There were two critical spots in this overall terrific piece that Peggy Noonan struck a nerve.
And, as always: Why do we do this when you know I am not a terrorist, and you know I know you know I am not a terrorist? Why this costly and harassing kabuki when we both know the facts, and would agree that all this harassment is the government’s way of showing “fairness,” of showing that it will equally humiliate anyone in order to show its high-mindedness and sense of justice? Our politicians congratulate themselves on this as we stand in line.
When I stood there helplessly as TSA pukes patted down my 74 year old Mom and Step Dad I knew that it was indeed, as Noonan puts it, mere Kabuki theater. This nonsense being foisted upon us by idiot politicians was useless. We would never catch anyone like this….
But then she reaches full song and hits right to my heart. I do not like this man we call President, this man to whom I have given more money than was prudent. In 2000 because I thought him the better man. In 2004 I gave because the other man was so much worse. Now comes 2008 and again there are no choices.
He has left on-the-ground conservatives – the local right-winger, the town intellectual reading Burke and Kirk, the old Reagan committeewoman – feeling undefended, unrepresented and alone.
This will have impact down the road.
I finally understand the party nostalgia for Reagan. Everyone speaks of him now, but it wasn’t that way in 2000, or 1992, or 1996, or even ‘04.
I think it is a manifestation of dislike for and disappointment in Mr. Bush. It is a turning away that is a turning back. It is a looking back to conservatism when conservatism was clear, knew what it was, was grounded in the facts of the world.
The reasons for the quiet break with Mr. Bush: spending, they say first, growth in the power and size of government, Iraq. I imagine some of this: a fine and bitter conservative sense that he has never had to stand in his stockinged feet at the airport holding the bin, being harassed. He has never had to live in the world he helped make, the one where grandma’s hip replacement is setting off the beeper here and the child is crying there. And of course as a former president, with the entourage and the private jets, he never will. I bet conservatives don’t like it. I’m certain Gate 14 doesn’t.Declarations - WSJ.com
YES YES YES….and more. The man I gave so much of my loyalty and money to tried to betray me with the immigration fiasco’s. He did the unthinkable, he lied. I know it is a cliché to claim that politicians lie but they are not supposed to be proud of it. President Bush lied to my face repeatedly…I do not like liars. Never have, never will.
Then the President came to Baton Rouge the other day and it struck me that we have created monsters of our Presidents. This man, yes he is a man, absolutely locked up the City of Baton Rouge for hours. He did this because one of the Republicans running for office needed Bush to raise money for him. So this man, the President, got into his big taxpayer funded 747 and flew from New Orleans, 73 miles away probably closer as the crow or President flies, to Baton Rouge. Royalty cannot be more royal. Our President is not supposed to be royalty. While our President flew his huge taxpayer funded jet the 73 miles other tax payer funded Military jets flew circles around his path, armed to the teeth, reminding one and all that this was a man of power…then insult was added to injury.
When the freeways were shut down whilst this man, just a man, rode from the airport in his huge convoy towards this very exclusive fundraiser. Then when this man, just a man, decided to leave the freeway was locked up again….royalty does not gain you these sorts of privileges.
When did we agree to this?