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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

A Sarah Palin presidential bid angers Peggy Noonan, Ronald Reagan's protector

Posted on Sunday, November 07, 2010 at 06:21 AM

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The ink is hardly dry on the mid term elections and the Republican Party establishment is seeking to cut down Sarah Palin.

Irish American Peggy Noonan is keeper of the flame of the legacy of Ronald Reagan.

She has slammed Palin for comments she made recently about Reagan and some of the bad movies such as 'Bedtime with Bonzo ' that he appeared in.

The former Reagan speechwriter was writing in the Wall Street Journal.

Palin was reacting to criticism of her own TV reality show by pointing out that Reagan in a different era did the same thing . She called Reagan 'an actor' and said 'Wasn't he in Bedtime with Bonzo, Bozo, something."

Noonan saw red at this slight on her hero.

Noonan knows exactly what she is doing. The Tea Party essentially cost the Republicans the senate as they would surely have won Delaware, Nevada, Colorado if they had picked reasonable candidates.

Now Palin looks like she could cost them the White House given that she would be a very formidable candidate internally among the Republican base but polls show that she lacks any broad following in the general electorate like the Tea Party candidates who failed.

That is why Noonan is already commencing offensive operations.

"Excuse me, but this was ignorant even for Mrs. Palin. Reagan people quietly flipped their lids, but I'll voice their consternation to make a larger point. Ronald Reagan was an artist who willed himself into leadership as president of a major American labor union (Screen Actors Guild, seven terms, 1947-59.) He led that union successfully through major upheavals (the Hollywood communist wars, labor-management struggles); discovered and honed his ability to speak persuasively by talking to workers on the line at General Electric for eight years; was elected to and completed two full terms as governor of California; challenged and almost unseated an incumbent president of his own party; and went on to popularize modern conservative political philosophy without the help of a conservative infrastructure. Then he was elected president."

The point is not 'He was a great man and you are a nincompoop,' though that is true," Noonan continues.(ouch) "The point is that Reagan's career is a guide, not only for the tea party but for all in politics. He brought his fully mature, fully seasoned self into politics with him. He wasn't in search of a life when he ran for office, and he wasn't in search of fame; he'd already lived a life, he was already well known, he'd accomplished things in the world."

Calling Palin a "nincompoop" is a typical Noonan comment, reflecting her haughty disdain for Palin. Make no mistake about it this will get very interesting when the 2012 nomination battle begins in earnest.

Karl Rove Noonan and Co. know the Republicans will be in dire straits if Palin wins the nomination. However, they are already gearing up to top that.

A real donnybrook looks likely.

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maloney | Nov 18, 2010, 07:53 PM EST

Seano..I assume your last post was to me. I didn't take your prior post personally. I did understand exactly what you meant, agreeing with some of what you said. If your disappointed at the personal attacks of two others, your in for a hell of a lot of disappoinment. Subtle politically correct barbs, jabs & insults are the cowards tools. If I'm on the money, advise & I will explain in more detail. I'm sure you won't agree but I think you'll find it entertaining.

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seanomelbourne | Nov 18, 2010, 05:36 PM EST

As a grandfather who sat down in the streets protesting the Vietnam war as immoral and unnecessary (as history has proved). I do not blame you (you were probably drafted)and I respect any serviceman from any nation who fought for his country. Your misreading of my blog is symptomatic of your inability to comprehend a changing world. I am disappointed in your nasty personal attack. Your narrow minded spite is a testament to your ignorance.

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maloney | Nov 18, 2010, 01:19 PM EST

hancock..the 9:46 wasn't me. The post didn't have a name. Brave Vietnam veteran, afraid to have a name.

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maloney | Nov 18, 2010, 01:09 PM EST

Seano..Our last election proves Americans will impute the politicians who don't follow the will of the people. I suppose you think the politicians of Ireland, England & Rooland are saints. The first world has copied & depended on America for 80 years, while hating us because we were free & better. You poll parrot the second half of my last post, wanting us to return to isolationism. We will, in the future, let the first world fend for it's self, both financially & militarily. The first world will be begging & groveling, on bended knees, for what we have & can do that it can't. bigdud..first you complain you weren't given facts but when you were, you deny them as I had predicted. I do feel sorry for you having been born a crack baby. Were your parents ever punished for having dropped you on your head repeatedly as an infant? Unfortunately, your just a waist of good oxygen. To the man with no name, aka, bigdud'sdaddy, you're a RINO. The Florida sun has fried your brain. You never have & never will be half the man Hancock is. You don't deserve the sweat off of Hancock's jewels if you were dying of thirst. When I was in Nam, we had a cook that sounded just like you, he pissed himself ever time the wind blew. Bush was in the military, not like your heroe obama, the Czar of drugs & a traitor.

