I love Peggy Noonan.
She gives it to us straight.
Though she's worked for a giant GOP icon like Pres. Reagan, she is not timid about singling out the Republican dwarfs.
And her comments about the current administration leave no one guessing.
So she writes this in the WSJ about Obama and Romney:
"Both candidates seem largely impenetrable—it's hard to know them, figure them. With Mr. Romney, you have a sense of what he's been, what jobs he's held, and his general approach. But do you have a solid sense of who he'd be and what he'd do as president? Probably not. Even he may not know. As for Mr. Obama, the more facts you know, the more you don't understand him, the more you can't quite grok him.
Neither has a flair for politics, and neither seems to love it. Both come from minority parts of the American experience, and both often seem to be translating as they speak, from their own natural inner language to their vision of how "normal Americans" think.
What does all this suggest? That voters this year will tend to be practical in their choice and modest in their expectations. Which isn't all bad. But joy would be more fun.
We must end with some burly, optimistic thoughts or we'll hurl ourselves over a transom and go "Thwap!"
It is as if America is already hurling itself over a transform.
Maybe....
Right now we seem to be involved in a yawn-fest.
However, in the long run, we are a nation of "laws" and not a nation of "kings" (elected, appointed or anointed).
And yet we as a nation of laws search dutifully for electable men and women who we HOPE could fix it all, as benign monarchs can indeed accomplish.
Peggy paints an accurate picture - not quite a Norman Rockwell portrait of the two men, but certain she stays away from a Monet image. Maybe it's more of a grainy black and white portrait that she has taken with this article. Maybe.
I wonder at times if the America of 2012, with all its individual personal concerns, financial weight and bondage as well as its deep divisions can come together and pick an elected official that meets the need she so clearly presents.
Can we choose a moral leader? Are we capable of selecting someone who will cut back the very federal programs that support certain segments of our culture? Are we even aware of the rising waterline on the side of the ship of state - and can we imagine the tipping point of the United States of America taking on too much water, thus totally unable to right the ship, or right the wrong(s)?
Under the current constraints of life, I am just watching, wondering.
A benign monarch does await us. Actually, he was with us when we birthed the nation. He superintended the course of events then and he does now. The Almighty cannot judge nations in eternity, as he does mankind, so he judges them here on earth with each epoch, each national lifespan.
The case can be made that should America turn its face to that leader, the Republic will continue on, regardless of the two men vying for the position of Chief Executive.
Den
A tip of the capa to Rabbi Allen for the link. More on Peggy's article here.
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