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

[left-leaning-libertarian]

Sheesh! After Dan "Potato with an e" Quayle and 8 years of GW "nu-ku-ler" Bush I didn't think the GOP could scrape any more detritus from the bottom of the intellectual barrel. But--gosh darn it!-- here comes Sarah Palin; a figure so utterly lacking in gravitas, so completely vacuous, so jaw-droppingly incurious as to make Quayle seem a Rhodes scholar and W a gifted orator!

It may be that pigs are flying outside my window (haven't checked yet today) or the furnace in Hell is on the fritz, but I find myself in agreement with Ms. Noonan on this one. Who woulda thunk it?

Obama/Biden 08

[SurrealPumpkin]

*light bulb* Palin was the only choice who wouldn't out shine McCain.

[Grunty1]

We have a winner!!

[chrisberge72]

I had to look out the window to see if pigs were flying when I just heard that Wick Allison (Editor of The National Review) has endorsed Obama!!! I believe that your proverbial furnace in Hell may indeed be on the fritz.

[DonDavis]

Desperate McCain Campaign to Launch the ULTIMATE Negative Ad
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=3767

[123dee]

I think today Peggy put politics aside, and spoke of the country, I think Peggy is looking
at the much bigger picture sees the how life as we now it, could be changed forever by
McCain/Palin .

[ContraEgoiste]

.
It's totally absurd, disingenuous and hypocritical for right~wingers to wave the populous flag. This is the biggest self serving deception of the McCain campaign and a blatantly cynical statement of his disdain for middle America.

Populism is something that conservatives have derided, opposed and fought against for 3 decades while pushing the country towards fascism. For 3 decades they pushed the corporate class and lauded the "free~markets" while accusing anybody who advocated for the people to be "communists". For 3 decades they have taken every opportunity to rendered ineffective every agency that was created to oversee and protect the public; FEMA, EPA, FDA, SEC, and on and on.

For 3 decades they have pushed for the authoritarian control of government in direct opposition to the idea of "we the people". They taken every opportunity to circumvent and diminish the Constitution. They have loaded judicial system all the way to the Supreme~Court with individuals who legislate on the side of corporate~greed and malfeasance. These are the~same~people that with one hand enact freedom subversive­~legislatu­res under the cover of national~security such as the Patriot~Act, while with the other they erase from the books long standing laws that protect the individual such as Habeas~Corpus. They are the ones who have entered into a mutually profitable unholy~alliance and elevated to power would be theocrats who would like nothing better to rule this country by religious tenets.

How dare they! Their entire ideology and everything they have done has been in diametrical opposition to populism.

[pfc1369]

Contra, you have nailed it!

[bakingmom]

Thank you for saying what needs to be said . . . And for saying it so well. Those of us who have watched the unbelievable double-speak for years are just amazed by the incredible arrogance of the rethugs who have switched up their language so much that I have whiplash trying to keep pace!!!!

[scandals&skeletons]

That was excellent.
You should write for huffpo.

[ContraEgoiste]

Thank you all. Their bold face lies just p1ss me off that I have to vent.

[seattledemocrat]

This is who "Joe six pack" is:
Todd Palin - No degree
Wasilla High School, Wasilla, Alaska.

Sarah Palin: 1 degree
1982, Hawaii Pacific College one semester;
North Idaho community college, two semesters;
University of Idaho, two semesters;
Matanuska-Susitna community college in Alaska, one semester;
1987 completing her Bachelor of Science, University of Idaho

I'd rather have candidates with an intellect get us out of this economic:

Barack Obama - 2 degrees
1983 Bachelor of Arts, Columbia University
1991 Juris Doctor, Harvard University, first African American president of Harvard Law Review

Michell Obama - 2 degrees
1985 Bachelor of Arts, Princeton University, graduated cum laude
1988 Juris Doctor, Harvard Law School

Joe Biden - 2 degrees
1965 Bachelor of Arts, University of Delaware double major in history and political science
1968 Juris Doctor, Syracuse University College of Law

Jill Biden - 3 degrees
1975 Bachelor of Arts, University of Delaware
1987 Master of Arts in English, Villanova University.
1991 Master of Education with a specialty in reading, West Chester University

[Selbourne]

During the debate Palin repeatedly described McCain as a Maverick. Did anyone see the movie Maverick, a Western comedy with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster. Well here we have the comedy in real life with McCain as Maverick and Palin as Mrs. Annabelle Bransford, two likable con artists. What a perfect analogy?
But can we afford to entrust our future to Maverick and Bransford? The future of the nation is no laughing matter.

P.S. for more information about the movie see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_(film)

[IamaGApeach]

Someone needs to tell dumb Sarah that Joe six-pack's been running the country into the ground for the last eight years.

[ErnestineBass]

DUHbya strikes me as more of a twelve-pack kind of guy...

[mouselion]

With a couple of shots of Jim Beam as well.

