My response to Peggy Noonan's recent column in

[The White Tree]

the Wall Street Journal on 8/11

Bookends
Why the base--and some outside it--are standing by President Bush.
<http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110007087>

Here is the pertinent paragraph of this BS from which my response is crafted.

<snip>Mr. Bush as a person, as an individual, is as attractive to Republicans as he is unattractive to Democrats. Republicans like him because he seems like a normal guy--business, family, sports, Top 40 on the iPod. Democrats hate him for this--how common, how plebian; he'd have more elevated tastes if he were a more elevated man. Republicans like him for the one way in which he is obviously extraordinary: When he says it he means it, and if he promises it he'll do it. Democrats see this as evidence of derangement: He doesn't change his mind because he thinks he's God's other son, and in any case he can't think clearly enough to change his mind. Republicans see it more this way: As a West Point official said to me in passing, "He's got two of 'em."

First, I am not sure I understand the last line of this paragraph. If anyone does please explain. At any rate here is what I wrote to her.

Dear Ms. Noonan,

Your Mary Magdalene-esque fawning over the president and his virtuous qualities is as admirable as it is maddening to anyone who tries to perceive the realities of the world. Like most of the Republican base, I think you would support George Bush if he told you it was necessary to invade Canada as long as it did not involve a tax increase.

However, this idea that the president is liked by Republicans for one thing: When he says it he means it, and if he promises it he'll do it, strains credibility. The president said he'd get Osama bin Laden, he hasn't and said he doesn't really care about him. He said he'd fire anyone involved in leaking information in the Plame affair in his administration, then he changed his mind. He said he would not offer North Korea incentives to disarm then, after they started building nuclear weapons he offered them incentives to disarm. He said when gas prices spike a president should jawbone OPEC members to lower the price, when the time came to do so he refused. His administration is not even consistent on what to call the "war on terror" changing it to the "global struggle against extremism" and when that sounded too wishy-washy back to the "war on terror".

So you see, it's not that I dislike him for how plebian he is, I really could care less what he eats, listens to on his ipod or how he would look me in the eye if I ever had a conversation with him. Those things are meaningless to me. No, it's the fact that what Republicans love about him is the opposite of what I believe is the reality. He doesn't mean what he says, he doesn’t' keep his promises. Rather he does what is expedient to him.

And while I don't expect you or the Republican faithful to believe me, perhaps, next year when, just in time for the 2006 elections, we start pulling troops out of Iraq and declare (for the 2nd time mind you) that we've completed the mission, maybe you'll remember this letter. Although somehow I doubt that.

Interestingly, I decided to read some other readers comments to see what they were saying about it. Of the 20 or so comments all where decidedly pro-Bush anti any democrat although the majority praised wither Bush's wife or denigrated a democratic presidents wife - Hillary Clinton or Rosalyn Carter.

I thought it was odd that there was not 1 negative comment about Bush himself. Surely all the readers of the Wall Street Journal are not republicans, are they? I mean my father-in-law is a democrat and he reads that rag.

It was then I believe I discovered the reason why which follows.

From there responses page they state:
Please note: We don't post all responses, and we don't post responses immediately. If we do use yours, we reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

So they don't post all response, could it be that they only post responses positive to Peggy Noonans viewpoint or the republican viewpoint. Hmm, I wonder.

So in some ways this was an excercise in futility so I thought I'd share it with youse guys. Peace.

[donco6]

1. Great response.

But I think it's even MORE maddening, not just that Bush doesn't do what he says he'll do, but that in *spite* of that people continue to hold him up as a model for "walking the talk!" WTF?

[The White Tree]

4. I agree with you totally that is even worse

especially now that he has four more years barring an impeachment and resignation which will probably never happen.

:yourock:

[zalinda]

2. Explanation

Republicans see it more this way: As a West Point official said to me in passing, "He's got two of 'em."


----------------------BALLS----------------------


Which is really funny because he doesn't have enough to meet with a grieving mom.

zalinda

[The White Tree]

3. Duh - Thanks, I can't beleive I missed that

I guess cause I was looking at it in the context of what she wrote about him changing his mind.

[PATRICK]

5. Rationalization

of cheap goods is an easy skill for those enjoying being on the "winning side" so much they can't see when they are losing because they already surrendered their minds and souls. Noonan is part of that and wishes there actually were Democrats like she says there are, both Bush fans and snobs.

Unfortunately, Democrats don't have to rationalize away Bush's great image. Reality does that very nicely for those unswayed by RW propaganda garbage. Attributing the characteristics of snobbery and surrender to Democrats is merely part of a defensive, smearing rationalization and without much subtlety or argument to make it persuasive.

By the way watch Triumph of the Will. Now there was a dangerous fraud who COULD look you straight in the eyes and not muff a sentence either. Who could fight in his country's war and could really get in touch with the common man and worker. Noonan and the others repeat over and over that Bush can do likewise, but we see little convincing evidence that the insouciant and arrogant frat boy spoiled millionaire from the Northeaster war profiteering dynasty can handle the common approach except in the unwilling loss of brain cells due to sins of his over privileged youth.

The wasted bumbling mumbler is not something relegated to the beer drinking commons and certainly is not in the majority yet unless by following his example the plebeians would lie and carouse their way to incoherent oblivion. But if the people did that they would not have anyone to bail them out and the country would fall much faster than if they simply trusted, shrugged and did their duty.

The twisted and retwisted dizzy spin when thought through(not recommended in plain speaking Bushamerica) actually is an insult to everyone. But of those who deserve the inflicted scorn and insult Noonan and her boy lead the way flags waving. She is so simply consistent too, one wonders why one doesn't replace her with computer robot software.

Cheaper, though a nerdish accomplishment.

[The White Tree]

6. Well said, especially that last line

"She is so simply consistent too, one wonders why one doesn't replace her with computer robot software."

That gave me chuckle.


:toast:

[donco6]

7. I think the reason Hitler could "look you in the eye"

and not muff a word was that he truly believed his own ideology. I think Bush is a fraud on all counts. I don't think he believes any of that fundie Christian crap, but he spouts it because he knows that's what people want to hear. And he doesn't care. What he really believes in is personal aggrandizement.

[Lefergus70]

8. Why does Noonan do this?

It sounds naive to ask this, I know, but my mind struggles to understand what she -and other apparently very intelligent RW ideologues- believe in. Why does she rush to defend all government lies and attack those who won't go along? Is it fear of change, of the outside world, of the masses, of her status? Why do the Peggy Noonans have no compassion, for example, for the casualties of the Bush doctrine? Is her selective outrage going to make her rich?
She's probably a nice person too; I don't know. But so is my cousin, a retired business executive who believes everything the White House tells him and blocks out all criticism. I don't understand what makes him tick either. I mean, we are watching true moral values being ground to dust and ...well, I just can't figure it out.

[beltanefauve]

9. Nice letter,

White Tree. And I noticed too, once again, how Noonan perpetuates the myth of Bush-as-"regular"-guy, when really, he's an elite corporatist who has only been packaged as such.