Peggy Noonan: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 25, 2008 | Peggy Noonan

[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.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Rush Limbaugh declared on the radio this week, "I'm here to tell you, if either of these two guys [Mr. McCain or Mike Huckabee] get the nomination, it's going to destroy the Republican Party. It's going to change it forever, be the end of it!"

This is absurd. George W. Bush destroyed the Republican Party, by which I mean he sundered it, broke its constituent pieces apart and set them against each other. He did this on spending, the size of government, war, the ability to prosecute war, immigration and other issues.

• Signing McCain-Feingold.

• Telling the truth in his "Sixteen Words" - then apologizing for it.

• Harriet Miers.

• Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

There certainly is a case to be made . . .

[Darkwolf377]

What the hell does that mean? "Bush delievered the first."

That was a typing mistake, obviously--Bush was president long after the wall fell and had nothing to do with it. I was writing about SOLDIERS, and should have written "THEY" not "BUSH".

That's the only correction I need to make. The rest is the bizarre babbling that is more of your personal need to latch on to Reagan's greatness.

Funny--you keep avoiding all the other points I made, and keep repeating ONE line. So much for your grasp of the facts and reality.

[Darkwolf377]

Please tell us what soldiers were 'on the wall'. We had soldiers in Germany. None of them were perched on the wall. If the soldiers shared the responsibility for the wall falling, I'd like to know how.

I have to correct your incredibly offensive slander of our soldiers. That you can't grasp a metaphor isn't surprising, but your witless belittling of our troops is just staggering.

Without the US military might behind it, Reagan's words would have meant NOTHING when it came to bringing down the wall. For decades our soldiers have been stationed around the world and especially in Europe as a tool to contain the USSR.

Your silly idolatry of Reagan causes you to diminish the people who made bringing down the wall possible, people Reagan praised and supported.

You have completely lost any ounce of credibility you may have had with the gullible.

[Truthsearcher]

The way I read it, “Bush delivered the first” referred to GWB delivering our first blow in the current war, therefore to expect the current war to be won immediately after he leaves office like Reagan and the Cold War is unrealistic and naive.

[Darkwolf377]

The way I read it, “Bush delivered the first” referred to GWB delivering our first blow in the current war, therefore to expect the current war to be won immediately after he leaves office like Reagan and the Cold War is unrealistic and naive.

No, no, anyone reading that mis-type would have been properly baffled. I even had to find that post again and when I read it I was like "What???"

I meant to type "THEY" not "BUSH" as a reference to the soldiers stationed as part of our decades-long containment of the USSR.

[Dick Vomer]

Gawd, I listened to McCain last night..... there is NO WAY I’d vote for this assh#t. He sounds like Homer Simpson’s father.

He is Bob Dole without the sense of humor. I’m voting for Barak Obama..... that way we can have the country tied in knots for 4 years. Hillary will impose martial law and go Christian male hunting like she did with the Blow Job Clinton’s first presidency.

[mkjessup]

You’ve been casting pearls before swine my FRiend.

“Don’t confuse ‘em with facts, their minds are already made up”, that about sums it up with these ignoramuses.

[Truthsearcher]

“If Hillary Clinton is sworn in, those conservative Justices should start worrying about their health. The Xlintonx are ruthless. I’m personally convinced they’ve killed people.”

If that’s what you were trying to say,that’s what you should have said, instead of implying someone was going to fall from the stairs.

[DoughtyOne]

You stated he committed may sins. What a dumb ass.

Word of advice--when calling someone a dumb ass, you need to spell "many" properly. Dumbass.

Leave it to you to think dropping a character is an indicator of intelligence.

Let me know when you're going to start listing his sins.

You are obsessed with that comment, and keep repeating it over and over and over in an effort to prove something. All you are proving is your lack of intelligence.

You stated many sins.  Go ahead ace.  List the many sins.  Why not just the top ten, I don't want to tax you too much.

