Her subject matter is the House bill to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Palin argues against it by ignoring the entire question of carbon dioxide emissions and instead arguing that expensive energy is bad and cheap energy is good. I'd be tempted to suggest that this signals her total intellectual unsuitablity for office, but, sadly, this is par for the course on the right these days.
The subtext of the op-ed is Palin's attempt to position herself as, if not a policy wonk, then somebody whose views on public policy deserve to be taken seriously. The whole tone of the op-ed is reminiscent of the movie star who wants us to know that he's more than just a beautiful body, he has serious thought about the issues of the day. "Unfortunately," she writes, "many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges."
The op-ed was clearly written by Palin herself. It has that 9th grade, five paragraph essay style along with random bits of right-wing jargon sprinkled throughout in appropriate contexts. It is best read if you imagine that some of the lines were written to be delivered with winks:
I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage. ...
There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources. But the answer doesn't lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive! ...
In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.
The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics. ...
We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil. Just as important, we have more desire and ability to protect the environment than any foreign nation from which we purchase energy today.
You betcha!
--Jonathan Chait