Noonan Says Palin's Type Of Populism Is Bad For Country

Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, conservative columnist Peggy Noonan said that the "populist" tactics being deployed by Sarah Palin was "not helpful to the country" and painted her candidacy as built on class warfare.

"She is a natural," said Noonan, "But I will tell you, I feel increased concern about... what she thinks of as populism, as her populist approach. There are two ways, you know, her stuff about, 'I'm main street, you are the elite, I'm Joe six-pack.' She actually says 'I'm the Joe six-pack candidate.' This has me thinking, gosh, would Lincoln say 'I represent the backwoods type?' Would FDR say, 'the New York aristocracy deserves another moment in the sun, vote for me?' There's something weird about it. But there is also something, for me, concerning. Populism as a tactic is justified often in politics. 'I need this program, the people want it.' Populism as a strategy, 'we're the good guys, you're the bad guys,' is not good. And if that's the road they are going, that's not a good road to be on. It is not helpful to the country."

Noonan has been skittish about Palin's candidacy from the get-go, though not always publicly demonstrative about her concerns. She was caught, off camera, calling the vice presidential pick as cynical. But she has also, on occasion, praised Palin for energizing the Republican base and for her debate performance.

On Sunday, Noonan expanded on those compliments, arguing that Palin did an effective job on Thursday night but one that amounted to a political infomercial.

"I'll be frank, she convinced the American people -- though they had seen her crater in the interview after interview in the previous few weeks before that debate -- that she was capable of coming forward and simply debating," said the Wall Street Journal columnist. "I think she showed that she is a woman of great and natural competence about the show-business of politics, if you will: the ability to look over the camera, to think that the camera is your friend, all of that stuff. But there are questions about other areas."

Comments

[hmmmmmer]

Noonan had an extremely hard time saying anything nice about the McCain campaign this morning. I find her grating as hell, but this morning she just couldn't muster enough grate to get the job done.

Republicans are doomed.

[GerryS]

unfortunately, the evangelicals will say when the opera is over-----------

[soulfulnotes]

"And if that's the road they are going, that's not a good road to be on. It is not helpful to the country."

This must be a recent revelation for Noonan, because she obviously didn't feel this way when she was writing speeches for Ronnie "Bonzo" Reagan.

[cbates]

The only thing I agree with is the implication that there is some good in the woman. Mrs. Palin is very scary and I would not want to be one of her subjects, thanks but no thanks. God save. in the name of Jesus the Christ!

[GerryS]

when you have a GOP talking head like P. Noonan (very intellegent) take a pass on supporting Mittens, that is very telling

if only joe 6-pack understood--------------------------------

[soleilnyc]

I think that since Rupert Murdoch bought Dow Jones the Wall Street Journal and its columnists have become even more conservative. They seem to have a noose around their necks and cannot fully say what is on their minds. Come on Peggy, say it, Sarah Palin has no competency in becoming Vice President, and if she does that will be inordinantly damaging to our country. Please, start a movement demanding her withdrawal. That would be the most patriotic move that she could make and certainly in the best interest of this country!
Please journalists, speak the truth!! Stop being so afraid. Where is the leadership here?

[OmnesOmnibus]

One can only imagine what Noonan thought of Palin's grotesque use of her elegaic "shining City on the Hill" stophe.

[kape]

Palin's solution for every economic and military problem:

A verb + A noun + "maverick" + A wink (sometimes she kinda forgets about the noun and the verb, though).

[Liszt]

Palin appeals only to white Christians. She's just another "white" rabbit that the GOP pulled out of their bag of tricks.

[OurKoan]

Your posts are great! Rays of laughter through the clouds of anger this crap puts over our heads.
Thanks.

[Msohio]

I will be happy when this election is over. I hope that I never hear the world maverick, again. Hopefully, McCain's Senate career and Palin/s governorship are done. Maybe Lieberman will go with them. FREE LEVI!!!

[PamperedHousecat]

Maybe the "marverick" is really a "pinto"--4cylinder instead of 6.

[GerryS]

4 cylinders firing on 2----------

[hopefulinvenice]

Well said!!

[kape]

Last time around, we had John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie speaking for the common American. This time, we're supposed to believe it is SP? At long last, Sarah Palin, have you no shame???

