Peggy Noonan spent Monday evening mocking Kara Swisher of Recode in a string of tweets that managed to be perfectly casual and utterly ruthless. It all started when Swisher took issue with Noonan’s latest column, which drew smart parallels between the Chinese Cultural Revolution and today’s mob activity on social media.
Sorry @Peggynoonannyc, I utterly disagree this tired trope by a range of fainting columnists on Twitter mobs. It’s different if it is organized bot attacks or calculated hits. But if you’re in the arena and say/do something stupid, suck it up and deal if real peeps get irked. https://t.co/LtXS1oGq5z
— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) March 11, 2019
Swisher then hilariously suggested people watch her South By Southwest panel with Kathy Griffin “to see what a coordinated attack actually costs.”
If you want to see what a coordinated attack actually costs, I would suggest you watch this interview I just did with @kathygriffin. We jaw over this issue and more: https://t.co/nc1L9XMqeY
— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) March 11, 2019
Noonan was unfazed. The Pulitzer Prize winner went to work dressing down Swisher’s critique with the driest of sarcasm. I don’t have much to say about these tweets because her savagery speaks for itself.
I remove my cap at your sage words. I do not deserve your notice. I apologize for the column I wrote, which is not the column you think I wrote but so what Wise Arbiter. #StruggleSession https://t.co/sawlT2mMLy
— Peggy Noonan (@Peggynoonannyc) March 11, 2019
Only the landlords own — and they will be crushed. @karaswisher is the right arbiter of internet discourse and we must listen. We are fortunate to be corrected. #StruggleSession https://t.co/KFTlW6i2AG
— Peggy Noonan (@Peggynoonannyc) March 11, 2019
Again, this is not true. She is not imperious and thin-skinned! She is helping us. #StruggleSession https://t.co/UNG6asWzTQ
— Peggy Noonan (@Peggynoonannyc) March 11, 2019
She is too busy helping us. https://t.co/YBYAWt2Oop
— Peggy Noonan (@Peggynoonannyc) March 11, 2019
If Kara says it is a good word it is the right word and we should employ it ceaselessly. She never lazily falls back on cliches. https://t.co/utBIZVYPhx
— Peggy Noonan (@Peggynoonannyc) March 11, 2019
Revisionist smear. She is a tribune of the people. https://t.co/oQcxQWBgJy
— Peggy Noonan (@Peggynoonannyc) March 11, 2019