Peggy's Political Insight

I love the way Peggy Noonan writes. And though she's seen a lot I generally consider her a better writer than a political analyst. There is one thing that Ms. Noonan does understand well, however - people. She has a knack for observation and getting a feel for what makes certain individuals tick. And one of the people she always seems to have a good read on is Hillary Clinton.

Today's column reflects on the recent French Presidential election and rather than make direct comparisons between Clinton and Segolene Royal she makes some observations about how her opponents might best handle her.

Madame Royal is not Madame Rodham, France is not America, and too much is being made of the parallels with Hillary Clinton. But the French race might have shown a certain rough template for how to puncture Mrs. Clinton's persistent air of inevitability, and for one big reason.

What Mr. Sarkozy had going for him in the debate is that he was not afraid of Ms. Royal because she was a woman. He was not undone by her femininity. American candidates seem much more awkward in this area. When up against a strong woman, male candidates don't know what is appropriate and standard political aggression and what is ungentlemanly bullying.

Mr. Sarkozy was not afraid or tentative. He was poised. He seemed to think he was facing a formidable adversary, and it didn't matter whether it was a man or a woman, it mattered that she was a socialist and socialism isn't helpful. And so he approached her as a person who is wrong.

She was not afraid of the boy. He was not afraid of the girl. He granted her no particular mystique; she granted him no particular advantage. They were appropriate.

Mr. Sarkozy also did something with Ms. Royal that might be usefully remembered by Mrs. Clinton's foes. Ms. Royal, when the unexpected happened--"Calm down!"--showed she wasn't so good at improvising. She didn't react with any tactical grace. This reminded me of Mrs. Clinton, who also seems unsure and unsteady when pushed off script or put at the mercy of happenstance. She can't rely on her instincts, because deep down she knows her instincts are no match for her will. She's not light on her feet. Her foes would do well to keep this in mind.

Of course, I have no doubt that a certain other potential candidate could do quite well in putting her off-balance. Yeah, you guessed it: Ol' Fred. It's clear that Nurse Ratched's husband's natural charm and likability always stands in stark contrast to her lack of warmth, which is why she'd be smart to appear without him in the campaign as little as possible.

How might she seem alongside the charming and likable Fred Dalton Thompson? I'd be fun to watch.