[faithfully]

Palin's class warfare is Hitleresque. We need to be very careful.

[RonCram]

I like Peggy usually, but she is still upset that McCain chose Palin rather than her good friend Kay Bailey Hutchison. Of course, Palin is the better choice. She is a governor so she has executive experience and she is a real Washington outsider. Palin is a better fit for McCain because she is willing to go against her own party on issues of principal. Peggy will come around eventually. The sour grapes will not last forever.

[wazzucoug]

The sad truth is that John Keating McCain doomed his campaign and showed absolute, ignorant judgement when he picked Palin as a running mate.

[williamg]

Peggy is upset she spent 6 months campaigning for Bush is 2000.

[meltingpot101]

Maybe Peggy doesn't think it's good for the republicans, or the country for that matter that Palin come in with the same thing that Bush and his Cronies have been so instrumental in using at the exspense of this country...­.

Abuse of Power.

or maybe it was the Witch doctor.

[scandals&skeletons]

Palin is nothing more than a gimmick. Her polling numbers are dropping off a cliff as all of America see she is imcompetent.
John McCain has used the mantra "Country First" many times yet with Palin he clearly put politics first and country be dammed

[Culturemaven]

Yes, Palin is a Washington outsider. She is also completely out of her league. Totally. Unequivocally.
Sour grapes may be part of this, but I suspect Ms. Noonan, like other accomplished, intelligent women, are appalled at the idea of this intellectual lightweight being plucked out of relative obscurity for such cynical reasons. And I don't really like Peggy Noonan, but clearly she is smart and capable.

[Jeff7772]

Peggy Noonan is almost unbearable to listen to. She is condescending, phony and unctuous. Why is she famous? A few clever sentences?

[dmspeech]

The Peggy Noonan of MTP and the one who spoke after the debate must be evil twins. The Peggy Noonan who spoke after the debate could not stop raving about what a fantastic job Palin had done. I think she went on and on for several minutes. I got so disgusted that I changed the channel and when I turned it back she was still being icky-sticky for Palin. Were those just the debate talking points set out by the RNC, or her real thoughts? What about this morning? What's the truth, Peggy? Oh, I forgot, the truth is a foreign entity to repubs.

[NotMcCain]

Republicans are campaigning against a Democratic president as an enemy of this country, someone disloyal who "pals around with terrorists".

That kind of hateful, divisive LYING should be repudiated by every newspaper, every commentator in America.

Of course it won't be. But it SHOULD.

[standforpeace]

Oh if only Palin were actually engaged in class warfare. I think that we are at a point where all but the most determined right wing ideologues would admit that someone needs to stand up for working and middleclass Americans. The $700 billion bailout proves that no matter what happens, the rich are always going to be okay even if they have to throw out their free market bible to save their collective asses. Unfortunately, Sarah Palin's brand of populism is nowhere close to class warfare on behalf of JoeSixPack. Rather behind all of Palin's folksiness is a cynical hope that the working and middle classes are willing to commit collective suicide in order to elect a soccer mom. This is cynicism at its worst.

Whatever happened to the days when Americans celebrated the uplifting speech of Harvard educated JFK or the self-taught Lincoln who gave us the Gettysburg Address? When the hell did ignorance become a qualification for the presidency?

[meltingpot101]

It's CRAZY isn't it. How do we expect to be the leaders in the free world when we keep elect mediocracy??

We can accept, even embrace mediocracy, but we sure as hell should not be electing "Joe Six Pack" in positions of power.

[trinity]

Unfortunately when "intelligent" became "elitist".

[Piatt]

Even we I disagree with Noonan, I find her thoughtful. Palin's "populism" is more about American Idol than the values, issues or commons sense that make up Main Street.

[Pegi]

PS - PEGGY NOONAN - when you are on morning blowhard, MY FRIENDS AND I CHANGE THE STATION - because you are a No Nothing At All about the Dems or Obama and his agenda for my country!!!!

GOBAMA!!!!!

[meltingpot101]

Did you read the Blog?? I don't think so.

[Culturemaven]

Pegi dear, take a deep breath. The rage does not help your case. Stop shouting in caps. Thank you.

[Pegi]

will somebody PLEASE tell Peggy Noonan with her long view of looking her nose down at ALL people, to please sit down and shut the F***K UP!!!!! oh also peggy, by the way, YOU ARE MOST IRRELEVANT!!!!!!

[meltingpot101]

How many Irrelenant people do you know that write for the Wall Street Journal and are read by millions of people??

Respect to Peggy Noonan.

[meltingpot101]

Irrelevant­...oops

[williamg]

Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal?

[bltmn]

If you must be vulgar, you could at least be a little more witty.

I am no conservative, but I have always found Peggy Noonan to be intelligent, sincere, and dignified. She's an ideologue, to be sure, but not partisan to the point of unconditionally praising anything coming from the Right.

You, on the other hand, are just an a$$h0le.