MEAN IT by Peggy Noonan

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110008484 ^

[Kuja]

Mean It Voters want sincerity. If they can't get it, they'll settle for simplicity. Thursday, June 8, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT A thought today about complexity and politics. The American people right now are not in a mood to trust any political plan, proposal or policy that seems complicated--highly involved, technical, full of phased-in elements and glide paths and Part C's. They are against complexity not because they don't think life is complex. They know it's complex. They know it because they live it every day. They assume public policy issues are also complicated. They know there are facts they don't know, which probably have to be factored in as policy is developed. But more and more they recoil from complicated, lengthy, abstruse proposals. Why? Because they think--they assume, at this point, reflexively--that slithery, slippery professional politicians are using and inventing complications to obfuscate and confuse. They think politicians are using complexity to create great clouds in which they can make their escape, like a cartoon character, like Road Runner. They think modern politicians hide in complexity. They think politicians evade responsibility with it. We can't do the right thing, it's too complicated! Americans don't trust "comprehensive plans," because they don't trust the comprehensive planners. This, I think, is the essential problem with Congress's immigration proposals. All the phased-in-partial-assimilation-glide-paths-to-guest-worker-status stuff seems like a big 500-page con. It's all too complicated to be understood by anyone who's not a tenured political science professor with a second degree in accounting. What people will trust, and understand, is this: We will close the border tomorrow, and then figure it out from there. People resist complicated proposals for realistic reasons. First, they have a natural and healthy skepticism toward the political class. .

[brushcop]

ARRGH! Paragraphs! Paragraphs!

[stephenjohnbanker]

Never underestimate the guy in the street. Fun post.

[LiberationIT]

She's already hard to read (for me, ever since she referred to Tom Cruise as a stallion.) And, without paragraphs -- My Eyes! My Eyes!!

[Frohickey]

Paragraphs are your friend.

[Kuja]

sorry, just click on the link.

[Yossarian]

Come on, people - quit your whining. Just go to the article, view source and copy/paste it yourself!But, for the lazy, here you go:

Mean It
Voters want sincerity. If they can't get it, they'll settle for simplicity.

Thursday, June 8, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT

A thought today about complexity and politics.

The American people right now are not in a mood to trust any political plan, proposal or policy that seems complicated--highly involved, technical, full of phased-in elements and glide paths and Part C's.

They are against complexity not because they don't think life is complex. They know it's complex. They know it because they live it every day. They assume public policy issues are also complicated. They know there are facts they don't know, which probably have to be factored in as policy is developed. But more and more they recoil from complicated, lengthy, abstruse proposals.

Why?

Because they think--they assume, at this point, reflexively--that slithery, slippery professional politicians are using and inventing complications to obfuscate and confuse. They think politicians are using complexity to create great clouds in which they can make their escape, like a cartoon character, like Road Runner.

They think modern politicians hide in complexity. They think politicians evade responsibility with it. We can't do the right thing, it's too complicated! Americans don't trust "comprehensive plans," because they don't trust the comprehensive planners.

This, I think, is the essential problem with Congress's immigration proposals. All the phased-in-partial-assimilation-glide-paths-to-guest-worker-status stuff seems like a big 500-page con. It's all too complicated to be understood by anyone who's not a tenured political science professor with a second degree in accounting.

What people will trust, and understand, is this: We will close the border tomorrow, and then figure it out from there.

People resist complicated proposals for realistic reasons.

First, they have a natural and healthy skepticism toward the political class.

(More on opinionjournal.com .)

[Luke21]

I read the link. Peggy is dead on.

[ladyinred]

I enjoyed it, and I can read without paragraphs! :-)

[Bigg Red]

Paragraphs! Paragraphs!

&&
Ah, I'm not the only one who was muttering that at the screen !

[marron]

What people will trust, and understand, is this: We will close the border tomorrow, and then figure it out from there.

She's been lurking on FR, and taking notes.

Exactly. Secure the border. Do that, and enforce existing laws, and the rest will take care of itself.

Fail to secure the border, and nothing will work. Fail to secure the border and our "comprehensive" plan is a con game and nothing more.

Forget "comprehensive". Do the obvious. Don't wait for congress to tell you to do what the law already requires.

[Bigg Red]

She's been lurking on FR, and taking notes

&&
Yep! I don't have any links, but I am prettu sure that the lady was singing a different song a while back.

[Bigg Red]

but I am prettu sure

^^
I am also pretty sure

[outofsalt]

It doesn't get any simpler than the FAIRTAX.
Please support HR 25 and S25 "The Fairtax Bill" This proposal will eliminate the IRS and all Federal Income Taxes and replace them with a national retail sales tax.
Please visit www.fairtax.org and get behind this idea!!!

[gcruse]

Yes, she is singing a new tune now. Peggy used to operate the treacle trolley for any Republican surmised as conservative. Nowadays, she's a regular valkyrie against bloated, intrusive Republican governance. I like her a lot better this way.

[diogenes ghost]

Interesting that this column of hers is bringing out praise of her. Yet, last week she was being vilified by nearly all for "Bush bashin", and being called a has-been.

[gcruse]

funny how that works

[upchuck]

In summary, Keep it simple and mean it. Excellent. Something I can get behind.

Want simple and meant? Read this by Mike Pence.

[brushcop]

Oh thank you, thank you! For aging eyes, you have done us a great service.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

Are the same people who bashed her, now praising her? Or are they different people?