Peggy Noonan, who writes singingly from the conservative
standpoint for the Wall Street Journal, has some fascinating stories
to tell in her new book, “The Time Of Our Lives.”
She shares some of those insights with Real Clear Politics
by participating in their innovative video series, “Changing Lanes,” which
features RCP’s Washington bureau chief, Carl Cannon, engaged in conversation in
a decidedly American manner – while driving in a car.
one of Reagan’s finest moments, his speech following the space shuttle Challenger
disaster, was originally viewed as a bust inside the White House. The president
was decidedly unhappy with the outcome, and that dejection quickly inflicted Noonan.
But within 24 hours, two of the most unlikely people helped
to convince Noonan and Reagan that the speech, in fact, was a success – Frank Sinatra
and Tip O’Neill.
wholeheartedly with the view that the old Washington worked much better due to
bipartisanship and friendships among the members of Congress. But she also
believes that the new, chic Washington and surrounding area, with all its
wealth generated by lobbying firms, government contractors, consultants and
others has changed the capital greatly and made the Beltway far more
disconnected from Middle America than in the past.
videos in which she talks about the state of the media and her old boss at CBS,
Dan Rather. She praises Rather as an old-school journalist who was fiercely dedicated
to presenting both sides of an issue.
As for the media, her advice is for all journalists to wear
a bracelet that says: “What would Russert do?” Acknowledging that the late Tim Russert’s
pre-journalism status was that of a liberal Democratic operative, Noonan
credits the NBC newsman with a sense of fairness that included efforts to
understand the conservative mindset and to grill his interview subjects –
Republicans and Democrats of all stripes – equally.
drive-time recalls the way she was treated with suspicion – or worse – by many
in the Reagan White House when she was hired away from CBS. Despite her
conservative views, she was warned to avoid several presidential aides who
viewed her as an unworthy speechwriter given her association with the “liberal
media.”
