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Wall Street Journal Columnist Peggy Noonan discusses the factors leading to Obama’s election win.
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Ordinary political week the loyal opposition is still shocked that a president who failed on so many fronts to deliver this kind of economic recovery he promised could win reelection but he get.
An answering how he did is something few Republicans seemed to be addressing clearly without bitterness.
One of the exceptions as former Reagan speechwriter and current Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan who joins me now good to see -- David good to see you so broad -- why did Obama win.
You know the larger reasons America's changing demographically and culturally you know.
The technical reasons with regard to.
A really fabulous.
-- game on the Obama side that I think will change -- national politics is done in the future.
-- from what I've read about a deeply impressive.
-- -- -- -- -- -- Not so deeply competition -- on the game on the Republican side.
But there are larger reasons than my I think skin and -- suspect one of them.
Is that.
America's been at a difficult time for about five years.
And there were a number of people who -- for some interesting and understandable reasons.
We're some -- what fearful of change and and weren't sure that what they were seeing on the Republican side may be signified improvement.
Well -- the extraordinary thing is -- Romney received a couple of million votes less than what John McCain received either gets okay that's one of the inside a good thing so why it was that that the Republican base which seemed energized.
For the election.
Didn't come out in support of the way they did John McCain for example.
Well.
Here's part of that that story I think.
The Republican base was energized.
Romney received more than 57.
Million votes that's a heck of a lot of people and they were committed and I was talking to all of them and they were really.
Towards the end may be in molest candidate -- -- on fire however.
That -- itself is getting smaller -- what's a smaller slice of the pot had been used to big.
And I think one of the big lessons of this campaign is that Republican political operatives have been up for about a quarter century saying.
Every election is about exciting the base turning on the -- getting the base to the polls but it's about more a month now.
From here on in every election is about trying to expand the base meaning trying to persuade.
Trying to talk to.
Getting right down there with people and saying look this is our plan this is why we think it's best so I think the way the Republican Party itself.
Does business is probably gonna be changed by this election and that's a good thing.
Brad talk to the beginning about bitterness there does there is a side of of the Republicans -- that the opposition right now which is bitter.
As saying that -- sense is that Americans are now more concerned.
About what they might lose from the government rather than the rather than what they are actually getting from the -- there -- you know that Americans are so attached to government freebies.
That that's why they voted for Obama and there's no way that the independent movement of the Republican Party is gonna gain traction again do you believe that.
No I don't tell you the truth.
First of all on bitterness.
This is a democracy every four years we vote on president sometimes the Republicans -- sometimes the Democrats when you got to do your best and you always as a human being have to keep in mind.
Do your best he committed struggle your hardest but god is in charge of history should you -- -- here.
We're not micro managing this life and that we're living -- up beyond that on on the question.
Can you were raised.
I think America's gonna have to struggle with the fact that Americans really are anxious about spending and taxing on our competitive position.
But they're also anxious about their personal positions some -- on.
Social Security.
As some use Medicare they you know there's a whole cluster of benefits people might -- on.
That doesn't mean they don't worry about their country and it doesn't mean they won't respond to logical.
Appeal.
You can -- you came in with -- Reagan revolution in the Reagan revolution was about the spirit of enterprise George Gilder even wrote a book about that that the president endorsed.
And in this the idea was in the seventies that that business was was kind of a bad thing and unpleasant thing that you had to do but then.
It came roaring back in the eighties with Ronald Reagan that spirit of individualism and and spirit of enterprise and and business took on a whole new positive almost heroic.
Flavor in this country -- seems obvious that best -- exactly that's that seems to be fading does that not.
-- I don't know look part of this I think we -- -- just step back a little bit there are cycles to history.
In the 1930s.
And forties and fifties.
Government had gotten really big when Jack Kennedy in 1962 cut taxes I think the highest marginal rate was at 90%.
He cut it back to something like a more reasonable 70% I don't really remember the numbers but you probably -- Not to take the pressure off me and put it on -- what why not.
Let you know what I'm saying there and then the -- -- Harry came in and starting in the seventies and culminating in his reelection in the election and in none 1980.
And suddenly.
The spirit of enterprise was new again and people.
Who didn't even -- there was such a thing -- conservatism.
We're starting to discover that they were conservatives.
And it was all know when it came imminent Greek warship history.
All right.
Things may be changing now but everything that is true on life comes back everything that is true on life in doors.
So everybody just -- Think Smart -- broad go deep.
Hunker down the spirit of enterprise is still -- hunker down keep pushing keep persuading Peggy Noonan Wall Street Journal columnist wonderful to see you thank you thank you so much --
