Peggy Noonan Quotes

A collection of quotes by Peggy Noonan.

Peggy Noonan is an American author, columnist, and political commentator, widely recognized for her influential works in journalism and speechwriting. Born on September 7, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York, she began her career as a writer in the early 1970s.

Noonan gained prominence as a speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan during his second term, playing a significant role in crafting his memorable addresses, including the famous "Challenger" and "Berlin Wall" speeches. Her eloquent and impactful writing style, infused with patriotism and conservatism, captured the attention and admiration of many.

Following her time in the Reagan administration, Noonan transitioned into a successful career in journalism. She worked as a columnist for The Wall Street Journal for over a decade and continues to write regularly, addressing political and social issues with her insightful commentary. Her columns have garnered both critical acclaim and a dedicated readership.

Throughout her career, Noonan has authored several books, including "What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era" and "The Time of Our Lives: Collected Writings." She has been awarded numerous accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2017.

Peggy Noonan's contributions to American politics, writing, and public discourse have made her one of the most influential figures in the field of political commentary. Her ability to articulate complex ideas with clarity and charisma has solidified her reputation as a respected voice in American conservatism.

TV gives everyone an image, but radio gives birth to a milli

TV gives everyone an image, but radio gives birth to a million images in a million brains.

Beware the politically obsessed. They are often bright and i

Beware the politically obsessed. They are often bright and interesting, but they have something missing in their natures; there is a hole, an empty place, and they use politics to fill it up. It leaves them somehow misshapen.

If you join government, calmly make your contribution and mo

If you join government, calmly make your contribution and move on. Don't go along to get along; do your best and when you have to -- and you will -- leave, and be something else.

Read good, big important things.

Read good, big important things.

My generation, faced as it grew with a choice between religi

My generation, faced as it grew with a choice between religious belief and existential despair, chose marijuana. Now we are in our Cabernet stage.

Remember the waterfront shack with the sign FRESH FISH SOLD

Remember the waterfront shack with the sign FRESH FISH SOLD HERE. Of course it's fresh, we're on the ocean. Of course it's for sale, we're not giving it away. Of course it's here, otherwise the sign would be someplace else. The final sign: FISH.

Authors & Writing

Most people aren't appreciated enough, and the bravest thing

Most people aren't appreciated enough, and the bravest things we do in our lives are usually known only to ourselves. No one throws ticker tape on the man who chose to be faithful to his wife, on the lawyer who didn't take the drug money, or the daughter who held her tongue again and again. All this anonymous heroism.

I love eulogies. They are the most moving kind of speech bec

I love eulogies. They are the most moving kind of speech because they attempt to pluck meaning from the fog, and on short order, when the emotions are still ragged and raw and susceptible to leaps.

Great speeches have always had great soundbites. The problem

Great speeches have always had great soundbites. The problem now is that the young technicians who put together speeches are paying attention only to the soundbite, not to the text as a whole, not realizing that all great soundbites happen by accident, which is to say, all great soundbites are yielded up inevitably, as part of the natural expression of the text. They are part of the tapestry, they aren't a little flower somebody sewed on.

Sincerity and competence is a strong combination. In politic

Sincerity and competence is a strong combination. In politics, it is everything.

Speeches are not magic and there is no great speech without

Speeches are not magic and there is no great speech without great policy.

If you commit a big crime then you are crazy, and the more h

If you commit a big crime then you are crazy, and the more heinous the crime the crazier you must be. Therefore you are not responsible, and nothing is your fault.

Now he is a statesman, when what he really wants is to be wh

Now he is a statesman, when what he really wants is to be what most reporters are, adult delinquents.

You don't have to be old in America to say of a world you li

You don't have to be old in America to say of a world you lived in: That world is gone.

Modern Modernism

Beware the politically obsessed. They are often bright and i

Beware the politically obsessed. They are often bright and interesting, but they have something missing in their natures there is a hole, an empty place, and they use politics to fill it up. It leaves them somehow misshapen.

Part of courage is simple consistency.

Part of courage is simple consistency.

Don't fall in love with politicians, they're all a disappoin

Don't fall in love with politicians, they're all a disappointment. They can't help it, they just are.

The battle for the mind of Ronald Reagan was like the trench

The battle for the mind of Ronald Reagan was like the trench warfare of World War I: never have so many fought so hard for such barren terrain.

If you join government, calmly make your contribution and mo

If you join government, calmly make your contribution and move on. Don't go along to get along do your best and when you have to - and you will - leave, and be something else.

Candor is a compliment it implies equality. It's how true fr

Candor is a compliment it implies equality. It's how true friends talk.