Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

When History Is Too Exciting

Here is a reflective piece from Peggy Noonan on the November election. Her concern for Bush’s re-election is that while Americans admire Bush for his guts and his gusto, the past 3 years have been all too exciting, and a vote for Kerry may be thought a vote for returning to "normalcy." Kerry is what Bush isn’t -- dull, boring, unwilling to take a stand on just about anything, and Euro-friendly. She concludes, "The American people may come to feel that George W. Bush did the job history sent him to do. He handled 9/11, turned the economy around, went into Afghanistan, captured and removed Saddam Hussein. And now let’s hire someone who’ll just by his presence function as an emollient. A big greasy one but an emollient nonetheless."  

Discussions - 15 Comments

Since when did "reflective" ever mean "wholly disingeneous and sickly partisan?"


I’m afraid that Peggy is right on the money. This appeal to "peacetime," pre-Sept. 11 thinking is very powerful. And Edwards fits perfectly into the strategy.

Bush is not boring and dull -now that’s rich. But considering that Ms. Noonan is someone who used flowers(of all things) as an excuse for her inablility to understand Kafka and Sartre, what can you expect?!

In the 80s there was a German leftist slogan ’Wer Kohl waehlt, waehlt Reagan’,

what about: ’a voice for Kerry/Edwards is a voice for Schroeder/Chirac’,

it could help to excite and affirm voters in their support for America and G.W.Bush.

A VOTE ... would even be better (sry for my lousy English)

I’m a big boxing fan. Recently, just prior to the light heavyweight championship title fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver, as the referee was going through his customary pre-fight instructions and asked "are there any questions," Tarver (who, by most accounts was robbed of a victory the first time the two men fought) snatched the microphone away from the ref and asked, "Any excuses tonight, Roy?"

Reading Noonan’s column, one cannot feel as though she has been asked the same question. As the election draws closer, and Conservatives see their hopes for the next four years wash down the drain, this type of excuse making will become increasingly common. Noonan wants us to believe the laughable notion that Bush won’t win re-election because he’s a brave soul who had the courage to do what nobody else would. The reality is that Bush is at his best, a mediocre and misguided president, and at his worst, he is a tyrant in a patriot’s clothing.

PS: Tarver knocked Jones out in the second round.


Mr. Coffee, you have no case for Mr. Bush’s "tyranny" and no case that he is not a patriot.

Why don’t you try a different tack? Instead of bashing conservatives, why don’t you educate us about how great John Frog Kerry is?

Can you?

David, the last time I checked, this post was about Bush, not Kerry. So the question is, what can you offer to defend Bush’s record or Noonan’s piece... aside from resorting to calling John Kerry names, that is?


Bush has fought our mortal enemies in two countries. In one of these countries, he went to war even though there were substantial political risks. That’s leadership.

Bush cut taxes substantially. This is good for the economy and also restores more of people’s rightful property to them.

He has attempted to moderate environmental extremism in the federal bureaucracy.

He signed the ban on the outrageous practice of partial-birth abortion.

He refused to follow the Kyoto treaty, which would have been disastrous for the economy. He has also kept us out of various other globalist snares.

He has appointed judges who believe in interpreting the law, not making it.

He has advocated common-sense reforms in our sclerotic welfare state.

And almost as important as any of these things, he has driven the left-liberal establishment in this country -- our true rulers -- more or less insane. We Republicans love that as much as anything.

Now, now -let’s not get off topic. David: please give us all a clue on why you think
Ms. Noonan’s "thinking is very powerful." Since you sound like a powerful thinking kind of guy yourself, maybe you could also tell us what in the hell flowers have to do with understand Kafka and Sartre.
Thanks.

I should think that your question about flowers, Kafka and Sartre was "off-topic." But then, maybe that’s the question you really want an answer to.

In case it’s not, let me explain that my favorable reaction to Ms. Noonan’s column is based on human nature. People do not wish to face unpleasant facts. The challenge of Islamic extremism is an unpleasant fact. A man comes along backed by all the resources allied with the Democratic party -- which is to say, by most of the powerful interests in this society -- and says to the people: "You can forget about this challenge. It is simply another law enforcement problem. The key to addressing it is not killing our enemies, beefing up our military, rethinking our international posture, standing up to hostile foreign governments. The key is getting the French, the UN, etc., to like us better. I can do that at no cost in lives or money or sacrifice. We can all go back to the peaceful Clinton years and get back to the task of fully implementing the final phases of the welfare state."

Was it Al Smith who said, regarding the Democratic party’s fundamental appeal: "Who would shoot Santa Claus"?

David: the reference to flowers, Kafka and Sartre occurred in Noonan’s article. Now about the rest of your post, there are two issues: Kerry’s stand on what you call Islamic extremism(an open ended designation which you didn’t define), and how the American people(what ever that means) perceive what Kerry’s stand to be on that issue. I have no idea what Kerry actually stands for on this(or any other) issue and neither do you. Kerry is a politician who is trying get elected to office and, like most politicians(including your favorite conservatives), is going to dissemble, deflect, stonewall, finesse, etc. in order to achieve that goal. Most of the people who vote will probably weigh the record of Bush/Cheney/Ashcroft/etc against what they perceive Kerry stands for. It’s all about perceptions, which is why most of the people elected to public office are not much to write home about.

Never speak ill of Peggy Noonan. Never....;)

Kevin, okay I’ll play: why would you say that?

Mr. Gordon, do you really believe that George Bush will "dissemble, deflect, stonewall, finesse," his position on hunting down radical Islamic terrorists???

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