I love Peggy Noonan. I am going to read all of her books. Patriotic Grace is the third I’ve read, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Written in the summer of 2008—before the election, and before the worst of the Great Recession descended on the United States and the world—Noonan asks for all of us to focus a bit more on what we have in common, and less on what separates us politically. She speaks quite convincingly about partisan cable news, the many errors of the Bush administration, and the problems that beset our capital in this ‘got’cha!’ environment. Noonan—and I couldn’t agree with her more—suspects that we are heading into a period of ‘bad history,’ and that we as Americans are going to have to stick together regardless of who we voted for in the last election. I agree with her that teaching children the good things about their country is an important way of fostering a sense of responsibility, belonging, and pride (Plato would be in 100% agreement), and that a large dose of civility in our public discourse would go a long way toward focusing us on substantive issues instead of the day to day ephemera that consumes so much of our national attention.

So bravo, Peggy! I get the sense from her writing that she like President (then candidate) Obama very much; I can't help but wonder about what she made (and makes) of Sarah Palin. Noonan is one of my favorite conservative writers: she is smart, thoughtful, moderate, and a pleasure to read.