Is Sarah Palin’s WaPo Climategate Op-Ed A Necessary Evil?

by Glynnis MacNicol | 10:34 am, December 9th, 2009

» 13 comments

Palin_385x185_656313a So the Washington Post has opted to run another Sarah Palin op-ed piece, this one about Climategate. The piece is a re-working of something Palin posted on her Facebook page last week and the Post is apparently drawing the ire of some readers for running it as noted by its own media reporter Howie Kurtz on Twitter.

Here is the gist of the op-ed, which honestly is not saying much that hasn’t been said (and refuted) in harsher terms by many others in the past few weeks (Gawker gives a great debunking of the whole thing here):

“Climate-gate,” as the e-mails and other documents from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia have become known, exposes a highly politicized scientific circle — the same circle whose work underlies efforts at the Copenhagen climate change conference. The agenda-driven policies being pushed in Copenhagen won’t change the weather, but they would change our economy for the worse…This scandal obviously calls into question the proposals being pushed in Copenhagen. I’ve always believed that policy should be based on sound science, not politics.

Leaving aside the irony of Sarah Palin calling for “sound science’ vs plain old politics(!), there remains the question of whether WaPo is really just traffic-baiting by publishing the piece, (which is pretty clearly ghost-written, but as Kurtz points out that is not a new thing where politicians and op-eds are concerned).

Choire Sicha at the Awl won’t link to the op-ed directly because “they shouldn’t be rewarded with the clicks, which is pretty much what this is about, I figure.” Which, of course is what it’s about. Also, what I assume Bono’s (arguably less damaging) op-eds at the NYT are about. Also, what 75% of the internet is practically about these days. Also, in the larger sense why Sarah Palin was tapped to be Vice President in the first place, John McCain wanted the attention and the votes of a certain portion of the population.

The other week the Washington Post announced it was closing its New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles bureaus, a decision which could ostensibly leave this country with one national newspaper. If by printing a Sarah Palin op-ed they are somehow able to up their traffic or ad rates or something, than I think it may just be a sort of necessary evil. You know, like slide shows and the like.

Bono, Choire Sicha, Climategate, Facebook, howie kurtz, HuffPo, New York Times, Sarah Palin, The Awl, The State of Journalism, twitter, Washington Post

http://www.uselessbeauty.com Vidiot

so the liberal media elites are “makin’ stuff up” and should be decried, unless they help her out by publishing her op-ed, I guess.
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

Hang on a minute. Let me make sure I understand this. Lots of screaming about biased media. The Washington Post generally is at the top of the left bias list. They publish what can only be called a dissenting position and they are blasted for it? Awl decides “not to reward them?” That translates to punishing the WaPo for daring to print an opinion not blessed by Choire Sicha. I don’t recall her being appointed as arbiter of acceptability.

Not to mention that she makes a valid point. The e-mails about messing with the data are fairly condemning, especially considering that our lovely media will zero in on a single word to discredit a politician, just like Glynnis’ gleeful isolation of the phrase “sound science” to try to discredit Palin.

This is more Palin bashing for the sake of Palin bashing. As I repeatedly say, I am not a fan, but this immediate slamming reaction from the left every time her name is mentioned is really dumb. As dumb as the right’s instant slams at Obama for everything from the weather to the economy.

@Glynnis: Think you can go 2 whole paragraphs without the snide comments? The only irony here is your calling Palin’s comment about “sound science” ironic. And it is about the clicks! Of course it is about the clicks. Read Dan Abrams’ multi-paragraph boast about the number of clicks. What, you think the paychecks just appear magically? The bills have to get paid and those clicks are what ultimately generate the revenue.
TfT

Ah….the old “ghost written” BS. LOL

No matter what she says or does, Glynnis will always hate Palin.

Why does the left have such a hard time with the right being allowed to speak? So, an op ed by a conservative is published and Glynnis and others throw a hissy fit? My goodness, it makes me laugh out loud how the left hates it when the right speaks.
straitshooter

I would like Glynnis to respond on this thread, or in a column, to one question: Are you a devoted Democrat?

If so, it will make it much easier to read and accept your copy. If you claim to approach stories objectively, well, most of your writing belies a deep aggression toward conservative doctrine and politicians.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

Public figures have traditionally been given space on the op-ed page, especially when their opinion is contrary to the paper’s stance. I’d say that using both qualifiers, Ms. Palin’s column would certainly qualify.

And, If she had asked and if the WaPo had refused, it not only might have been some kind of precedent, but she could undoubtedly made hay from their decision because that’s part of its function.

The op-ed page is opposite of the editorial – Should the WaPo squelch opposing viewpoints?
StewartIII

What is all this fuss about? Sounds like more Palin haters whining again. Barack Obama had a piece in the Washington Post in February. I don’t remember anyone complaining then.

The Action Americans Need by Barack Obama
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403174.html
m

I wonder what happened to the liberal biased media? If we’d had a liberal media bias, the op-ed would’ve been torn to shreds right now. But as far as I am concerned, Palin has gotten the biggest pass on this editorial that I’ve ever seen.
StewartIII

Does this look like a pass to you?

NewsBusters: Prominent Lefties Tina Brown, Joe Klein in Uproar Over Palin Anti-Copenhagen WaPo Op-Ed
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2009/12/09/prominent-lefties-tina-brown-joe-klein-uproar-over-palin-anti-copenhagen-
m

Is it just two liberal commentators that you’ve got? That’s sad. Palin’s editorial wouldn’t have passed WaPo standards and practices if it had been written by anyone else.
justinwalter

Palin is right to question the faulty science behind the cap and trade scam. This bill will cause electric bills to double. This is going to hit the poor and middle class of this country very hard. It will also cause food prices to go up as grocery stores pass along increased electricity costs.Also, the higher energy costs will force many businesses to move their factories overseas to Asia. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that over two million jobs will be lost in America as a direct result of cap and trade.
Mens Health
m

Do you have any better idea how to reduce carbon emissions? Cap and trade or carbon taxes are the best two things we’ve got.

Oh, I forgot. Republicans and conservative don’t have a single position on how to take care of our environment.
roxsteady

Please! There were just 2 problems with the op ed. It was factually incorrect and she didn’t write it. This woman is pathetic. She keeps interjecting herself into the conversation when she doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about. You’ll notice that everthing she says is about Obama. She knows that mentioning him keeps her in the conversation. You quit your job as govenor of Alaska. Why are you obsessed with the President? He’s clearly in her head. The Lady Doth Protest Too Much! Perhaps she has a serious case of jungle fever?
StewartIII

“The response to my op-ed by global warming alarmists has been interesting. Former Vice President Al Gore has called me a “denier” and informs us that climate change is “a principle in physics. It’s like gravity. It exists.”

Perhaps he’s right. Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it.”
***
Sarah Palin: The Washington Post Op-ed and Response to Climate Change and Gravity
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=193694168434