Peggy Noonan: They Got What They Wanted

Opinion Journal ^ | 11/08/2002 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

Every party has a reason for being. The Republican Party was formed in the mid-19th century to achieve a specific historical goal: the end of slavery. From there it became the party of Lincoln, the party that saved the Republic and, ultimately, the party that gave a natural home to those who felt enslaved by big government, high taxes, big regulation.

[Pokey78]

Pinging the Peggy Noonan list.

[jra]

So Lang pleads guilty to one count and agrees to roll over on

Oops, wrong board.

[A_perfect_lady]

Can I be on the Peggy Noonan list??

[Bush2004]

Spot on Peggy!

[Billthedrill]

I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but Noonan has a point. The Dems do have a problem in the the "little guy" whose ostensible benefit excuses their excesses turns out to be a steadily dwindling constituency, consisting now largely of the loudest whiners and the most militant professional victims. Where these can deliver a vote from the aggrieved and credulous the Dems do well.

Their only real recourse at the moment - it could change in months - is to retreat into the same incessant negativism and character assassination that got them stomped this time around. If they cannot agree on a set of programs they'll never unseat the incumbents. And those programs must not only satisfy the party radicals but offer a broad appeal to the undecided. If they swing to the extreme left all they'll get for their efforts is a noisy solidarity among the 20% who will still vote for them no matter what.

[Pokey78]

Sure!

[RKV]

When your enemy is harming his own cause, help him do more of the same. For God's sake Peg - SHHHHH!

[Salvation]

**The argument as many Democrats frame it so far is: Should we tack left, or should we fight it out in the center for the center?**

But the dims get lost even trying to find the center of the center! LOL!

[GOPJ]

She sums it up:

The Democratic Party hasn't had a new idea that is both a big idea and a good idea in at least a quarter century, longer really. It is a tribute to the party's talent, and a tribute to the sentiment and loyalty of the American people, that the Democrats have lasted this long.

[alethia]

Geez, Peggy -- stop giving them hints!!!

[fatguy]

Does anybody else think this is true:

A proponent of liberalism that evades getting tagged as leftism, this major-state senator is a tough partisan who hates the other side but has the discipline not to show it, or not often.

[MelBelle]

Would you put me on the Peggy ping list too? Thanks

[fatguy]

She's talking about Hilary, for those that didn't read to the end of the article.

[per loin]

The last socialists are there, the warriors of race and class; there are environmentalists who want to set loggers on fire, people who think George W. Bush killed Paul Wellstone, activists whose only concern in the world is abortion rights, and people who support capital punishment for only one crime, smoking in public. Soon they will demand the death penalty for smoking in private.

Bingo!

[GOPJ]

Good advice for democrats:

Why does the party exist? To do what? The simple act of defining will help you. Do it together sometimes--have a lot of people at the table, but don't invite academics and intellectuals. They got you into a lot of this mess, and they don't know anything about America.

[dead]

You know, she really made tons of sense, until the very end, when she cites Hillary as the future of their party.

I think maybe she's trying to trick them into twisting the knife that's already in the party's chest.

[okie01]

The Big Idea for the Democrats:

Term Limits.

They'll have to be near death, though, before they accept it...

[Pokey78]

Done.

[thurules]

Great, the old " we are winning now because we already lost argument." This is how very bad football teams score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to "only lose" 63-14.
(Yes, I am a Bengals fan so I know how this scam works)