The Republican Party, the McCain campaign, and willing collaborators are trying to pass Sarah Palin off as a true energy expert, someone deeply knowledgeable in the arena of the nation’s greatest challenges. This attempt to create a resume item re Sarah “Energy Expert” Palin is, simply, an attempt to sell a fraud. Searching Palin “Energy Expert” and there are more than 11,000 hits — luckily hit number one re “Energy Expert” Palin is for an honest report.
Some of the absurdities
Haley Barbour has called her “a bonafide energy expert”. George Pataki stated that “Governor Palin is, I think, an energy expert” when he was challenged to confront her statements denying humanity’s role in global warming. Hot-air specialist Lawrence Kudlow has absurdly called her “Our Energy Answer”:
Coming from the natural-resource rich state of Alaska, Palin is an experienced energy expert. She knows more about the economics of energy than senators McCain, Obama, or Biden. And in this year of the oil-shock economy, Palin’s role will be absolutely crucial.
What are some of the whoppers?
- “Alternative-energy solutions are far from imminent and would require more than 10 years to develop.” Wind turbines are going up every day around the globe, with more wind power in the globe’s electrical system all the time. A decade away? Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant contracts are being announced on almost a monthly basis to be on line in a few years. A decade away? Even oilman T Boone Pickens believes that, in that decade, the United States can move from roughly 1% of its electricity coming from wind power up to 20% in a decade (and, of course, that is not a step function of, “10 years” from now a 19% jump, but a growth line over the decade).
- Palin made a comment earlier this year that “I beg to disagree with any candidate who would say we can’t drill our way out of our problem.” To be generous, this shows an absolutely ignorance about the realities of America’s and the globe’s energy challenges. Less generously, if an “expert”, she was lying to those listening. (And, of course, that wasn’t the line in her convention speech.)
- In her speech to the RNC, Palin stated that “To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of the world’s energy supplies….” Remember, supposed to be an “energy expert”. Iran might be able to cut 20% of oil supply, since the Persian Gulf does provide roughly that amount of the globe’s oil. But what about nuclear power, hydropower, natural gas, coal, solar, wind, biomass … Note to Sarah “Energy Expert” Palin: oil represents less than half humanity’s energy use.
These are, of course, just a few teaser examples, not even touching her global warming denial. These examples, however, the absurdity of a claim that Sarah Palin has any right to be called “expert” in her knowledge of energy issues.
When contemplating the 100-year flood of revelations surrounding Sarah Palin, it is hard to keep track. And, amid this flood, it is harder to find truth than fiction in Republican talking points. Thus, it shouldn’t shock anyone that Sarah Palin is no “bonafide energy expert”, no matter how loudly and how often talking heads want to claim otherwise.
18 responses so far ↓
1 rockoftucson // Sep 4, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Amen, the republican party is devoid of ideas and completely out of touch. Gov Palin has no energy credentials of any kind, and the fact is the surest way to drive oil prices down is to begin using alternative sources.By the way has anyone noticed that oil is now 115.00 a barrel down almost 35.00 from its high. Prices in Tucson have dropped a quarter from that high water mark. When they went up it was instantaneous. Until we get a true energy policy we will all be at the mercy of big oil{republicans}.Wake up America we cannot aford one more day of republican government. Let us all say ENOUGH no more lies.
2 Wonk Room » Palin Isn’t An Energy Expert — She Doesn’t Even Understand Oil // Sep 9, 2008 at 11:31 am
[…] Sarah Palin (R-AK) is being touted on the national stage as an “energy expert” by conservatives because she hails from a petro-state: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): “She […]
3 Bald-Faced Deception: McCain is McShameless … | Get Energy Smart! NOW!!! // Sep 11, 2008 at 3:03 pm
[…] and the Republican Party have at the core of their campaign strategy. The absurdity of calling Sarah Palin some form of “Energy Expert” has gone from ridiculous to beyond the realm of absurd. I have to ask, however, how in the world […]
4 McCain Thinks Palin Knows More About Energy Than Anyone Else in the United States - The Seminal :: Independent Media and Politics // Sep 11, 2008 at 5:44 pm
[…] have been debunking and mocking the ridiculous idea that Sarah Palin is an energy expert for about a week now. Via America Blog we learn that John […]
5 Sarah // Sep 12, 2008 at 11:00 pm
I think it would be helpful if someone would give a well defined explanation of what is an “Energy Expert”. What credentials, experience & education are required. Then compare this to Sarah Palins background and see what shakes out. I am amazed John McCain can say she knows more about energy than anyone else in the US and keep a straight face. He just keeps saying it like it will make it true if he says it enough.
