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Thank You, Peggy Noonan
I had just wandered through a generally so-so observation about patrician and plebeian elements in our present political situation. I was not sure that I had made my points clear enough for the normal pleb to grasp fully (we are generally too preoccupied with life’s minor distractions such as rent, food, and selecting the right brand of beer).
But one can always count on their betters to provide. So Peggy Noonan was kind enough to write a Wall Street Journal piece that explains it much better than I. She, of course, is an established member of the GOP Order of Patricians and her concern was about the unwashed plebs generally known as Trump voters. Hope among her fellow elitists was that more and more of this group would abandon the notion of the former president seeking the office again in 2024, that support for him would fade and he would pass from the public’s eye. As it is turning out, that simply isn’t happening. In fact, it appears to some that their numbers might even be growing.
This is so despite the continuous dumping on the former president. Or maybe even because of it. The latest anti-Trump production is turning into a huge disappointment. It actually seems to have the opposite effect intended. Interest in the show trial sometimes called the J6 hearings has been weak and far below what was hoped for. In fact, it is probably having the opposite effect. Only the most gullible or pre-disposed believe in them and for the rest they are far too transparent. For most, they leave the distinct impression of Star Chamber episodes intended not to learn anything but to influence an election by removing a leading candidate. Plebs must be protected from their limited intellects by narrowing their choices to only acceptable options.
In any case, Trump is actually increasing in support from this sideshow. So a fresh approach in pleb management has shown its face recently. That is to agree that the plebs do have some real concerns and that maybe the down and dirty Trump demeanor helped to create attention for them. But now he has served his purpose and it is time for candidates with smoother edges to carry the banner. For the moment, they are even willing to accept some candidates who might be a little “Trumpy” themselves as long as they are not the original. For the moment, that is.
But in the end, the real call will be for “reasonable” candidates who can hopefully worm their way into those “purple” vote without really confronting the matters that will change us as a nation and having to win a thoughtful and passionate argument for Liberty. You know, the kind of candidates who made Trump possible in 2016, the kind who knows in his (or hers, or …..) heart that something can be worked out to get us by if the patricians were left to bargain among themselves.
Noonan knows enough to begin every con job with a compliment, sort of. She is impressed that every Trump voter does love America even if it is “not always been a fully thought-through love but it’s generally fully felt”. She even concedes that this is “admirable”, even if the thought process was so incomplete. So plebeian. If it got any more simple-minded, it would be on my level.
A little deeper into the piece one is able to get a clearer picture of the patrician view of those millions upon millions of the GOP base who are so regularly called on by the party elites but rarely listened to. She tries to reinforce the Dem contention that Trump was told by all reasonable and sane people that the 2020 election was fair and square but he chose to listen instead to a collection of “kooks, crooks and freaks” which was not hard to find since “Trumpworld has more than most”.
Her appeal to wayward plebs is to drop Trump or lose the shining chance to dominate in the coming elections. Everything is so very bad that just about any Republican will surely win. Any except, of course, Trump. “Only Trump” would lose.
But the truth is as soon as Trump can be eliminated, the patricians will begin to try and thin out any of the other non-conformists with plebeian tendencies. Before the discussion is over they will hope to be back to the old standard GOP patrician because they could win “in the middle”. You know, that legendary middle where gun rights can be narrowed, where new entitlements have been created, where “comprehensive” immigration reform lives, where government dollars represent educational concern, where … Oh, hell my simple mind and stubby fingers are over-loaded … You can fill in the rest.
What is so desperately needed is a clear, objective American agenda for all, with disregard for who you are speaking to. The principles of the Founding and the principles which build successful lives will reach all levels of society.
The great swath of middle America that I have spoken of very much feels the loss of our Constitution even if the patricians don’t. The party elites have yet to realize that MAGA is not a Trump thing. It is a grassroots American plebeian thing. Trump simply put a slogan behind it and then did his best to implement it.
The Peggy Noonans still talk and act as if this was about a loose-mouthed billionaire and not the saving of the republic as founded. But they do sense the shift away from them and that is what they hate, what they fight against. If Trump is at the head of the column or not is hardly the central question. The real question is the uncompromising direction of the column.
We might be in a dangerous position with our future but more and more I believe that the people who will make the long-term difference have finally realized that the damage done to us by the “warriors” on their side, it is not near the problem as the damage done by the cowards and blinded on ours. Hopefully, Noonan will save her condescension for her own kind.
By the way, if any of you fellow plebs actually want to read the Noonan column you will find it behind a paywall. Unless you have the devious computer skills to bypass “the wall”, you will have to take my word for the content of the piece. Otherwise, you can join me in some simple plebeian pleasure as I take off these smelly socks, let the air hit these more than smelly feet, pour three, possibly four fingers in a cup, and soak up the quiet of an evening that has finally begun to cool.
Published in General
Correct. I wrote it and I stand by it. See also comment #22, above, by another member.
No, that’s not the “conventional wisdom.” That’s a Democrat/Media talking point. Learn the difference.
This may be redundant, but don’t forget TDS Central–The Bulwark.