I'd continue posting about this topic, but it's not about Reagan.

It's very much about Reagan, because you have not withdrawn you inaccurate statement, that Reagan committed many sins.

Now it's about you.

If that's the way you want to frame it, be my guest.  Reagan isn't here to defend himself and I am.

You apparently have no life and have to model yourself as a protector of Reagan in order to somehow connect your sorry life to the great man's.

What a low life chump.  You make a statement about Reagan committing many sins, then fault me for taking you to task over it.

My love and admiration for Reagan doesn't mean I do not see him as he was--a human being, who did some great things and some not-so-great.

Oh don't sell yourself short pal.  This is what you said.

...we forget many of the sins perpetrated by the genuinely great Ronald Reagan...

Yes, some of us do seem to forget the many sins of Reagan.  You haven't been able to substantiate a one.

But you're not interested in any of that.

I'm sure as hell not interested in your version.

You're not interested in Reagan the Man.

You don't have any idea what I am interested in or not.  You're just blowing smoke to make yourself feel better.  Go ahead.

You're only interested in your childish insults as a way of linking yourself to someone you profess to like yet know nothing about that wasn't handed to you.

This is really getting rather pathetic.  No wonder you're saying your going to leave.  You're all played out and have no where to go but bye bye.

You are incapable of serious discussion because you have no understanding of the subject at hand beyond what others have told you.

Nah, following his presidency in real time, I really didn't know anything other than what folks have told me about him.  Following Rush Limbaugh since his early California days and watching the democrats take him to task with some of the same tripe you've offered up here couldn't compare with having someone like you screw with his legacy.

Thus, talking to you is a waste of my time.

To peddle what you are tying to, you bet your ass it is.

"I guess you're saying Reagan never committed sins?" So far you haven't provided any evidence that he did.

So Reagan never committed a sin?

Now who's going infantile?

You are a scary person in need of help.

Who just cleaned your clock.  Once again, what does that make you.

[mkjessup]

I’m voting for Barak Obama..... that way we can have the country tied in knots for 4 years.

Egads! You ARE kidding, right?

But just in case you're not, this is interesting:

" I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't 'fall out in church' as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals."
- Barack Obama, 23 Jan 2008 in Christianity Today

[Darkwolf377]

Well, that's the way I was thinking overall, but the point I was making at that point was about our soldiers being the containment that kept the USSR in line. But I definitely was thinking along those lines--Reagan delivered the killing blow in HIS particular war, while Bush delivered the opening one in this one (using those troops, of course). Our troops are so often considered just tools for the actions of great leaders, when if our troops were less than the very best, neither president would have achieved much of anything in these areas.

It's just such a foolish comparison--Reagan ending the Cold War which had been going on for decades, Bush starting to battle Islamofascism and being blamed for not wrapping it up in a matter of years.

[DoughtyOne]

What the hell does that mean? "Bush delievered the first."

That was a typing mistake, obviously--Bush was president long after the wall fell and had nothing to do with it. I was writing about SOLDIERS, and should have written "THEY" not "BUSH".

No problem.  I try to respond on point and couldn't discern this one.

That's the only correction I need to make. The rest is the bizarre babbling that is more of your personal need to latch on to Reagan's greatness.

Characterize it any way you like.  I don't mind a bit.

Funny--you keep avoiding all the other points I made, and keep repeating ONE line. So much for your grasp of the facts and reality.

Well, it is stange you should say that since I have tired to respond on each point you have made.  For quite a bit of the time I have been copying your posts over and responding to every point.

[Darkwolf377]

Oh don't sell yourself short pal. This is what you said. ...we forget many of the sins perpetrated by the genuinely great Ronald Reagan...

LOL! You're such a baby!

No facts, just blubbery whining and repeating the same line over...and over...and over...

Guess I really touched a nerve pointing out your need to latch onto Reagan--funny how you have completely ignored all the other points I made--but they're there for the other FReepers to read.

