Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Peg … Don’t Worry … Be Jolly!
Friday at the WSJ, Peggy Noonan’s weekly article is titled, “My Sister, My Uncle and Trump.”
It is notable in much of what Ms. Noonan reveals in the article about her sense of things, her outlook, her instincts … behind the scenes. She has not revealed any of this previously in her own WSJ writings (to my knowledge) as her bias heretofore has decidedly been very never-Trumpish. She is a very talented writer with terrific observation skills. It is my belief that she has allowed her fear to override her natural instincts. But my sense is, she’s moving toward the President.
Throughout the article, relating discussions with her sister and uncle, she makes the case for President Trump. She understands the reasoning, the rationale, the feeling of freedom … and yes, joy … that is unleashed with pushing back on the entrenched elitists attempting to control our lives. An example from the article:
But they were looking at their country and seeing bad trend lines. In choosing Mr. Trump they were throwing a Hail Mary pass, but they didn’t sound desperate. They always sounded jolly. And I realized they hadn’t sounded jolly about politics in a while.
Below the jolliness I sense the spirit of the jailbreak. They were finally allowed to be renegades. They were playing the part of the rebel in a country that had long cast them as the boring Americans—stodgy, dronelike, nothing to say. The lumpen working and middle class, dependable heartland-type boobs. Everyone else got to act up and complain. They were just there to pay the taxes, love the country, send the boys to war.
Now they were pushing back, and hell it was fun. It was like joining a big, beautiful anti-BS movement. It was like they were telling the entire political class, “I’m gonna show a little juice, baby, brace yourself.”
[Um … Peggy … it’s President Trump. Respect the Office and all.]
But at the end, she ultimately retreats and lets the fear (of what, Peg? Donald Trump? C’mon, woMan!) take control of her again and she aches to try to articulate her pearl-clutching feelings … but, but, but … “unreadiness.” Oh, for Pete’s sake. You want to talk about “unreadiness” Peg? At the same WSJ today, your colleague Michael Blechman writes “Liberalism Isn’t What It Used to Be.” These Socialist Democrats ain’t your grandfather’s Democrats. These folks hate America. Even Creepy Uncle Joe Biden is going to be chewed up and spit out before this primary is over … by his supposed friends. This is what “the unreadiness of the White House” looks like. If you love your country, you will board any train that beats this beast back.
So … let it go, Peg. Fear is crippling. It robs you of your good natural instincts. Jump on the train. Keep America Great. Heck, you could offer your services to the President Trump re-election campaign and let Kim Strassel take your place at the WSJ. Think how proud of you that your sister and uncle will be. Think how much America will benefit. Imagine … what President Ronald Reagan would think about you doing this, throwing caution to the wind (based upon your gut instinct) and being jolly, a “renegade,” and playing the part of a “rebel in the Country” that needs exactly that right now! And you can once again help to add articulate words of hope and joy for the President of the United States to speak.
So take a running jump into the pool! The water’s fine. And the setting reminds us of President Reagan, the last GOP renegade. You’ll feel right at home with the rest of us sisters, brothers, and uncles.
Published in General
Robert Mueller inadvertently proved that Trump is the cleanest man in Washington, with the possible exception of those very few who have not had tawdry affairs with porn stars.
Besides the fact that this self-delusionary “principled aversion” twaddle makes me giggle every time, I would still prefer it if this community would discontinue the practice of entertaining it as if it was serious and in good faith. But, of course, do as thou wilt…
Beyond that, in an otherwise spot on comment, I would argue with the “ashamed” part…none have really demonstrated such a capacity. Yet.
Regardless, that crowd is going to be quite a hoot throughout the second term.
She’s still one of those proper writers who wish people like Donald Trump would behave like Ronald Reagan with a calm joking demeanor and soothing words. I’m not sure Reagan would have made it through two and a half years of relentless investigations of his family, and everyone within his orbit, and succeed in conducting the business of running the country. Not liking someone because of their brisk personality is a poor reason for not liking someone. Ye shall know them by their fruits. It’s a different world – a different battle. I’ve enjoyed her writing for decades, but surprised that she is not yet seeing what is really happening in the world at a very accelerated pace, and what it takes to just hold the line….
It’s possible, even sensible, to acknowledge that we are far better off having Trump in the White House than any Democrat, without requiring that we endorse or embrace everything about Trump or declare ourselves converts to the man.
I opposed Trump throughout the primaries, voted for him in the general, like most of what he’s doing, and will vote for him again. I have grown to value the effect of his pugilistic relationship with the press, while nonetheless wishing he were more thoughtful about how he engages them.
But a thoughtful pugilist was never a choice. I’ll take this one.
Your comment about Peggy Noonan is spot on, but you might be underestimating the Great Ronald.
Reagan had 90% negative press coverage while in office and the media relentlessly made fun of him and Nancy. The left was constantly manufacturing scandals and accusing members of his administration, like Ed Meese, of nefarious deeds.
There was a real scandal in his second term, yet he still finished his term with better than 50% approval.
