On Sunday's Meet the Press on NBC, Wall Street Journal conservative columnist Peggy Noonan drew head shakes and outright laughter from her fellow panelists for suggesting the Republican party try to rebrand itelf as supportive of women in the aftermath of the GOP's successful efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Noonan said:
"You know what the Republican party should do now?"
"It should use this victory—if you see it that way—to change itself, and become a party that helps women, change its reputation, become a party that helps women and children, become responsible and supportive."
You can watch the moment here:
\u201cOn Meet the Press this week Peggy Noonan tried to say with a straight face that the Republican Party should "use this victory" to reform itself and improve its standing with women. Watch as the whole panel dissolves in laughter. clip via @DavidEdwards.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256930
Noonan was part of a panel discussion on the nationwide implications for reproductive rights after the Supreme Court’s Friday ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade.
Noonan acknowledged public polling showed most Americans supported federal protections for the reproductive freedom—allowing people to decide if they will carry a pregnancy to term as well as receive lifesaving healthcare after a miscarriage.
Andrea Mitchell could be seen shaking her head "no" while laughter and objections were heard from others.
\u201cThe absurd met the pathetic on Meet the Press this week when Peggy Noonan tried to say with a straight face the Republican Party should "use this opportunity" to change and improve its standing with women. The whole panel dissolved in laughter.\n\nI will try to post the clip later.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@jljacobson @jayrosen_nyu What is she smoking?\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@jayrosen_nyu The queen of smarmy self importance has some thoughts, and as usual, it's all "through a gin glass darkly" stuff.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@dankennedy_nu @jayrosen_nyu I didn\u2019t laugh. I didn\u2019t find it funny.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@EricJGreenberg1 @jayrosen_nyu Are you familiar with Chuck Todd?\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@davewiner @jayrosen_nyu Muslims allow abortion.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@jayrosen_nyu\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@LindaHirshman1 @jayrosen_nyu I saw that, too! Post the link, so we can share!\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@Arch_E_Texture @jayrosen_nyu @rolandsmartin\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@JFinnBee1 @jayrosen_nyu I\u2019ve seen it on the Right more than once too. This \u201ctalking point\u201d is hollow after decades of the Right attacking the social safety net in America. They want to take the opportunity to show Americans what a \u201cculture of life\u201d can achieve. I think we saw that already pre-Roe.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@Goodmoisturizer @jayrosen_nyu Very true. The astonishing thing to me is Reagan's policies were devastating to communities of color, especially mine. It felt draconian at the time. I can't even imagine what the modern GOP will do.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@BPJSwartz @jayrosen_nyu I almost split my boot straps laughing.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
\u201c@BGrueskin @adamdavidson @jayrosen_nyu The ideas in the excerpt from @DouthatNYT are insane. Like \u201cLucy letting Charlie Brown kick the football\u201d insane. Ask anyone who works in healthcare.\u201d— Jay Rosen (@Jay Rosen) 1656256241
Panelist Kimberly Atkins Stohr—a columnist for The Boston Globe—blamed high level members of the GOP for the coordinated attack on reproductive rights.
You can see responses to Noonan here:
Stohr interjected:
"Why are we here?"
"We're here because Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell got together and did a Litmus test for overturning Roe for Supreme Court nominees."
"Sandra Day O'Connor didn't have that Litmus test, David Souter didn't have it, Anthony Kennedy didn't have it."
"That is why we are here is because Republicans from the top set the tone."
With former Republican President Donald Trump getting his SCOTUS picks from Evangelical Christian organizations and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocking President Barack Obama's replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia for over a year and ramming through Trump's last pick before Democratic President Joe Biden took office, the SCOTUS was stacked with Bible before Constitution judges of dubious experience and pedigree.
Calls for an expansion of the SCOTUS—which was set at nine in 1869 to match the number of United States Circuit Courts at that time—increased after several key rulings supporting gun rights and Christianity.
There are now 13 Circuit Courts and 13 is the number many are calling for the SCOTUS to be expanded to.
