Pre-Iowa Presidential Editorials

This weekend, Kim Strassel and Peggy Noonan both had thoughtful, thought-provoking editorials in the Wall Street Journal.

I absolutely loved Strassel's piece on Obama Bim Baden. She nailed him accurately as wanting to bring 'change,' without any explanation of what his changes will be. But when she went through the litany of proposals and positions he has espoused, it's hardly change. More like continuing liberalism with more muscle and less compromise.

In that regard, while unsaid in Strassel's piece, Obama is actually somewhat like Hillary. Don't compromise- just bulldoze anyone who doesn't agree with you.

Noonan, on the other hand, wrote, in my opinion, a mixed column. For some reason, she holds candles for two Democratic Senate has-beens: Chris Dodd and Joe Biden. The latter is an acknowledged plagiarist. The former merely an old, puffed-up, self-impressed windbag who so typifies why Americans inherently distrust most Senators.

But Noonan's overall list of who's reasonable and who is not was not bad. Hillary's not. Most of the leading candidates, otherwise, are. She thinks Obama is, but I'm with Kim Strassel on this one. Neither of the two frontrunners on the Democratic side is reasonable.

I do agree with Noonan on what she fails to call, but describes, as character. She believes the next President will have at least one major, unexpected crisis with which to deal, and will need to galvanize the nation's support. She doesn't believe enough Americans will trust Hillary to give her that support, and I agree.

The more I look at world events- Putin, Bhutto, Iran- the more I believe that insufficient numbers of voters will, in the end, be capable of pulling the lever for either Hillary or Obama. They'll say they will, but they won't.

Meanwhile, I'd be okay with Romney, Giuliani or Thompson. McCain's periodic self-righteousness and ignorant stubbornness on campaign finance has always alarmed me. I simply distrust his sensibilities on many issues. Not his bravery or intent, but his basic common sense and intellect.

Hickabee......God, let's hope this guy is just a flash in the pan. He's shallow, liberal, aimless and rudderless. And another Arkansan.

Well, we'll know what the Iowans think in less than a week.