I have done my level best to not ‘entertain’ it and to stay within the CoC when responding to it.
And you are correct, there is no shame. That leftist mouthpiece the Bul**** is loud, proud and oblivious to their nakedness.
Yes, I giggle too. Yes, I can’t wait to see them throughout the second term – the new ‘Birthers’. A lost cause.
Well said.
Or Steve Bullock of Montana.
I don’t think you can say that Montana Governor Steve Bullock or former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper are closet socialists.
Have you read the Mueller Report? Here are the Introductions and Executive Summaries of Volumes I & II of the Muller report:
http://ricochet.com/615718/the-mueller-report-in-four-summaries/
They governed as left as they could in their respective states, given their respective legislatures. There’s no way to tell how far left they actually are.
That’s fair. It is also an argument for Cocaine Mitch to hold the Senate.
Did it all result in a smaller less powerful federal government? No, nothing either party has done, did that, which is my point. It can’t end well, it can just take longer or not.
This from Kevin Brock of The Hill
I read the Volume II summary you posted. It describes the behavior of a man who resents being investigated for a crime he did not commit, by a partisan team of investigators whose leader has won the conviction of at least one innocent man in the past. (Sen. Ted Stevens. ) It also describes a man who doesn’t keep his feelings to himself.
Mueller’s closing statement, which you underlined, is a legal abomination and sounds like the words of a prosecutor who resents not getting his trophy.
Mueller’s “case” hinges on the following:
Trump fired James Comey.
He publicly complained about the investigation.
He contemplated the legal act of firing the prosecutor.
He ask for loyalty from James Comey.
Those points and several paragraphs of foggy and loosely worded innuendo about what might or might not be obstruction make up Mueller’s “case.”
Remember, Trump did all the things mentioned in the report while knowing he was innocent.
What is very clear, is that Mueller really, truly hates Trump.
When an skilled aggressive prosecutor who hates your guts spends two years investigating you, and can’t find a crime, maybe – just maybe – you’re clean.
Given what NY has done since becoming single-party, the question of what Dems will do has been answered. More taxes and more abortion. Pink death and rainbows everywhere.
That’s it? “Hold the Senate”? So we what, delay the Progs for another 2 years?
Since you were all for helping them take over the House, and fine with the wasting of the first 2 years of the Trump presidency when we had a chance to move forward with some real policies (meanwhile Ryan and McConnell did nothing to move forward an agenda (remember “repealing Obamacare”?), and then wanted The Democrats to “keep a check on Trump”, what’s the point?
You have the most incoherent political “philosophy” I’ve ever seen. Again, you can hate Trump ( and I know you do) but any honest conservative has to recognize he has done more to govern from a conservative perspective than anyone since Reagan. Taxes, regulation, defense of the nation, immigration, judges. He’s energized a large part of the country that felt neglected and abandoned.
And now you continue to spin on and on about how various “moderate” Democrats would be gosh golly just fine and much better then Orange Man Bad, so that someday the Bullwarkians and Nevers can resurrect a desiccated corpse of a party and go back to the status quo before Trump, while the Progs continue to fundamentally transform America to some Socialist Utopia. Get your way and Trump will indeed be the last conservative President.
Moderator Note:
Ricochet's Code of Conduct urges us not to take back that presumption. http://ricochet.com/terms-conditions/code-conduct/Take back the presumption that any of it is presented in good faith and it starts to make much more sense.
Indeed. And this is the ‘Socialist Utopia’ (sic) where this “principled” philosophy leads …
… our future if [this] insanity is allowed to rule elections …
Without presuming motives, one does, indeed, have to wonder.
Hmmm. Not sure. Trump is pretty convincing. The audience (media) falls for his ‘bait’ just about every time.
Cocaine Mitch holding the Senate is insufficient in the age of the Imperial Presidency and ludicrous leftist jurisprudence. Example: Republicans held at least one part of the legislature for 6/8 of the Obama years.
That’s the point people have made about Trump’s executive orders, including the ones that counteracted Obama’s executive orders — they’re only as good up to the time the next president from the opposing party takes office (though if you can get a Hawaiian judge somewhere to rule that an Obama executive order is the same as Congressional legislation, you can keep the EO in place at least until the Supreme Court slaps you down).
In addition to the fact that most of McClellan’s, er, I mean, McConnell’s act is pure failure theater we should all be aware that there is a Bob Corker-like buffoon around almost every corner in the Senate. Only fools put an ounce of hope on that joke of a legislative body.
It seems we’re always 1 “Gang of Eight” away from amnesty or cap and trade. So far such nonsense has only been stopped in the Senate due to full on revolts from the base.
One day there will be enough quislings to reach 60 votes on such an issue, and you can never really tell how many there are and who is or isn’t one until your back is turned – just ask Caesar.
Hey! I resemble that remark!
It was only a bombardment of his office by irate voters that got our idiot of a senator Tom Tillis to change his vote on Trumps EO on the border.
By the way too little too late. I’m supporting his challenger. He needs to be primaried and retired back to where ever he came from.