Peggy Noonan Smacks Down Olbermann for Questioning 'Second Businessman' on GOP Ticket: Lots of People Think Businessmen Create Jobs

Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan on Sunday shot down Keith Olbermann's suggestion that a "second businessman" on the GOP presidential ticket is not the way to go for presumptive nominee Mitt Romney.

Appearing together on a roundtable for ABC's "This Week," Noonan had said it would be a "wonderful time" to pick Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, calling him "someone fully adult and accomplished."

"A former trade rep, former OMB [Office of Management and Budget], I think six or seven terms in the Congress, U.S. Senator," Noonan ticked off. "Yeah, this would be a wonderful time to pick someone fully adult and accomplished."

She continued, "I think Mr. Romney should not try to be, should not try to electrify and go outside the system -- and pick somebody new. Someone you’ve never heard of. We’ve done that one twice in my lifetime. Mr. Quayle, Ms. Palin. Don't do that again. Underscore who you want to be – serious."

Olbermann, seeming mystified by Noonan's response, asked: "Do you really want a second businessman on that ticket though in light of the, if it’s not a majority view, it’s a very large view right now that business has never been viewed less favorably in this country since they ran Jay Gould out of town?"

"Oh, my goodness," Noonan replied, looking surprised.

"Portman and Romney together?" Olbermann pressed.

"Yeah, I think that would be just fine I think," Noonan said firmly. "There is a lot of people who think businessmen create businesses which create jobs."

"But what about running a government?" Olbermann said.

"Well, I think people are awfully mad at Wall Street and they're awful mad at certain types of finaglers in business. But they’re not mad at businessmen," Noonan said.

Watch the exchange below, via NewsBusters (full roundtable below):

Watch the full segment below, via ABC. Relevant portion begins at the 12:50 mark:

(h/t NewsBusters)