Noonan: An Incomplete Field (Debate: Romney won, Rudy lost, McCain still In)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110010023

They stood earnestly in a row, combed, primped and prepped, as Nancy Reagan gazed up at them with courteous interest. But behind the hopeful candidates, a dwarfing shadow loomed, a shadow almost palpable in its power to remind Republicans of the days when men were men and the party was united. His power is only increased by his absence. But enough about Fred Thompson.

This is a piece about Thursday night's Republican presidential debates, but first I would like to note that the media's fixation with which Republican is the most like Reagan, and who is the next Reagan, and who parts his hair like Reagan, is absurd, and subtly undermining of Republicans, which is why they do it. Reagan was Reagan, a particular man at a particular point in history. What is to be desired now is a new greatness. Another way of saying this is that in 1960, John F. Kennedy wasn't trying to be the next FDR, and didn't feel forced to be. FDR was the great, looming president of Democratic Party history, and there hadn't been anyone as big or successful since 1945, but JFK thought it was good enough to be the best JFK. And the press wasn't always sitting around saying he was no FDR. Oddly enough, they didn't consider that an interesting theme.

They should stop it already, and Republicans should stop playing along. They should try instead a pleasant. "You know I don't think I'm Reagan, but I do think John Edwards may be Jimmy Carter, and I'm fairly certain Hillary is Walter Mondale."

<snip>

If we view the proceedings in vulgar and reductive Who Won, Who Lost terms, and let's, Mitt Romney won, Rudy Giuliani lost, and John McCain is still in. The moderator, Chris Matthews, seemed to think he was on "Hardball" and had to keep the pups, punks and rubes--that would be the candidates--in line. He cut them off--"Congressman, that's time!"--and occasionally hectored. One of the stars was the buzzing clock. It interrupted all thought.

[Gloria]

1. Memo to Peggy: I should have belted you when I had the chance in high school

Your HS chum,

Gloria

[RamboLiberal]

2. Oh man I'm glad I didn't have a mouth full of liquid

Thanks for the laugh and I wish you would've belted her! After watching all those white male Repukes I needed that!

[Gloria]

6. You don't know how often I've kicked myself for not doing it....I had the

perfect opportunity, too, in the back of the HS auditorium as she sucked up to my boyfriend, and then put in her yearbook blurb that she was in "The Resistance" when no one had invited her to be in "The Resistance" at all!!! And my mother should have flunked her in Soc. Studies class...she was no brain, according to her.

[Kool Kitty]

3. Bleh.

Every time I hear about Peggy Noonan, I think of an interview that I saw with Larry David. (It was on TV, but I don't remember who conducted it.) He told the interviewer that he watched a lot of political TV, but when Peggy Noonan came on, he had to turn the TV off, he said, "If I watched her, I would have to kill myself. You can't listen to her voice and live."

[Bucky]

4. I think she thinks her ponderous fingernail-inspecting delivery sounds like William F Buckly

rather than a vain Forrest Gump.

[The Wizard]

5. Why Thompson?

What's with Repubes and second tier actors as their standard bearers? Aren't they always carping when Clooney, Penn, Baldwin, Streisand, etc.... speak up about public affairs? And the Democratic celebrities are first tier.

[yurbud]

7. Thompson passes their rigorous "first glance" test

At first glance, Thompson looks presidential, just as at first glance, Bush appears to be a tough regular joe instead of the petulant pampered trust fund baby he is.

For the hardcore right, the first glance is enough, and the right wing noise machine will fill in the blanks where facts would normally go for the rest of us.

And some in the middle may vote on gravitas and looking presidential like. They might even think they are voting for who would be the best TV president like Martin Sheen or Fred Thompson.