Peggy Noonan was actually one of the first journalists to pronounce that McCain's pick of Sarah Palin signaled the end of his presidential quest. Oddly enough, however, Peggy Noonan sang quite a different tune some years ago, when she declared "character" alone as the essential requirement in a President.
"In a president, character is everything. A president doesn't have to be
brilliant... He doesn't have to be clever; you can hire clever... You can hire
pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy wonks. But you can't buy courage
and decency, you can't rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those
things with him... He needs to have, in that much maligned word, but a good one
nonetheless, a "vision" of the future he wishes to create.. But a vision is
worth little if a president doesn't have the character-- the courage and heart--
to see it through."
Well said, Ms. Noonan. When did you lose your way?
