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Palin Op-Ed a Shallow Ploy for Policy Cred: Ambinder

The former governor does has not done the hard work to become a leading voice on health care

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 9, 2009 5:10 PM CDT

(Newser) – Sarah Palin’s got “every right” to write an opinion piece on health care reform. But, plainly, she does not have the right to be an influential voice in the debate, writes Marc Ambinder for the Atlantic. Her piece contains unoriginal ideas—replacing Medicare with vouchers—and smacks of ghostwriting. But unoriginality and credibility problems won’t stop her from becoming an influential voice in the debate if the cable news shows take the bait. So don’t, Ambinder pleads.

"If you want to do justice to conservative ideas,” Ambinder writes in a “challenge” to TV media, “book serious Republicans with original ideas on your programs. If a shallow op-ed is all it takes for Palin to become a legitimate voice on this issue, she won’t have to “do the hard work that will result in her learning more about policy and actually becoming conversant in the issues that she, as a potential presidential candidate, will deal with.”

A July 26, 2009, file photo shows Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin giveing her resignation speech during a ceremony in Fairbanks, Alaska where Palin turned over the governorship to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell.
A July 26, 2009, file photo shows Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin giveing her resignation speech during a ceremony in Fairbanks, Alaska where Palin turned over the governorship to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell.   (AP Photo/Al Grillo, file)
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announces that she is stepping down from her position as Governor in Wasilla, Alaska on Friday July 3, 2009.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announces that she is stepping down from her position as Governor in Wasilla, Alaska on Friday July 3, 2009.   (AP Photo/The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, Robert DeBerry)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 18 comments
lindamae
Sep 15, 2009 5:52 AM CDT
Palin - like many American women - started college as a wife and mother. Because she moved, she had to change schools but she continued and graduated. Obama claims that he wasted his time at college with his drinking and drugging. He had to visit the neighborhood drug dealer to get his stuff. Of course, he's never allowed us to see his transcripts - from any of his schools. Wonder why?
lindamae
Sep 15, 2009 5:49 AM CDT
Apparently he did not read Palin's articles in the Canadian Free Press or the WSJ - else he could not have made his point. Love all the Alynskians using their Rules for Radicals - #4 - attack the person in order to neutralize the ideas. Her points were well articulated and showed how Obama knows nothing about reforming health care in America. He just wants to add another trillion to our budget - and we are fools to allow this to happen. My 2 and 3 year old grandsons will be stuck paying for them. This is grossly unfair.
BlahBlahBlah
Sep 11, 2009 2:29 AM CDT
Actually I didn't quote any one that would require quotation marks. To that point, when asked about her foreign policy experience she said that Russia was her neighbor and all she had to do was go outside and check on them. That is where the Tina Fey line of "I can see Russia from my house". You know that information right?

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