See today's new Romney campaign ad. The 60-second spot focuses on a young boy playing in an ocean while, in a voice-over, Romney quotes Peggy Noonan about how the "ocean" of society "has become a cesspool of violence, and sex, and drugs, and indolence, and perversions." Some thoughts on the ad: Certainly a shock for this fellow resident of the Bay State to see the ocean so terribly maligned. Fortunately, the ad will be playing in Ames and Columbia, not Gloucester and on the Cape. More interesting, however, is Romney's choice to quote Noonan, the former Reagan speechwriter. On April 13, Noonan observed in the Wall Street Journal, "There is a sort of stature gap in the presidential campaign so far, isn't there? A lack of personal height among the candidates, a lack of the bearing that befits the office they seek." She lumped Romney with the bumbling Mike Huckabee and criticized the Massachusetts governor for "talking about shooting varmints with all the rifles he does or does not own." Five days later, Romney quoted Noonan's theory of oceans at the Ronald Reagan Gala. No hard feelings, apparently; that speech became the basis for the new ad. On May 5, Noonan took in the Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Library. There, Noonan saw a whole new Romney. He had morphed from one of the "Incredibly Shrinking Candidates" to "statuesque":

Mr. Romney had a certain good-natured command, a presidential voice, and a surprising wiliness. He seemed happy to be there, and in the mysterious way that some people seem to dominate, he dominated.

Now, Romney has returned the favor with this watery tribute. Your turn, Peggy. --Samuel Jacobs