Peggy Noonan reflects on a “troubled, frayed” America

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Peggy ******* reflects on a “troubled, frayed” America

These days, you’ll find Peggy ******* in many places: in front of commencement crowds, at political round tables, and for the past quarter-century, in the opinion section of the Wall Street Journal. But when she was just starting out in Washington, D.C., you could find ******* at the Off the Record Bar, near her job at the White House. “I would sit over there by myself, I would order a ***** or a glass of wine, and I’d just quietly sit and read,” she said.

In 1984, ******* joined President Ronald Reagan’s staff, after working at CBS in New York. At first, she felt like an outsider in the buttoned-up West Wing, but soon became an acclaimed speechwriter. Early on, she wrote Reagan’s moving speech for D-Day’s 40th anniversary.

Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy *******.

CBS News

Then, when the Challenger shuttle tragically exploded, ******* was given a tough assignment: write Reagan’s address to a distraught nation. “I had a feeling of, that didn’t work, nothing worked, because nothing was worthy of that moment; nothing was worthy of that day,” she said. “But then Frank Sinatra called – he called that night to the White House to say, ‘Mr. President, you just said what needed to be said.’ And Frank didn’t call after every speech!”

By the late eighties, ******* had cemented a reputation as a wordsmith, and Reagan turned to her for his farewell address:

“We made the city stronger, we made the city freer. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.”

George H.W. Bush turned to *******, too, as he rallied Republicans on his way to the White House. “You know, part of life is luck,” she said. “It was not lucky to follow dazzling Ronald Reagan and be plainer, seeming sturdy George H.W. Bush. But I believe history was not – certainly in his time – sufficiently fair to him.”

That opinion is one of many found in the pages of her new book,

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a collection of her recent work (to be published Tuesday by Portfolio).

Portfolio

Asked what her idea of America is today, ******* replied, “Big, raucous, troubled, frayed.”

*******’s columns often delve into questions of character and leadership. “What I do not perceive now is many politicians who are actually saying, Guys, this is not good for the country. We’ve been given this beautiful thing called America. Shine it up! Keep it going!”

Costa said, “You have a lot of fun in this book, doing what you call taking the stick to certain people from time to time.”

“I don’t mind the stick at all,” said *******. “When I see something that I think is just awful, I love to get **** at it. I got **** at John Fetterman.”

“You don’t like that he’s wearing shorts?”

“It’s okay with me that he wears shorts,” she replied, “but he is not allowed to change the rules of the U.S. Senate to accommodate him in his little shorts and hoodie because he enjoys dressing like a child.”

*******, now 74, grew up in the Democratic strongholds of New York and New Jersey. “And I was very happy with that, because Democrats were cooler than Republicans,” she said. “Democrats were little Bobby Kennedy, and Republicans were, like, ***** Thornburgh!”

But in Reagan, she saw something fresh. “You looked at him, you saw his confidence, and it made you feel optimistic,” she said.

The Gipper, of course, no longer dominates the *********** Party, and President-elect Trump’s victory could transform the GOP even more in the coming years. “In terms of policy, the *********** Party has changed by becoming, not a standard, usual ************* party, but a populist party,” ******* said. “Its issues have changed very much. But also, the edge of anger and resentment and, I’m afraid, a little paranoia that is in the *********** Party now would be something that Reagan did not recognize.”

Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy *******, with CBS News chief election & campaign correspondent Robert Costa, at the Off the Record Bar in Washington, D.C.

CBS News

At the Off the Record Bar, the faces on the wall – caricatures of politicians of the past – and at the tables still catch her eye. For *******, it’s all part of the story – America’s, and her own.

Costa said, “In a way, you’re still the writer in the corner watching everybody at the bar in Washington.”

“Yeah, I like to watch them, she said. “They’re human, and you bring a little warmth to it, a little humor, and always bring your stick and ****** them when you need to! It’s kind of nice.”

     
READ AN EXCERPT: “A Certain Idea of America” by Peggy *******

     
For more info:

      
Story produced by David Rothman. Editor: Joseph Frandino. 

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Robert Costa

Robert Costa is the Chief Election & Campaign correspondent for CBS News, where he covers national politics and ********* democracy.

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