You claim you will die on a hill you admit might not exist.
You’re dead.
It seems you value the law more than a basic moral code from which the law is derived. The father of the law is morality.
We all know of cases where is it quite obvious that someone is guilty or innocent and we’ve seen them freed or condemned. We have to be mindful of how perception creates ‘guilt’ or ‘innocence’, so advocating certain untrue narratives helps to prejudice the jury. This is why in the 10 commandments it’s a ‘sin’ to bear false witness. In legal terms this is something like prejudicing the jury.
The meta-jury is of public acceptance, public worship, or public shame. So the jury of our peers is the public, and the court is in the media, nota bene – played entirely by their rules. They have legal experts on, but they can spin anything any way they want. And they most certainly do. It’s natural, but it’s not ethical or moral.
These are incredibly powerful entities because they can shape public opinion. Who would not want to be able to shape public opinion? What’s that worth? A 30-second Super Bowl commercial costs 6.5 million.
Like good soldiers, LEO’s and the entire legal profession must follow the process. But results from the process are not always right, and they are often wrong. Still, we all must agree to honor this system.
However, translating that into politics becomes, by its very nature, authoritarian. You are promoting the existing rule of law – but conflating a myriad of laws and proceedings with morality or principle.
Then, when people have a moral dispute with findings, you ignore the morality question as though it’s non-existent, and claim the rule of law, well, rules. It’s a tautology. Well, morality and “what’s right” remains despite your convoluted laws that are unfairly applied, often randomly, sometimes with a political intent, and all manner of corruption.
This is what people revolt against, and for good reason. Pompous laws that are arbitrarily enforced and politically prosecuted with a thin veneer of “justice”. And no one cares. Everyone’s going through the motions. You, counselor are going through the motions and applying Codes and Laws as thought they are God himself.
These miscreants, were actually using our Congressional Chambers as a set, wearing costumes, make-up and with media commentators and grand production, crafting a fictional story for a political reality show.
How true this is. I still read her with some hope she’ll regain that position of insight, but it never happens.
Trump is lead blocking for DeSantis. The amount of headspace he is able to occupy is astounding (evidence even within this comment section). Abbott and other governors have shown some leadership as well, but Trump cleared space for these others to breathe and act within. The national media are unable to properly focus attention on all these lesser devils because they’re losing their minds over the big orange one.
Whatever the reason, from my roused rabble-ian view we have two leaders pushing things forward with others showing occasional fortitude I would not expect were the focus on them. It’s not a great position, and yet it may the best I’ve seen in my lifetime.
Peggy, dear, it’s not me, it’s you.
It is the conventional stupidity among many people, though.
What those who want to defend the J6 Committee don’t get is that those committee members are trying to overturn our government and destroy our rights. The J6 Kangaroo Court is patently illegal. This is not some abstract, parlor room intellectual discussion; it is an attack on most Americans and their rights. Those J6 Clowns are trying to take away our rights, of which they have absolutely no right to do. And yes, Gary there is a statute for trying to overturn our government, it is called Treason.
And Gary, a friendly hint; you should look into cleaning up your act, because in the not too distant future if the Commie Democrat/ Never Trumper Communist/ Corporatists are able to achieve any of their deranged goals, there may be one helluva pushback that could get very ugly. That is not a threat; it’s an observation.
Also there has been discussion here recently at Ricochet about trying to keep discussion civil, but what the NeverTrumper/Commie Democrats don’t get is defending those traitors that are trying to destroy our rights is not in any way civil behavior; it vile, evil nonsense that deserves to be called out in the plainest, more direct fashion possible.
Do you actually talk to Independents? Do you actually talk to Republicans who don’t support Trump?
I talk to (and read) enough people to know that the idea that Trump “fomented the January 6th riot” is a fringe conspiracy theory.
Libertarian commenters at Reason think it’s a mockery and stupid. They run the gamut from Trump supporters to dislike of Trump. The sensible ones all recognize that this is a kangaroo court attempting to deny Trump the right to run for office. Which denies his voters the right to vote for him. They are against it because rights can’t be denied without due process. The only ones who are impressed are spastic leftists that have a history of being spastic leftists on everything from gun control to abortion to totalitarian lockdowns.
The main thing that will “die on that hill” is our Constitution. That is the intent.
I have it in hard copy. Let me see if I can get it to copy so I can post. Noonan thinks Trump is a “bad man”. She is absolutely wrong, and so are most of the WSJ editorial board, and at least half their “news” writers, who continually editorialize in their news stories.
Every single institution is failing from a conservative and libertarian point of view.
We did every single thing wrong in the face of the wage deflation and job destruction from automation and globalized labor.
Amateur analysis of the electorate is a waste of time. Only listen to professionals that do it full-time. Stick to public policy and the directly related.
Zuckerberg and Mark Elias gamed the election.
I’m listening to Breitbart News Daily right now. They are reporting that three months ago, 66% of the country wanted Biden to take a cognitive test.
Remember when Lawrence Tribe ***ET. AL.*** was scheming to force Trump to take a cognitive test?