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BigDaddy | Nov 18, 2010, 09:46 AM EST

hancock....I am a Republican grandfather from Florida, and seano is correct. Watching Fox has deadened your brain. Stop listening to Rush et al and turn off the TV. Everyone who doesn't agree with you is not your enemy but you sure piss some people off when you wear your ignorance like a damned badge for the world to see. I would like to not be called names but in all the years I've been talking to people like you, that what you have been trained to do. The people you listen to know that your arguments are weak and cannot hold up under scrutiny. So they tell you that people who disagree with you are commies or anti-American or whatever. Son, I fought in the jungles and the rice paddies of Vietnam. More than Reagan, Bush, Cheney, Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck or the neocons did. I talk to young veterans who have served 3 years in Iraq because of a man who would rather drink Jim Beam and snort cocaine than defend the freedoms he tells people he brought to the Middle East. He sent America's youth to die in the desert when he was too cowardly to serve himself. You should pick your heroes better.

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seanomelbourne | Nov 18, 2010, 12:58 AM EST

Hancock! It's not how dumb you are.It's how dumb downed you are.And the rest of the world is dumbfounded

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hancock | Nov 17, 2010, 10:55 PM EST

I love these eegits from Ireland and Australia, telling us how dumb we are. If things are so great there why are you so obsessed with us dumb Yanks and our fox news? Get a life you first world runner ups.

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BigDaddy | Nov 17, 2010, 07:58 PM EST

baloney...you are either being paid to lie about Reagan or you are very, very stupid. Cutting taxes raised revenues? Reagan increased deficits as no other before him. Are you familiar with the Cheney quote...Reagan proved deficits don't matter... None of what you say is true. Family income rose 12% under Reagan....BS. The average American family income has risen only $300 over the last 30 years while it rose $13,000 in the 30 years prior.The Reagan administration was the beginning of the end for freedom in America and if you don't live in America and watch Fox News, how is it you are so dumb? Nice touch at the end, baloney. "If you don't believe my lies, you are a commie"...I never met anyone who didn't watch Fox who was as dumb as you appear to be, sir.

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seanomelbourne | Nov 17, 2010, 05:23 PM EST

Maloney your insular opinion on the rest of the world is typical of you yanks, your politicians lie to you on a daily basis informing you that you have the best of everything whilst the rest of the first world laugh at you. If you Americans knew how good we have it in Australia we couldn't handle the refugee problem. As for your foreign policy it's centered around American greed and not what is good for the rest of the world.The world would be a better place if you rediscovered your isolationist past. Go home the world is sick of your amateurish international forays making life harder for the rest of us.

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maloney | Nov 16, 2010, 07:18 PM EST

Seano..I didn't say SDI, star wars happened. Just the talk of it did the trick. Remember, I lived here at the time. The poor got poorer is bunkum, everybody was much better off than they were under Carter. Your other observations are your long distance opinion & some didn't break my heart. His good deeds way out weighed his shortcomings. I noticed you didn't address all the things I said so you too agree he did do several thing right. GOP bull beats socialist rooshit every time. It's not America's job to babysit the world. The rest of you need to take care of your damn selves. Ever since we kicked the crap out of England the rest of the world wants us to take care of them including fighting their wars. The whole while badmouthing us & saying how bad we are. Your hands always out for more. Piss on Africa & the rest. At some point you have to stand on your own two feet. Buck up. It's not our fault we're better than the rest of the world. Better looking too.

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seanomelbourne | Nov 16, 2010, 06:05 PM EST

Star wars!! another dream or another movie which was it, SDI like star wars never happened. He refused to use his powers to have Mandela released from prison.He supported the South African apartheid regime.HE was a self confessed racist. He ratted on his mates to Joe McCarthy when he was "supposedly a union activist".He made the rich richer and the poor poorer.Your reading to much GOP bullshit Maloney.

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maloney | Nov 16, 2010, 12:47 PM EST

seano & bigdud...President Reagan was one of the greatest Presidents. Hostages were freed just by him being elected. He helped put an end to the Soviet Union by befriending Gorbachev & convinced Gorby to tear down the wall. He cut taxes, doubling revenue. He defeated Carter & Jerry Brown, both losers. He restored patriotism & optimism in America. He was responsible for rebuilding the military & SDI (star wars) which convinced the soviets they couldn't compete with America. He turned America, from progressivism, to a return of traditional values. He rebuilt the Repub. party. His economic policies stimulated 17 to 20 million new jobs. Family income rose 12% under Reagan. Inflation rose to 13% under Carter, it decreased to less than 4.4% under Reagan. I could go on but you will say these are all lies just like any good commie will do.

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hancock | Nov 15, 2010, 11:57 PM EST

You said he was Irish, and he was agreat American president.

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seanomelbourne | Nov 15, 2010, 07:56 PM EST

I could have sworn the Gippa had a limp. We should be thankful Reagan never played a presidential roll.

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BigDaddy | Nov 15, 2010, 07:08 PM EST

maloney...your logic is flawed at the very least. Reagan was a bad actor who had Alzheimers. Well, that's what he claimed when he had to testify. "I forget; it's like I wasn't even president"..so much for your good/great president. He once told Elie Weisel that he helped free the death camps. So, he is either a liar, an addled old fool, or he saw it in a movie and thought he did it. Great is laughable. Good, maybe but only because so many were fooled by his lies. Oddly, you never address my charges but you don't mind claiming that if I don't think the way you think, there must be something wrong with me. I have facts, you have opinions and, yet, I'm wrong. You must be American. Clueless, fact less but certain you are correct in your beliefs. American exceptionalism is God's will, right?

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