September 09, 2009
We Elected the Wrong Leader
Tonight, Barack Obama will take to the airwaves to make what I've read is his 28th public attempt to sell a fundamentally-flawed, fiscally irresponsible and morally bankrupt health-care plan to the American people.
It is probable that despite his much-discussed charisma, the President's plan is likely to lose support tomorrow.
It will lose support because former Alaska governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin wrote a cogent, intelligent and concise op-ed in the Wall Street Journal that utterly eviscerates Democratic plans to control medical insurance and ration health-care.
Further, Palin provides a clear path towards real health-care reform.
Instead of poll-driven "solutions," let's talk about real health-care reform: market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven. As the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon and others have argued, such policies include giving all individuals the same tax benefits received by those who get coverage through their employers; providing Medicare recipients with vouchers that allow them to purchase their own coverage; reforming tort laws to potentially save billions each year in wasteful spending; and changing costly state regulations to allow people to buy insurance across state lines. Rather than another top-down government plan, let's give Americans control over their own health care.Democrats have never seriously considered such ideas, instead rushing through their own controversial proposals. After all, they don't need Republicans to sign on: Democrats control the House, the Senate and the presidency. But if passed, the Democrats' proposals will significantly alter a large sector of our economy. They will not improve our health care. They will not save us money. And, despite what the president says, they will not "provide more stability and security to every American."
Palin has written one Facebook entry and (now an editorial) staking an articulate direction in which to move on providing health-care reform. Our President, plummeting in the polls, will attempt yet another droning, self-referential speech to convince us that a bad idea is a good idea... because he says so.
We have before us a leader with vision.
And then we have the President.
The trolls on other sites are trying desperately to paint Sarah Palin as an idiot who has no idea what she's talking about.
Ha ha. Try as they might, she is still the one leading this debate. Bambi wants so badly to regain control of the narrative, but his speech tomorrow will be nothing more than a reaction to Palin's op-ed.
Posted by: jana at September 9, 2009 12:43 AMYou go, Sarah! The troll army has been turned out in force (including Ambinder at The Atlantic) and they have nothing to say besides "Sarah is dumb!!!!!"
Obama pwned again.
Good job at taking her off the Alaska stage and putting her on the national stage, libs! How's that working out for you?
Posted by: Tim at September 9, 2009 02:14 AMI continue to be amazed that anyone STILL supports this POTUS. How? Why? WHY?
Posted by: Nancy in Texas at September 9, 2009 02:52 AMDidn't you hear? The left WANTS her to run for President because she can't win. Oh Really? Maybe in their own circles they've talked themselves into a reality where she doesn't stand a chance. In the real world she's the only one out there with the gonads to take the fight to them head on. That's why they sweat bullets every time she's on the national stage and feel the need to attack her every chance they get... because they WANT her to run. Hey Lefties! She's a quitter, remember? Keep saying that to yourselves every time you sh.t blood when she makes your guy look like the testically challenged "leader" he really is, the narcissistic "me" man he has always been, an outright liar and deceiver that doesn't have it in his makeup to be straightforward as the radical agenda and radicals he supports gets exposed to the rest of us. The President is such a great leader and cultive personality that he can't possibly lose... despite the fact he's pissed off white independents, cops, soldiers, CIA, FBI, legal immigrants, small business owners, and patriotic god loving, hardworking, taxpaying citizens while we watched him tank our economy. Hey Lefties! All these tea parties and an eventual march on Washington means nothing! Keep repeating "Yes We Can." Go buy an Obama souvenier at the NBC store. History will judge politicians like Chuck Schumer, Chris Dodd, Nancy Pelosi, and the other idiots as the appeasing weaklings that tried to ruin our country for their own benefit and nothing more. If they lived in the late 1700's the history books wouldn't even record their names. The women that is a "quitter" would have been one of the founding "mothers" of our country. She gets it. The more you ridicule her the more we rally behind her. Keep it up!
Posted by: Dave B at September 9, 2009 03:31 AMI think Sarah Palin could take ol' Big Ears in single combat anytime! The Pampered Prince of Kenya is a limp-wristed wimp.
Posted by: BTW at September 9, 2009 05:50 AMI love the Freudian-typo in the 4th para, substituting Pain for Palin.
Other than that, I agree with this article...and that says a lot, as someone who didn't vote for McCain because of my personal disdain for Palin and her early inability to speak cogently.
Live and learn...hopefully withOUT the Pain!
---pam
Posted by: pamela howell at September 9, 2009 07:19 AMSarah Palin never was "dumb" or "stupid" during the presidential campaign season. She was rushed. I didn't vote for McCain or Obama (I voted for Bob Barr since I'm a life-long third-partier), but I liked Sarah Palin because she was so different. She reminded me of the mothers I serve on the PTA with down here in rural suburban Georgia. And I'm a black dude!
As far as her op-ed, she presents some damn solid plans. President Obama's best bet would be to deliver a speech that scales back the "public option" and acknowledges additional lower cost plans. Notice I said "acknowledges" because that's all you can expect from most politicians. And then he needs to walk out there on September 12th during the Tea Party March on Washington and TALK to the Americans he leads (whether accept that or not). He has to, but will probably not, moderate the health care position.
Welcome aboard Pam.
It's entirely reasonable that folks had reservations about Palin. Though to be fair those same folks needed to consider that any governor of a smaller state (re; populace) was going to have an orientation period in which to get up to speed. Unfortunately for Palin, the warp speed pace of a presidential campaign and a fawning media in the tank for the "One" fused to make her first missteps the lasting impression.
