Peggy Noonan Goes Off On Sarah Palin In Column: "Horrifying"

One of the most refreshingly honest moments of the 2008 campaign came when Peggy Noonan, a columnist and former Republican speechwriter, was caught on a live mike calling the choice of Sarah Palin to run on the Republican ticket "political bullshit." She smoothed over her harsh remarks in a subsequent column, saying she liked Palin even if she wasn't sure the selection would be successful. But now that Palin has announced her plan to resign as Alaska Governor, Noonan apparently feels free to speak openly.

In television interviews she was out of her depth in a shallow pool. She was limited in her ability to explain and defend her positions, and sometimes in knowing them. She couldn't say what she read because she didn't read anything. She was utterly unconcerned by all this and seemed in fact rather proud of it: It was evidence of her authenticity. She experienced criticism as both partisan and cruel because she could see no truth in any of it. She wasn't thoughtful enough to know she wasn't thoughtful enough. Her presentation up to the end has been scattered, illogical, manipulative and self-referential to the point of self-reverence. "I'm not wired that way," "I'm not a quitter," "I'm standing up for our values." I'm, I'm, I'm.

In another age it might not have been terrible, but here and now it was actually rather horrifying.

Noonan goes on to refute the most popular conservative arguments in Palin's favor, from her supposed working-class credentials to the idea that she upsets the mainstream media.

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Comments

[mcmutter]

Careful Peggy you face will freeze like that !

(In all honesty). Congratulations to Peg. That some very nice - and very expensive - plastic work. Not a sag or a wrinkle - but most of all - not pulled too tight. Great choice of doctor. Worth every penny spent and its all age appropriate. In plastic less is always more.

[Bingolong]

Great read, not long, dead on.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/opinion/12rich.html

[Lemeritus]

At least Sharpton's remarks were intended to comfort children. The benefit of Palin's resignation (and amazing offer to campaign for Democrats if they meet her exacting "real America" standards) are a cypher.

[Derelict outlaw]

Long before the 2012 re-election of President Obama I predict we will see many republican "products" attempting to re-brand to avoid the ineradicable stench of the prior administration's associations, but much like a fishy salmon and halibut stink, its not likely to come off easily.

[Pilate]

Will she have to apologize to Rush for this?

[Archivist1000]

Noonan is a real Conservative, with a capital C .. nothing wrong with that, but let's not forget it.

HER MAIN INTEREST is the PARTY .. and she knows Palin is not good for the PARTY .. hammering the first few nails in Sarah's coffin is part of a longer strategy.

In the next few months/years ... the Republicans will follow Noonan throught this door she has blasted open, and they will be relentless in tearing down Palin ... they know she is popular, might win the nomination but lose the election ..

Noonan would be more credible had she put COUNTRY first and spoken out when it mattered. Instead, she put PARTY first .. and that is what she is doing now too

[Lemeritus]

As you note, Noonan is a capital-C conservative, and, truly, there's nothing wrong with that. You may not agree with her philosophy, but -- IMO -- Noonan's WSJ article articulated an insight beyond partisan perimeters. As for speaking up "when it mattered", seems to me Noonan was amazingly forthcoming when, in October 08, she said:

"....we have seen Mrs. Palin on the national stage for seven weeks now, and there is little sign that she has the tools, the equipment, the knowledge or the philosophical grounding one hopes for, and expects, in a holder of high office. She is a person of great ambition, but the question remains: What is the purpose of the ambition? ....it's unclear whether she is Bushian or Reaganite. She doesn't think aloud. She just . . .says things."

[Archivist1000]

Saying 'she doesn't think aloud' implies that she believes Palin does think ... NOW her article makes it clear that Noonan doesn't believe that at all.

[mlmn08]

For once, I agree with Peggy Noonan. There is only so much of this Palin-game that any thinking individual can take.

[myworld]

She was out of her depth in a shallow pool?Say it aint so Joe!!!

