made mistakes, isn't "bashing" unless one idolizes him. Allowing the greatest president of my lifetime to be human isn't "bashing" him, but when one is desperate one has to make such statements, I guess.

16 posted on 01/25/2008 1:31:58 AM PST by Darkwolf377 (Pro-Life atheist)
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To: Truthsearcher

Hey, do you even care about the U.S. Constitution and our Second Amendment rights?

You don’t regret voting for a man that is trying to short circuit the first review of the Second Amendment in 60 years?

I’ve spent my whole adult life hoping to have the U.S. Supreme court clarify our irrefutable gun rights, and Bush had his solicitor general send a brief to the court that supports carve outs.

Just damn!!! It’s been 60 fricken years, and you glibly act as if this means nothing at all.


17 posted on 01/25/2008 1:33:31 AM PST by DoughtyOne (< fence >< sound immigration policies >< /weasles >< /RINOs >< /Reagan wannabees that are liberal >)
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To: Truthsearcher
I don’t regret voting for GWB for one sec. He’s not perfect but compared to the alternatives he’s far superior. Do you really want Hillary to appoint the next 3 or 4 Supreme Court Justices? If that happens it’s all over. A lot of the leftist on the court have stubbornly refused to retire because the wanted to out wait Bush. The moment Hillary is in they will retire. Romney was not my first choice, and he’s not perfect. But getting him in is very important.

Great post, couldn't agree more.

I will vote for the Republican against Hillary, but I don't think it's going to do us any good.

18 posted on 01/25/2008 1:33:34 AM PST by Darkwolf377 (Pro-Life atheist)
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To: Darkwolf377

What a dumn s—t! The problem is that I idolize Reagan, but you certainly don’t idolize Bush and Romney.

What a J.A.


19 posted on 01/25/2008 1:34:36 AM PST by DoughtyOne (< fence >< sound immigration policies >< /weasles >< /RINOs >< /Reagan wannabees that are liberal >)
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To: Darkwolf377; All
It's so trendy to bash Bush that we forget many of the sins perpetrated by the genuinely great Ronald Reagan, which we so conveniently forget.

It isn't a question of being 'trendy', it's a question of whether one is going to face the reality that Bush:

- has failed to defend our borders

- has failed to restrain spending

- has sold out the North Korean people

- is in the process of selling out Israel

- has empowered Condi Rice to let Iran off the hook

- sold out Agents Ramos and Compean

- sought to legalize millions of illegal immigrants

...and the list goes on and on.

As for Bush's choices for the SCOTUS?

Before the BushBot apologists (yeah I'm talkin' to you DarkWolf) start praising Bush for Roberts and Alito, don't forget that Bush tried to sneak the ill-qualified RINO Harriet Myers by the American people and it was only because of conservatives raising holy Hell that he was prevented from doing so.

Now as for "many of the sins" of Ronald Reagan, I don't think there is a conservative American alive that would choose what is going to be the disgraceful and shameful legacy of George W. Bush, over that of our 40th President.

Enjoy your BushBot Wheaties w/extra nutty apologies this morning.

Whitewash with extra milk.
20 posted on 01/25/2008 1:37:21 AM PST by mkjessup (GOP + FOX + National Review = The NEW "Axis of RINOs")
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