The Occasional Observer

She goes and quotes Casey Stengel (in quotations) but doesn't feel the need to reference his name. Not just a genius political commentator, Ms. Noonan is also apparently a baseball fan. Not only does she know some vintage quotes, but she assumes they are so well known that the speaker need not be cited. You can read the article here.

The main thrust of the article was actually to point out the lack of dignity with which the current crop of presidential contenders are conducting themselves. She saves some of the most pointed criticism for Rudy:

...this is how Mr. Giuliani opened a speech to citizens considering his candidacy for the American presidency. "Thank youse all very much for invitin' me here tuh-day, to this meeting of the families from different parts'a California."

He was imitating Marlon Brando in "The Godfather." (The rendering comes from a Newsday report.)...

Ah. Can't have enough candidates for president who whimsically employ the language of mobsters.

Rudy is No. 1 in the GOP polls, but he has been displaying the worst stature gap on the trail. He can't see why his wife sets people's teeth on edge; he can't see why it would disturb us to have her at cabinet meetings; he assures us she actually won't be at cabinet meetings. This was followed by his statement that of course he continues to be pro-choice on abortion, and yeah, actually, he's probably also for taxpayer funding of abortion, but maybe not.

There is an embarrassing ad-hoc-ness, a bush-leagueness to this. It's as if he hasn't thought it through, as if he's just deciding everything each day...

I thought her observation about Judy Nathan was interesting. For reasons I can't quite pinpoint (other than her blatant Manhattan-centric mannerisims), I've been telling Mrs. Fredo, "wait till Iowans get a load of her. She's going to go over like a lead balloon." I guess Ms. Noonan feels likewise.