[rhondadavis28]

McCain never quit, except when he abruptly suspended his campaign.

he and PALIN ARE A PREFECT PAIR

[mcmutter]

aka the Sonbird of Hanoi

as the guys in the military at the time

[JFaye]

All that Ms. Noonan speaks of now was absolutely true the night she spoke off-mic (so she thought) and commented this is "political bullshit" while covering the Republican Party Convention.

Had she had the courage then, with so much at stake, challenged John McCain for his choice and been a nonpartisan voice, or a voice for what our Nation did not need (Sarah Palin), I would have had tremendous respect for Ms. Noonan. Obviously, she now feels safe to truthfully express her opinion about this decorated airhead, who could have on the strength of racial prejudice and ignorance been a heartbeat away from the highest office in our country.

What is horrifying is how too many self-labeled "conservative pundits" and Republican leaders, across the board, fell in line with John McCain's ridiculous choice... In fact, I remember some even calling this tactic "brilliant." Ms. Palin being well-received amongst the Republican base came as no surprise to me. I expected more however from those who are Republicans and who possess a higher intellect than the party's base.

[lmpub]

Well, gosh darn, there goes that liberal media attacking America's favorite point guard again..... wait Peggy Noonan wrote speeches for Ronald Reagan........and she's not a....a liberal....oops!

[tonygumbrell]

The Repulicans are hoist again with their own petard! I love and savor every minute of it.

[MikeDu]

At the start of the weekend I caught a few moments of that unxious "McGlaughlen Group" on PBS. It was rather sad to see the right-wing water carriers (about 2/3rds of the panel) on that show bending over backwards to put a positive spin on the Palin affair. You got the feeling that Palin could've set the Alaska statehouse on fire and those clowns would've still tried to spin the story to be favorable to Palin.

[Tom Joad]

"Sarah sets statehouse on fire to save on heating expenses....BYE BYE!"

[oldwhitewomantoo]

I hope everyone who posts here reads the entire column -- it is cogent & on point.

And, more importantly, I hope that our elected officials on both sides of the aisle read it and take it to heart. We need you to put aside your personal vendettas, prejudices & ambitions for the public good to which you attested you aspire when running for election.

[Lemeritus]

Exactly right, oldwhitewomantoo. Thank you for your comment.

Noonan's article resonates across partisan boundaries. "It's not a time to be frivolous, or to feel the temptation of resentment, or the temptation of thinking next year will be more or less like last year, and the assumptions of our childhoods will more or less reign in our future. It won't be that way.

"We are going to need the best."

That so many in Noonan's party have succumbed to Palin's glossy-magazine charms should not only be of great concern to Ms. Noonan but to all of us because it represents the abandonment of reason and the poisoning of common ground and purpose.

Palin as a Republican phenomenon is only secondarily the problem -- "She was a gifted retail politician who displayed the disadvantages of being born into a point of view (in her case a form of conservatism; elsewhere and in other circumstances, it could have been a form of liberalism) and swallowing it whole:" The penchant of a certain type of American to surrender to empty populist dogma bodes ill for our country -- always has and always will.

[StephenJK]

I find the Pegster makes me quite randy.

[DavidinBoston01]

Where was this cogent analysis when it MATTERED?

[dillydawg]

And that is the point. End of story.

[mutabobeira]

Yes, that is the point. Sadly, this story will never end. The people can see through all of this posturing...but the people, who seem to thrive on Saturday matinee with guaranteed cliffhangers, continue their subscription to the 24/7 "news cycle."

Money = Power. "Money trumps everything." --George W. Bush

May they all rot in hell. Do not elect incumbents.

[Lemeritus]

See:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122419210832542317.html

I hope you don't mistake this defense of Noonan's consistency for an endorsement of her political philosophy; I do think, however, it's important to respect the integrity of her opinion.

[mamacat]

There are a lot of ways in which Ms. Noonan and myself can and do disagree, but the unbelievable incompetence of the GOP in choosing Palin as a Vice Presidential candidate is horribly stupefying. Maybe in a place like Alaska she can muddle through, just ruining a few rivers here and there, but to think of her acting on our behalf on the national stage is more than any thinking person, of either party, should have to bear.