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Saturday, August 29, 2009

Maybe I'm an Idiot Too

In an earlier post, I did some hand wringing over excessive language and the harm done to the cause of liberty by excessive language. Though not by name, I cited Sarah Palin's "death panel" comment as an example. "It certainly draws attention to a set of issues, but it also leaves one open to ad hominem attacks that hurt one's credibility." 'Dawg was probably more discerning than I. In his comments, he said:
"End of life" or "death" panels, just a matter of semantics.

and
Granted the impact is different. But it's why Palin used "Death Panel". It is what she sees it, and she calls it how she feels. Not incorrect, but pejorative.
Turns out that some liberals agree with 'Dawg on the impact Palin has had. In an article titled "How Sarah Palin Rope-a-Doped All-Too-Many Liberals" Ron Rosenbaum makes the point that while liberals were tripping all over themselves demeaning Palin; in their condescension for her supposed lack of smarts, they failed to notice that she had made an important political point. In fact leftist outrage over her comments, repeated over and over again in the MSM actually helped make her point. As people starting thinking about the meaning behind the comment, they realized the truth of the outcome Palin fears, even if not literally true. From Rosenbaum's article:

They couldn’t believe that Sarah Palin was capable of something as canny as that deadly “death panels” phrase. They couldn’t see that it was a metaphoric shorthand for something real. Instead they thought she was too dumb, that she meant it literally (to have seen the potential for rationed end-of-life care in the bill), and instead indulged in an orgy of disdain for her “crazy,” “ignorant” “lies” and malicious misrepresentation.
Rosenbaum argues that the left should have countered with the fact that insurance companies act as de facto death panels today. But I would still love to have that debate. I can't find the quote, but someone recently said that people will accept all sorts of crap from business to save some money, look at the way airlines treat us, but they won't accept that kind of treatment from government.

5 comments:

  1. I read that article, as well.

    Sarah Palin could say that the sun will rise in the East tomorrow and the liberal-Left would go insane.

    They just can't help themselves when it comes to Palin.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Republicans don’t like Democrats and vice versa. But the unadulterated hate for Palin seems to go beyond that.

    The momentum brought to the conservative base scared the crap out of the media, therefore she was targeted and set for destruction.

    I hope she has the guts to hang in there with politics, although I know it wouldn't be in her self interest to do so.

    Thanks for the reference, Bdaddy.

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  3. Blogs are about opinion, right? Well, I believe Sarah Palin has more than guts motivating her and it starts with a capital - G__! I say, "Go Palin, as long as you have the Spirit leading you!" I have no doubt she is counting the cost because for her it is about a lot more than being political.

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  4. Mr. Rosenbaum is a little bit late to the party... folks have already met that argument and posted highly reserached responses to the claim....

    This has a short version of one....

    Your objections were on style; most of their objections were on person. Big difference.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Foxie,
    Thanks for the support. Some problem with you link, so I am re-linking the article entitled:
    Confessions of a Health Care Rationer.

    ReplyDelete