6 Palin-McCain: Can’t get energy facts right // Sep 29, 2008 at 8:38 pm
[…] the absurdities of trying to pawn Sarah “Pit Bull with Lipstick” Palin off as the nation’s top energy expert […]
7 VP Debate: Bi-Partisan Romancing of Clean Coal // Oct 2, 2008 at 10:50 pm
[…] This is not a comforting emphasis and, the discomfort doesn’t only come from the nation’s leading energy expert, Sarah Palin. […]
8 Tim // Oct 3, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Energy Expert Definition:
A person should have studied the issue as a professional and make a professional living at the subject in order to be called an Expert. Ideally, you have written many articles and books that are widely accepted, not just crank books.
Look up Daniel Yergin, Amory Lovins to start with.
9 Palin energy deception on national TV … again // Oct 4, 2008 at 5:13 am
[…] the Vice Presidential debate, Sarah “Energy Expert” Palin continued to demonstrate either her fundamental ignorance about energy realities or her fervent […]
10 T Boone Pickens continues hard sell with blogger call // Oct 7, 2008 at 1:23 pm
[…] had more experience with energy than Senator Obama or McCain.” Amusing that the person who, supposedly, is the nation’s top energy expert doesn’t know much about energy outside Alaska. If she has “more experience”, that […]
11 McCain Disdain for Meaningful Energy Plans // Oct 16, 2008 at 4:01 pm
[…] … maybe we should look to Architecture 2030 and not Sarah “Energy Expert” Palin for meaningful advice about solviing America’s energy […]
12 A. Siegel: McCain’s Utter Disdain for Meaningful Energy Plans | NewsMesh // Oct 17, 2008 at 6:14 am
[…] … maybe we should look to Architecture 2030 and not Sarah “Energy Expert” Palin for meaningful advice about solviing America’s energy […]
13 MN-3: Energy Smart vs Energy Dumb? // Oct 29, 2008 at 2:28 pm
[…] fact, what Paulsen really stands for is in-line with Sarah “Energy Expert” Palin and the McCain Disdain for Meaningful Energy Plans with support for nuclear power and […]
14 A natural conclusion … // Oct 31, 2008 at 11:51 am
[…] how, for example, he has walked away from this with his selection of global warming denier Sarah “Energy Expert” Palin. However, the selection of Palin evidently weighed heavily in the decision to come out with an […]
15 Sarah “Energy Expert” Palin: Ready to lead America away from science and back into the past // Jul 14, 2009 at 2:46 pm
[…] many astounding and bizaare themes of the 2008 election, one of the most absurd came from the Republican Party’s determined efforts to cast Sarah Palin as one of the nation’s top ene…. Putting aside the 10,000s (if not 100,000s or even millions) of Americans who are more […]
16 Essays-Letters-Articles » George Will, Scientist, not “Alarmist,” Extraordinaire, and Washington Post Energy “Balance” // Oct 5, 2009 at 2:24 am
[…] by — by someone who pretends to know a lot about energy and economics, and yet knows almost nothing about […]
17 NewsAffair » Blog Archive » The Washington Post and George Will: A New Approach to Inaction, and a New Rationale for Abject Foolishness // Dec 4, 2009 at 12:55 am
[…] by someone else who pretends to know a lot about energy and economics, and yet who knows very little about either; one that was also, once again, promulgated as the Post’s feature […]
18 Sarah Palin’s zombie charm … // Dec 9, 2009 at 10:28 am
[…] Sarah “Energy Exert” Palin has weighed in on ClimateGate, using Facebook to jump in with her perspective on SwiftHack. Let’s take a moment to parse this statement. […]