Peggy Noonan: Palin's Failin'

Wall Street Journal:

"Sometimes the leak is so bad that even a plumber can't fix it." This was the concise summation of a cable political strategist the other day, after the third and final presidential debate. That sounds about right, and yet the race in its final days retains a feeling of dynamism. I think it is going to burst open or tighten, not just mosey along. I can well imagine hearing, the day after Election Day, a lot of "You won't believe it but I was literally in line at the polling station when I decided."

John McCain won the debate, and he did it by making the case more effectively than he has in the past that Barack Obama will raise taxes, when "now, of all times in America, we need to cut people's taxes." He also scored Mr. Obama on his eloquence, using it against him more effectively than Hillary Clinton ever did. When she said he was "just words," it sounded like a bitter complaint. Mr. McCain made it a charge: Young man, you attempt to obscure truth with the mellifluous power of your words. From Mrs. Clinton it sounded jealous, but when Mr. McCain said it, you looked at Mr. Obama and wondered if you'd just heard something that was true. For the first time, Mr. Obama's unruffled demeanor didn't really work for him. His cool made him seem hidden.

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[guajiro]

"I think it is going to burst open or tighten, not just mosey along."

Well Ms Noonan, I guess you must have spent oodles of hours coming up with that line. Only thing is, every election from time immemorial has used the same strategy of emphasizing the last few days of an election, often spending most of their money in that time period, so that's no surprise or prediction. And for someone like McCain who makes his living using words to suddenly attack Obama for being "mellowfluous" in his words rings hollow to my ears. If anything, I saw McCain as another George Bush, a jeering, irresponsible, rich kid's jerk.

[WolfLarsen]

Peggy Noonan was relevant when? Never. She wrote some pedantic speeches aimed at the bottom feeders in the GOP that was heavy on racism and light on realism.

Peggy don't you have to be right about one thing before you can be taken seriously on anything?

[boing007]

Peggy Noonan:

But it's unclear whether she is Bushian or Reaganite.

Who cares?! Peggy Noonan does.

[EvoMan]

As Kos says, the instapolls have rendered pundits like Ms. Noonan obsolete. Obama won the debate, period. McCain started strong and could have won it. But, he messed up.

[jdtmcquirter]

The repubs are delusional. Barack Obama won the debate hands down-every poll confirms that.
Peggy Noonan has been trying to position herself as above the other neaderthals of her party, but I guess it just to hard to do. Oh, well back to the knuckle dragging.

[cautionbug]

And what would have worked better for Obama? To start stammering and talking louder as though it would make him sound more honest? Come on. He was cool, collected, and never had to divert from his story. He stuck to his plan and he made a lot more sense doing it. McCain was still just as scattered, even though he spent the whole debate on two points: Joe The Not Plumber, and "eloquence­." Even within those two tactics he couldn't make a concise, sensible argument why taxing health care plans, providing a credit to buy a private plan at a 500% loss, and letting health care companies migrate to the least regulated states was a GOOD idea. Sorry, McCain was grasping at straws from neck-deep in quicksand.

Aside from that, what's any of this article have to do with its headline?

[PoliJunkie]

Sometimes when I watch Peggy Noonan give her slow responses to questions, I sometimes wonder if she is too old at this. Doris Kearns-Goodwin runs circles around this has been. I mean I never enjoyed Reagan speeches, he was just like W. BORING! She is boring and is probably angry no one asked her to help them out in McSame's campaign. BTW, Ms. Noonan, Obama won that debate! Welcome to the 21st Century!

[dutt]

Peggy Noonan obviously did not watch the debate. Of the 3 debates it was McCain's worst performance. John McCain was incoherent. The only time he made any sense was in his closing speech, which of course had been rehearsed.

[Rog49Thomas]

the surge is working

[madmaven]

too bad you can't understand an AMerican hero.

[wndrwrthg]

We understand heros fine, but mccain is a zero.

[robXdion]

Peggy Noonan is so confused. She doesn't know whether to cheer McCain on or to damn him for picking Palin and running this joke of a campaign. Her Republican bonafides are getting in the way of her commonsense and her conflicting schizophrenic thoughts are showing in her statements, on the mic and off.

[ccrane]

McCain won? What debate was she watching?

[burndtdan]

Apparently one where she didn't see that all the polls said Obama one by 2:1 margins.

[DamageControl]

She's the queen of tire swinging (on air at least). She puts partisanship before the obvious truth whenever she can in an effort to appease the base, if you watched her on Morning Hoe or read what she wrote after Obama's acceptance speech you'd understand that she doesn't care about reality in the slightest. Her one and only goal is to push a narrative that is conducive to whatever she desires.

[songman]

Check out the new McCain youtube song/video parody by typing in "McCain's Way".

Also check out the Palin parody "The Lady is a Sham", also by PoliticalRalph

[loudyk]

Noonan, apparently you failed to read all the poll results after the final debate. McCain lost, Obama won...by a wide margin I might add. While McCain started out better than in any previous debates, he still continued on his downward spiral with no relief in sight. You are apparently in denial.

[Rog49Thomas]

I believe that Republicans have an inbred aversion to reality.

[layman]

They just Cain face the truth !

[JohnnyKay]

.....and the truth.

Peggy Noonan certainly does, if she can pretend McCain won the debate, or that Sarah Palin was ever "intelligent" at any time in her life.

Being wickedly clever like Sarah is, just isn't the same. Nor is it the 'right thing' to do..... ever.

I can't wait until she's back in Alaska Nov 5th.