Noonan on Obama

Peggy Noonan has opined on Obama's bid for the presidency saying he hasn't the experience to run the country. That he is unburdened by hard work or accomplishment, which is to say that working in State government is somehow a bucolic lark (strange rhetoric indeed from a Reaganite). Implicit is that his accomplishments in the State legislature somehow don't count on the national stage. Where she really misses the boat methinks is when she says he does not have an issue.

Anyone who heard his speech at the Democratic convention knows his issue, the divisiveness of todays politics. He brings an even handedness that has even seized the imaginations of some conservatives like David Brooks. The polarization of the body politic is his issue and it is the ideologues wrapped in their bare knuckle infighting that are blind to it.

Noonan claims he stands for nothing, but notes he gets a 100% rating from liberal groups, an interesting trick. In fact he stood against the Iraq war at a time when few in either party were willing to. In her heart I believe what Noonan fears most is that Obama is the mirror image of Ronald Reagan who will advance liberal ideas with charisma and charm. The reality is that Obama is worse than she fears, because he is both more capable and thoughtful than Reagan.

Don't make me shoot you a whole bunch of times in the head Bob

My wife is substitute teacher. She was talking to this other teacher about kindergartners the other day. He had been passing the boys room when he heard some Kindergartners making a ruckus. He popped his head in and this little boy who was raising cain in there looks at him and says, "Is your name Bob"?

He says no, and explains to them that they really need to quiet down, conduct their business and go out on the playground. This boy looks at him again and says, "OK Bob!" After another little chat he lets them go. It's a running joke in our house now to ask somebody who is telling you something you don't want to hear, "Is your name Bob"?