Right-Of-Center Bloggers Solidly Support Sarah

John Hawkins of Right Wing News reports that in a recent survey of right-of-center bloggers asking them to name the people they considered to be the most influential on the right, Sarah Palin finished second only to Rush Limbaugh. Not only that, but the former Alaska governor received only four fewer votes than did El Rushbo, and she was ranked ahead of such luminaries of the right as Thomas Sowell, Mark Levin and Victor Davis Hanson.

Other right-of-center figures whose names have been bandied about as possible presidential contenders each received less than half the number of votes garnered by Palin. Jim DeMint was ranked ninth, Newt Gingrich tenth, Bobby Jindal in a six-way tie for sixteenth and Mitt Romney in a four-way tie at the bottom of the list. The full list ranked in order is posted at RWN.

Also at Right Wing News, contributor Dr. Melissa Clouthier commented on the Palin popularity among conservative bloggers:

As a note on John's survey of bloggers where Sarah Palin came in #2 of most favored conservatives, it's interesting how the grizzled blogger-corp remains impressed with her. Most political bloggers are, ironically, less emotionally attached to any politician -- they know the beast too well to "believe in" a candidate. Sarah Palin's plain-spoken, common-sense takes on big ideas like health care, energy, etc. are winning her respect.

On health care, right-of-center bloggers continue to rally to Sarah Palin's side to support her recent comments on the hot button issue. Dr. Clouthier was chief among them with a Pajamas Media essay titled "Sarah Palin Defines the Health Care Debate":

Sarah Palin rightly sees the debate in philosophical terms. The American people do, too. People are arguing over this and that provision, but the reason there is a depth of feeling on this issue is because people perceive that health care legislation would be a fundamental shift in the nature of what it means to be an American.

[...]

Americans are quite sensibly rejecting a vast new entitlement program. Sarah Palin clearly reflects this sentiment. In fact, she is one of the few voices brave enough to stand with the will of the majority. Too many other Republicans are afraid to be viewed as obstructionist to recognize that they sound out of touch with their own grassroots constituents on the right.

The Democrats don’t like the answers the American people are giving and thus have upped the rhetoric and resorted to name calling. In the last week, opponents of government-run health care have been compared to Nazis by the speaker of the House. They have also been called "un-American," "terrorists," "the mob," and more. That’s a sign Democrats have lost the philosophical debate.

Instead of calling out Sarah Palin, critics need to realize she’s defining the health care debate philosophically.

At the American Thinker blog, contributor Ethel C. Fenig provided a chilling real-world example in Oregon of a state-level death panel's decision not to provide Barbara Wagner with healing cancer medication, but to offer instead drugs designed for physician-assisted death. Fenig concluded:

So Sarah Palin's "death panels" aren't as quite off the mark as those afflicted by Palin Derangement Syndrome and mocking her seem to think. Apparently they're called Centers for Bioethics and people are sincerely grappling with these issues. The issues are deep, the problems are complex. And alas there are no easy answers. But let's keep the Barbara Wagners in mind. For one day, a loved one may be in the same predicament. Or you.

At The Travis Monitor, the father of a downs child says that Sarah Palin comments on the health care debate are like words from his own heart:

So the main problem I see with Obamacare (now isn't that an oxymoron?) is the focus on a utilitarian view of human life, rather than the idea that life is sacred. Do I want the President to fail in getting Obamacare passed. You bet I do. I hope he and all his leftist friends fail to castrate the heath care system in this great country through the imposition of Obamacare or any other Statist approach to health care that takes the care out of "health care" and treats people as statistics to be rationed to death for the sake of the collective.

Blogger michaelinmi says, "Sorry, Palin-haters, She is RIGHT About Obama’s Deathcare":

All anyone has to do to realize that Sarah Palin is spot-on correct about Obama’s ideology with regards to "healthcare" is read Dr Ezekiel Emanuel (yes, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s brother), Obama’s prime health care advisor: Principles for Allocation of Scarce Medical Interventions.

William Hughes says that Sarah Palin was right about the death panels:

Sarah Palin set off quite the outrage among liberal elites. Is there any other public official willing to take so bold a stand against socialized medicine? There are some leaders in the GOP who are standing up against this socialist usurpation of one seventh of the nation's economy, but most do so in hushed tones and in the apologetic manner of a school child about to face the fury of the local bully.

The Rude News is somewhat more... well, rude in its assessment:

All of these squish moderate republicans and liberals are assailing Sarah Palin over her "Death Panel" comment.

Well she is right on, you fools.

[...]

"Mandatory End of Life Counseling" – WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Hmm, that stupid "Hah-vard" study was all about saving pennies by kicking Grandma off a week early. It’s mostly is complaint about how expensive these old people are at the end. So if we convince them to give up, or withhold treatment, Granny only loses a week but we the people will save thousands.

Sounds like a Death Panel to me.

And to us as well.

- JP