However what those who support her saw beneath that narrative was, and is, a natural leadership ability. Combined with a fearlessness and a grounding in basic principles this woman speaks, using a phrase the Dems love, "truth to power". Ironic.
Posted by: A. Stephens at September 9, 2009 08:13 AMFor all his raving that Republicans have no plan, where is HIS plan?
I see a huge stack of paper from Congressional Democrats, but no plan from POTUS.
Dear Mr. President, will you (can you) lead us?
Palin Rocks - What a Women ....
Posted by: Jack at September 9, 2009 10:40 AMA small correction here. A. Stephens refers to Sarah Palin as the governor of "a small state." Alaska is the largest state in the Union in sheer landmass, exceeding even Texas, which was at one point in our history the largest state. In population, of course, Alaska is one of the smaller states, partly because it is still a frontier state in many ways, and because it is so much further north than our other states that there are large portions of it which are unfriendly to large settlements. It does, however, have many strategic natural assets such as large deposits of oil and natural gas, so it is a complex area to govern efficiently.
Marianne Matthews
Posted by: Marianne Matthews at September 9, 2009 10:53 AMMarianne,
No slight to Alaska was intended. I was referring strictly to population #'s.
I refer to Governor Palin as a natural leader and I think one can look to her overall accomplishments as chief executive of Alaska (a complex state, as you point out) as confirmation.
Posted by: A. Stephens at September 9, 2009 11:22 AMNow was I right, or what, about a month or two ago,
Posted by: narciso at September 9, 2009 12:04 PM'Death Panels' are a lie. The government has been encouraging living wills for 20 years and nobody has objected. The provision Ms. Palin is lying about was inserted by two Republicans so she's not even attacking the right party. Sarah Palin is the same monger who told us we were in "end times" and it's curious that she is so obsessed with death. It's a good thing Republicans weren't able to flip the vote electronically and get this political clown in office. But, can we finally flip the switch on her and retire her as lying laughing stock embarassment she really is?
Posted by: raaa at September 9, 2009 12:11 PMNo, the House provision was written by Blumenauer of Oregon, where they did institutionalize euthanasia, where life saying treatments are denied on a fairly common basis
Posted by: narciso at September 9, 2009 12:26 PMSarah Palin running for President would be a challenge to say the least, for a number of reasons that need not be re-listed here.
But the perfect role for her? Head of the GOP. Not ot go after Michael Steele, I like him, but the word "inspiring" rarely appears in the same sentence with his name.
But if Palin were in that chair, she have enormous influence on every race out there, she would still be a private citizen (which I think she would find appealing), and, though she cannot admit it, but I believe it, it would let her put some serious political hurt on a whole lot of people in the media et al, whom she quite correctly thinks richly deserve it.
Perfect role for her.
Posted by: Andrew X at September 9, 2009 12:59 PMA. Stephens .. Thanks for the clarification; we see to be in agreement.
My goodness, the trolls seem to be out in force today. Some folks don't seem to be able to witness beauty and truth without committing ugliness and anger.
Andrew X ...I think your idea about Sarah becoming head of the GOP is an interesting one. She has a rare ability to encapsulate complicated ideas in simple terms which would work well in that spot, while she organizes and directs the growth and maturing of her kids for the next few years, and also matures her knowledge of our country and its problems. I would like to see her as President one day, although I think she needs some seasoning. But any person who can sum up a complicated conflict of ideas in two words that resonate throughout the country is someone to be respected.
Marianne Matthews
Posted by: Marianne Matthews at September 9, 2009 04:39 PMObama is not a leader in any sense of the word. He's a nice-looking, prompter-reading, smooth sounding megaphone and tool for the ugly unwashed geeks of the Marxist far-left.
If an original thought found its way into his brain, it would die from lack of company.
The lowliest of platoon leaders from a supply brigade out of North Dakota has more leadership skill in his little finger than Obama could ever hope to amass.
Posted by: Junk Science Skeptic at September 9, 2009 06:29 PMObama is the first President that the media created from nothing. He was a nothing when they started swooning over him and pushed him into the national spotlight, and he still has nothing to offer but camera presence and a focus for celebrity worshippers.
Sarah Palin, however, has substance, and she has a track record to provide evidence of what she would be able to accomplish if elected to a national post.
Posted by: Ken R at September 9, 2009 08:05 PMThe lowliest of platoon leaders from a supply brigade out of North Dakota has more leadership skill in his little finger than Obama could ever hope to amass.
That's how he won, a black man named Barack Hussein Obama,over a genuine war hero with a military pedigree that goes back three generations.
Yeah, Junk Science, he's no leader. No leader at all.
/sarcasm
Posted by: David L Terrenoire at September 9, 2009 10:38 PMMr. ScorchedEarth
McCain was ahead until he pulled that stupid suspending the campaign stunt.
Obama won because McCain did what he does best-crash.
Posted by: Pinandpuller at September 10, 2009 06:01 AMPinandpuller,
He does crash well, better than any other pilot I know.
But I would suggest Palin was his downfall, not the desperate suspension of his campaign.
Once people saw her bobble softballs like "what dio you read?" they started wondering if McCain had all of his brain cells working as a team.
Posted by: David Terrenoire at September 10, 2009 11:34 PMSorry DT, I think you need a HUD worse than "The Crasher".
She's the only reason I voted for McLame.
Posted by: Pinandpuller at September 11, 2009 03:05 AM