Surprisingly positive WSJ column by conservative writer Peggy Noonan

[pnwmom]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122539802263585317.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_mostpop

The case for Barack Obama, in broad strokes:

He has within him the possibility to change the direction and tone of American foreign policy, which need changing; his rise will serve as a practical rebuke to the past five years, which need rebuking; his victory would provide a fresh start in a nation in which a fresh start would come as a national relief. He climbed steep stairs, born off the continent with no father to guide, a dreamy, abandoning mother, mixed race, no connections. He rose with guts and gifts. He is steady, calm, and, in terms of the execution of his political ascent, still the primary and almost only area in which his executive abilities can be discerned, he shows good judgment in terms of whom to hire and consult, what steps to take and moves to make. We witnessed from him this year something unique in American politics: He took down a political machine without raising his voice.

A great moment: When the press was hitting hard on the pregnancy of Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter, he did not respond with a politically shrewd "I have no comment," or "We shouldn't judge." Instead he said, "My mother had me when she was 18," which shamed the press and others into silence. He showed grace when he didn't have to.

There is something else. On Feb. 5, Super Tuesday, Mr. Obama won the Alabama primary with 56% to Hillary Clinton's 42%. That evening, a friend watched the victory speech on TV in his suburban den. His 10-year-old daughter walked in, saw on the screen "Obama Wins" and "Alabama." She said, "Daddy, we saw a documentary on Martin Luther King Day in school." She said, "That's where they used the hoses." Suddenly my friend saw it new. Birmingham, 1963, and the water hoses used against the civil rights demonstrators. And now look, the black man thanking Alabama for his victory.

SNIP

Something new is happening in America. It is the imminent arrival of a new liberal moment. History happens, it makes its turns, you hold on for dear life. Life moves.

A fitting end for a harem-scarem, rock-'em-sock-'em shakeup of a year -- one of tumbling inevitabilities, torn coalitions, striking new personalities.

Eras end, and begin. "God is in charge of history." And so my beautiful election ends.

[OKNancy]

1. I've got to give it to her

That is pretty darn good.

[Two Sheds]

2. Noonan, who I have no use for, bailed on McCain/Palin a while back

I'm glad she wrote this, but this part of the avalanche has already rolled down hill.

[MelSC]

3. Peggy Noonan

is a very interesting woman...

Not sure what to think of her but I like her take on this.

[Occam Bandage]

4. It's a nice article.

[Bread and Circus]

5. I read it, it sucked. Sorry. Peggy Noonan is just a bullshitter and nothing more...

and the article was just a vehicle to further the BOLD FACED MYTH that "real" conservatives are somehow the only ones in this country with common sense.

She'd beautiful and has a flowery way with words but she is just full of bullshit and the only truth she spoke was when she didn't realize she was being hotmiked.

She can fuck off and die for all I care.

[justgamma]

6. "He showed grace when he didn't have to."

This says it all. The McSame campaign is graceless, classless, and clueless.

[cameozalaznick]

7. It was good excapt for the part about abortion.

Obama has stated the Clinton doctrine on abortion too many times to enumerate. He agrees with the "safe, legal and rare" position. The answer "above my pay grade" was the correct answer to "When does life begin?" That was the question that was asked, and I think Obama showed great humility and understanding in not presuming to know the answer to such a large question. It is above his pay grade.

Otherwise, good article.

[No Elephants]

8. Isn't she the one who dissed Palin on air without knowing her mike was on?

[pnwmom]

10. I think she was. n/t

[MelSC]

13. Yes

We know how she really feels.

[No Elephants]

20. So, she really has no choice. If she did not get caught in the act, I doubt she would have told the

truth. Not becoming a Noonan fan yet.

[MelSC]

9. It sounded like an Obama endorsement to me...

The McCain part didn't sound very flattering. Peggy Noonan is a smart lady and in her heart she knows who the best candidate is.

Wouldn't it be funny if Obama received endorsements this Sunday from Peggy Noonan and George Will?

[Bucky]

11. Back in college in the 80s, my favorite professor called her a "thoughtful idiot"

She still manages to eloquently dumb down any conversation she participates in. I think this is Noonan just running with the crowd, frankly. The world is going Obama's direction and she wants to be among the ones who "threw it to Obama" as the post election will soon go.

Most "Republicans for Obama" are, I suspect, just making career moves and possibly positioning themselves for the inevitable big Op-Ed articles saying, "I am so disappointed in Obama; he promised to govern from the center, but now he's just another liberal Democrat."

The only reason the headcount is so big this year is that these establishment Republican types always hated and will always hate John McCain--for reasons I will never fathom. They just don't have to hide it now that he's clearly losing. Yet the only reason McCain is losing so bad is that he started acting like a mainstream, slash-&-burn Republican candidate this year and has cleaved so dearly to George Bush's bosom.

[ClarkUSA]

12. Noonan also argues against a boogeyman Democratic majority and dumbs down Obama's stand on abortion

Let's not give Reagan's flameholder too many kudos, okay? She's always got a shiv ready to stick in between Democratic ribs.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. Insert broken clock analogy here. nt

[bluedawg12]

15. We are witnessing the twillight of the old repug coalition

it's the beginning of the end for them--they have to rebuild from scratch as dumbya, mclame and pukin have left them nothing to work with.

That's what she's writing about- she is working towards finding a new message- and trying to erase the fetid stench of the last 8 years and this repug hate fest, she's a repug and that's what she's working towards, if along the way she must say a few good words about Obama, fine. We agree on that.

[moc]

16. Peggy Noonan gets on my nerves. I think she's overly impressed with her own rhetoric.

She thinks she's being insightful, but she's just banal, imo.

[msanthrope]

17. Did Nooner hit the 12 Steps??? n/t

[olegramps]

18. Peggy Noonan and the Wall Street Urinal

Nothing but disingenuous crapolla. Protect your ass is all that it amounts to.

[totodeinhere]

19. You will see a lot of conservatives like Noonan try to kiss up to Obama now.

It's not that they suddenly like him. It's just that they see which way the wind is blowing and they figure they had better get on the train before it leaves the station.