This isn’t really my bag, but I would think we would be better off with Harris if there was some gigantic emergency.
Maybe for bicycling photo ops, but not for anything else.
This is only true, Harris might be better only if Beiden really has any control, if he really in any way directs Ukraine war efforts, or monetary policy, or really has a guiding hand in deciding if we are required to take vaccines or wear masks, if he really has an opinion and a say in border security or green energy, or even if he picks his White House spokesman. Or for that matter if he picked his own VP candidate.
I don’t think he does. Maaaaybe he had un-overridable say in the Afghanistan retreat and closing Bagram AF base, but even that I wonder about now. But even that was early in his presidency, and now he’s gotten worse, and people know he’s gotten worse.
But do you think that Harris (especially given her poor management record as DA) would apply one gram of thought more to any issue than Beiden has done, or would run government any better or more smoothly or decisively? Do you think she would study an issue and take a principled stand? She’s the border czar and has never set foot at the border.
And more importantly, do you think that anyone who has gravitated to control of the Beiden administration would give up his existing control?
No, next time it’s 3am in Benghazi, Cackles is just a younger more frivolous Cankles.
The only thing I’m saying is I think she would be less of a mess under emergency conditions.
Like I said, this isn’t my bag.
Her résumé is absolutely horrible. She is a horrible person. You wonder what the deal is with the guy that married her. There is a reason magazine article about her that is just devastating. She should have just stuck with the powerful legislative position where it’s easier to recover from mistakes.
Boy, you’re fast. I added this while you were typing. “…or would run government any better or more smoothly or decisively? Do you think she would study an issue and take a principled stand? She’s the border czar and has never set foot at the border.”
And look at her foreign appearances. She’s asked a direct question by an international reporter about the US supporting Ukrainian refugees, and she turns the question over to the president of Poland, bizarrely cites an aphorism, and cackles. I doubt anyone in Europe, or anywhere else, really wants to deal with her.
I support pResident pSaki in 2024.
Fair enough. We are in a bad situation.
I wonder if she can ride a bicycle.
And she wore a frumpy pants suit and running shoes to a photo session and then complained that they photographed her in a frumpy pants suit and running shoes.
Again, seriously, who is running the government? It seems like a consortium of special interests or a cabal that wants to ruin the US.
Who’s next? Who’s going to be our own Trudeau?
Maybe Pete Buttigig running with the campaign slogan, “What, me worry?”
LOL
Just from this thread, I’m not sure I’d trust this guy to be “fair” or non-partisan. He seems to feel the Republicans are way worse that Democrats in every way.
That was retweeted by one of our local Democrats that is for everything Democrat.
Folks are easily manipulated, no doubt about it. Democrats know this and while they aren’t very good, they’re good enough. I find the anti Trump comments silly and distorted but mostly deeply ignorant. Trump has huge defects, he was the last choice for most of us. But he wanted to do what was right and he learned on the job and eventually got some great people around him. He listened and so fundamentally changed our direction that he was illegally ousted.
Use your heads folks, Could Biden, from the basement, old senile, inept, dishonest, actually get more votes than anyone in history? Give me a break. Was the silly occurrence in Washington really a fundamental threat to the Republic? The obvious insanity tells us what we need to know about the next election. People are easily manipulated and mostly, especially folks who think they’re well informed, deeply ignorant.
A jury would find the defendant guilty if only the prosecutor could bring witness and the defendant was denied a chance to defend himself. But there we are, commie show trials have become the celebrated path forward for the ruling class and ruling class wannabes
Yesterday an ABC/Ipsos poll stated that 58% of Americans felt that Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the January 6th Attacks, while 40% disagreed. This is not that 58% of Americans would vote against Trump, this was that 58% believe that Trump should be prosecuted! And yet you suggest that Trump should be nominated when 58% of Americans can imagine Trump being incarcerated? https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/10-americans-trump-charged-jan-riot-poll/story?id=85482369.
Breaking this down, even 19% of Republicans want to see Trump prosecuted. Since a Republican can lose less than 10% of the Republican base and win a general election, over twice that number not only oppose Trump politically but want to see him prosecuted. (91% of Democrats would like to see Trump prosecuted, compared with 62% of Independents.)
I don’t recall any poll where 62% of Independents wanted Romney, McCain, George W. Bush or Dole prosecuted; only Trump.
Republicans can lose with Trump or win with DeSantis (or another Republican). Choose wisely.
You can die on whatever hill you want. We aren’t following you
You don’t need to. But you should open your eyes when an ABC/Ipsos poll stated that 58% of Americans felt that Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the January 6th Attacks.
The next hearings will be tomorrow.
You can lose with Trump or win with DeSantis. The choice is yours.
I am one.
I know very few people who willingly identify as Republican. Do you understand that the fastest rising political affiliation in the United States is “independent.” Nobody wants to be associated with either party these days. But the ones I know who will still call themselves Republican are all Trump supporters. NeverTrump is an elite/beltway position that’s all about signaling to Democrats that you’re an “approved” Republican, and normal people don’t give a crap about that.