And yes, I am leaving this thread--see, I have this thing called a "job" I have to attend to, while you obviously aren't satisfied with the hours I've spent battling your fact-free, emotion-filled, whiney posts.

Your lack of intelligence is here for all to read. To those who think your truly bizarre reaction to criticism, and your completely understandable ignoring of ALL the points I made in favor of one single line proves anything except your lack of ability or understanding, well, I don't care for the admiration of fools.

[DoughtyOne]

Please tell us what soldiers were 'on the wall'. We had soldiers in Germany. None of them were perched on the wall. If the soldiers shared the responsibility for the wall falling, I'd like to know how.

I have to correct your incredibly offensive slander of our soldiers. That you can't grasp a metaphor isn't surprising, but your witless belittling of our troops is just staggering.

I knew it was only a matter of time before you found a skirt to hide behind.

My comments were accurate and I stand by them.  And not you or anyone else values our troops more than I do.  If you want to faint or throw a hissy fit, go ahead.

Without the US military might behind it, Reagan's words would have meant NOTHING when it came to bringing down the wall.

For decades our soldiers have been stationed around the world and especially in Europe as a tool to contain the USSR.

And what did I say on this topic?  Lets review for those who claim to be much more perceptive than I am.

Did they hold the line?  Of course.  Did they prevent Russia from pouring into Western Europe?  Yes.  Did they take down the Soviet Union?  Not really.

Any questions?

Your silly idolatry of Reagan causes you to diminish the people who made bringing down the wall possible, people Reagan praised and supported.

Correcting the record has now been reduced to idolitry in what passes for your brain, and I have not diminished anyone.  I accurately addressed what the duty of our military members was, and that they fulfilled that duty.

You have completely lost any ounce of credibility you may have had with the gullible.

Well, I guess from where you are perched intellectually, aspiring to be just gullible would be a good intermediate goal.

[don-o]

I recall railing against Bush eight years ago and being stomped on by Bush apologists. Now look.

I railed against Bush 41 in 1980. (There was no FR, of course; so you'll just have to trust me on that.)

[DoughtyOne]

Oh they wish I’d go away, but I won’t. I won’t back down from folks who think it’s okay to fein compliments, and then trash a good man like Reagan.

[Types_with_Fist]

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

Too late!

[Alissa]

Ditto!!! Bush vs. Gore, Bush vs. Kerry. It was a no brainer!

[DoughtyOne]

Oh don't sell yourself short pal. This is what you said. ...we forget many of the sins perpetrated by the genuinely great Ronald Reagan...

LOL! You're such a baby!

Go ahead and laugh.  What else can you do when taken to task for that tripe.

No facts, just blubbery whining and repeating the same line over...and over...and over...

As long as you keep trying to play it off as if you didn't trash Reagan I'll keep repeating what you said, over and over and over and over...

Guess I really touched a nerve pointing out your need to latch onto Reagan--funny how you have completely ignored all the other points I made--but they're there for the other FReepers to read.

I don't mind folks reading it over.  Suits me fine.

And yes, I am leaving this thread--see, I have this thing called a "job" I have to attend to, while you obviously aren't satisfied with the hours I've spent battling your fact-free, emotion-filled, whiney posts.

Where's that list sparky?  I'm still waiting for the list.  You don't have to list all the many sins, just list the top ten.

Your lack of intelligence is here for all to read.

Oh really?  Oh you mean everyone can read this?  More fun filled facts from the guy that thinks Reagan committed many sins and should be taken to task for them.

To those who think your truly bizarre reaction to criticism, and your completely understandable ignoring of ALL the points I made in favor of one single line proves anything except your lack of ability or understanding, well, I don't care for the admiration of fools.

Oh I think you care a lot more about the opinion of your peers than you let on.

[DoughtyOne]

Were you on AOL back then Don-O? I thought I remembered you being there, but I could be wrong.