Ordinarily, I would thank Pulitzer board and congratulate Peggy Noonan on learning that she has been awarded a richly deserved Pulitzer Prize “[f]or rising to the moment with beautifully rendered columns that connected readers to the shared virtues of Americans during one of the nation’s most divisive political campaigns.” My only quibble is that it should be a lifetime award achievement, stretching from her young womanhood when she worked as a speechwriter for Ronald Reagan — that golden era of reconnecting to American values — through today. She’s not always right, though who is? But she calls us to believe
Peggy Noonan is the only Wall Street Journal op-ed regular who does not hyperventilate at the mention of “The Donald.” Despite hanging with the beautiful people in Manhattan, Ms. Noonan stays admirably in touch with Middle Americans – perhaps because of her frequent travels to the heartland, although it is difficult to see Ms. Noonan staying in a Motel 6. This past Saturday, Ms. Noonan opened a window on the Trump candidacy by an examination of Ronald Reagan. She wrote: … People continue to miss Ronald Reagan’s strength and certitude. In interviews and question-and-answer sessions, people often refer to Reagan’s “optimism.”