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Journalism

Noonan v. Frum?

David Frum last summer:

In this debt-ceiling fight, I'm having horrible flashbacks to the Republican debacle over health care.

Then as now, what could have been a negotiated deal turned into all-out political war.

Then as now, Republicans rejected all concessions by the president as pathetically inadequate.

Then as now, Republicans refused any concessions of their own, instead demanding that the president yield totally to their way of thinking.

Then as now, Republicans convinced themselves that they had the clout to force the president to yield.

With health care, Republicans calculated spectacularly wrong.

Peggy Noonan last weekend:

Once again the president thought he was playing a shrewd game: The collapse of the super committee would serve his political purposes. Once again he misjudged.

What has occurred is an exact repeat of the summer's debt ceiling fiasco. Then the president summoned a crisis, thinking people would blame it on the Republicans. Instead they blamed Washington, which is to say him, because he owns Washington. Immediately his numbers fell. As they did again this week.

Categories > Journalism

Discussions - 3 Comments

Frum is an ass. True, Obama passed healthcare, but the debacle was his. He is still paying for that piece of down-your-stupid-American-idiot-throats legislation. It was passed using bribes and without any bipartisan support, and the whole world knows it. Nothing could demonstrate better this man's complete lack of respect for the people and their institutions.

You have two journeyman writers, one of whom acquired a law degree but never practiced and one of whom is a lapsed employee of CBS Radio. Neither is notable as a stylist and I think you would have to spend a great deal of time rummaging through their writings to find an original or incisive observation. We are listening why?

We are listening because each is speaking to and resonating with a certain portion of the reading public. I know different people who are entranced with each. Who is original these days, anyway? And who really wants originality when observing politics? Look at political writers; we want to hear what the majority of our favorite types say, especially if it gives us a little hope (or dismay, depending on inclination) for the season.

I hope Noonan is right and Frum continues to be wrong about this matter.

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