[bdaved]

Oooh thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Rentrug]

Surely Ms. Noonan isn't just now discovering that her side always plays a "take no prisoners" game. The more desperate the McCain-Palin campaign becomes, the more vicious they will get and the Joe Six-Pack candidate will become the Joe Six-Gun candidate and then the Joe Six-Megaton candidate. Almost assuredly (or is it you betcha?), Sarah Palin is being trained by the GOP Character Assassination Online University (no elitists need apply) every night to refine her natural skills in distortion, fractional truths and hockey mom sarcasm (apparently her stock in trade). I'm afraid Peggy Noonan will have suffered the vapors long before her ideological standard bearers have finished their battle to keep the country safe from fair taxation and health care.

[Frenchy9]

In Europe we don't call that "populism":

We call is demagogy.

[rhetoricdog]

Ah, but in Europe, you encourage debate, critical thinking, and looking outside borders without fear and hate mongering.

[Vermontah]

Actually what it is is "exceptionalism," which in this particular case is pure American fascism.

[hardlyhikin]

Sarah the populist from Alaska is campaigning as the maverick who's going to change the way things are done in Washington. Less government, everybody keeps more of their money. I'll go along with that; as I understand it, Alaska gets back about $1.78 in government spending for every dollar they send to Washington, in California we get back about $0.74 for every dollar we send. I think Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama all get back more than they send.

Let's establish some parity and everybody gets back what they send. We'll use the money in California to rebuild our schools and highways, invest in green energy technology, stem cell research and other high tech industries.

Alaska can do some nature stewardship thing like offer free flights on aerial wolf hunting trips or whatever the Alaska Independence Party leadership tells them they should be doing for themselves.

[unite4change]

This is what some of the leading republicans think of Governor Palin. Check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luwqRA0GWGc

[tempting]

http://www.linktv.org/specials Check out these issues before you make up your mind.

[whitenoise007]

noonan is right about the populism: if you notice, the right wing crowds seem to boo and hiss every time a democrat is mentioned, like with palin's recent misquote of madeline albright (i don't get why they boo'd her; i guess these are the limbaugh ditto heads). being a "mavericky" demagogue, palin knows how to divide and conquer with a smile; she has that "us against them" culture warrior blood lust down pat.

where noonan and almost all of the corporate media are wrong, though, is this notion that this woman showed competence in the debate. she showed that she can memorize talking points and canned ideology--she was thoroughly and unalterably prepped--which is why she wouldn't answer questions that were not in her recent repertoire. and what the corporate press insists is her "charisma" is exactly what noonan correctly identifies here: she's a demagogic populist who thrives on division and distraction.

[Amalek]

Republicans have adopted the successful methods of the Third Reich. Populism based on hate works pretty good for a while, but it sure destroys democracy.

[Jessegirl]

From the first speech when Palin presented herself to America...she came out with hostility.
The Repubs whole convention was all about who could be the rudest to the Dems.
We just had 8 years of the Bush Whitehouse showing the same lack of respect for 8 years.
And look where that got us?
Why do the Repubs declare their HATE for Washington so bad, yet they all want to work there
and mess up the whole system for ALL Americans.
They bring all their negative energy and rudeness to one of the most important places in America.
Thier whole base requires the American people to be stuck in a fight and pointing fingers.
Sara is a good representation of the "insulting" and hostile Right. She unifies people's hatred.
But she does it in a new way.
With a beautiful face and nice smile....but the charm ends there.
She is another Washington-hating, insulting and rude Repub who will keep the nation divided and
stuck in limbo for another 4 years.

[Modok]

I see the smile, but wheres the apple?

There's a nice "Christian" analogy in there for Winky McSixPack.

[hardlyhikin]

Conservative Republicans subscribe to the Grover Norquist axiom that would shrink the government down to a small enough size that they could drown it in a bathtub (no anger there, huh?) because nothing that the government does is right or competent.

If that's your attitude and you get elected to run the country for twenty out of the last twenty eight years, do you think for a minute that they would do anything to make the government work? Of course not.

And that is exactly what they've done and tried to do for that entire period. Put a hack in charge of FEMA who was a public relations guy for horsebreeders; hire kids out of a right wing religious law school to run the justice department. Fire U.S. attorneys because they were following the law and not the party line, privatize social security, privatize the nonfighting portion of the military. The examples go on and on.

The only way to change it is to throw these bums out AND to hold our own people accountable if we are selected to replace them. The people need to take back Washington alright, but not to hand it over to a dead man walking and a trashy white soccer mom who shoots wolves from airplanes.