Do You Want to Emulate Superb Opinion Writing? — See This Column about U.S. Senator Rand Paul from Joan Walsh — with Its Incorporated Reference to Journalist Jill Lawrence’s Worthy Work — a Combined Display of Admirably Effective Political Kneecapping

07 November 2013

Citation — to Walsh’s column

Joan Walsh, Rand Paul is sinking fast — but hopes we won’t notice, Salon (07 November 2013)

As a former litigator, I consistently admire other people’s ability to make a strong argument

Joan Walsh’s above cited column is an excellent example of effective political writing.

Her attack on Senator Rand Paul effortlessly twirls him into an apparently deserved dumpster. She combines withering contempt supported with, at least the appearance of, integrated facts.

Here is her kickoff paragraph — writers and litigators take opening argument notice:

If you’re wondering why Sen. Rand Paul is doing Democrats’ dirty work for them, attacking Gov. Chris Christie’s self-promoting $25 million post-Sandy advertising campaign, it’s simple. He’s hoping he can get reporters to cover the intra-party feud as an early sign of GOP titans warming up for 2016, so they stop Googling his old speeches and columns and books for more evidence of plagiarism.

If you are a political junkie, I bet that got your attention.

From my attorney’s perspective, her few words:

(a) summarize the topic,

(b) propose a conundrum — Why Senator Paul is doing what he is —

and

All in three short sentences. This is adroit writing.

Walsh’s second equally short paragraph begins by axing the trunk of the Senator’s respect

When you want to disable an elected adversary, make him seem so contempt-worthy that wavering voters would be self-embarrassed to vote for him:

Paul flatters himself. He’s no longer Christie’s peer in the top tier of likely 2016 candidates. Not only has he faced at least four separate charges of plagiarism in eight short days, he’s shown himself incapable of mounting a serious presidential candidacy with his whiny, entitled, self-righteous response.

Can anyone seeking authority over others survive the charge of being “whiny”? In parents, the word brings up the image of a patience-testing three year old.

If you are one of the hard-working masses, like the majority of Americans, do you really want to vote for some “entitled” snob?

Walsh then triggers Truth’s head-chopping guillotine — sharpened with Senator Paul’s own words, as uncovered by journalist Jill Lawrence

As a former medical student, and someone devoted to resurrecting the concept of personal and professional Honor, the following pre-plagiarism quote from Senator/Doctor Paul torpedoed my remaining respect for him:

[Jill] Lawrence recounted an episode . . . in which Paul told a group of medical school students at his alma mater that he never cheated on tests, but he did spread “misinformation” to other students designed to make them study the wrong topics and thus do poorly.

Here’s what he said when asked if he had any advice about handling exams.

“Actually, I do,” said the ophthalmologist-turned-senator, who stays sharp (and keeps his license) by doing pro bono eye surgeries during congressional breaks.

“I never, ever cheated. I don’t condone cheating. But I would sometimes spread misinformation. This is a great tactic. Misinformation can be very important.”

He went on to describe studying for a pathology test with friends in the library.

“We spread the rumor that we knew what was on the test and it was definitely going to be all about the liver,” he said.

“We tried to trick all of our competing students into over-studying for the liver” and not studying much else.

“So, that’s my advice,” he concluded. “Misinformation works.”

© 2013 Joan Walsh, Rand Paul is sinking fast — but hopes we won’t notice, Salon (07 November 2013) (paragraphs split) (with the internal quotation credited by Joan Walsh to Jill Lawrence, The Truthiness of Rand Paul, National Journal (17 October 2013))

In something so important to medical students as passing each course — and under the intense pressure that medical training tends to deliver — misleading one’s classmates is morally wrong.

That Senator Paul does not appreciate the ethics of the “Brother and Sisterhood of Common Endeavor” marks him, in my mind, as a shriveled soul. Which may explain why Libertarians just don’t get the idea of Active Community.

Even if one does not feel a bond to one’s intensely tested medical classmates, one should feel a Hippocratic tie — as a physician — to their future patients.

Anything that we intentionally do to limit (a) our classmates’ learning and (b) their ability to heal others — is moral abomination.

The moral? — Soundly crafted writing makes a difference

Jill Lawrence and Joan Walsh effectively kneecapped Senator Paul with his own words and twisted spirit.

Sometimes the keyboard does add up to more than its trivial weight. Those of you, who want to influence people, take note. Sound thinking, concise organization, and insight-filled examples have power.

We just need to move one person at a time. Eventually, the tide builds.

PeteFree.com

Do You Want to Emulate Superb Opinion Writing? — See This Column about U.S. Senator Rand Paul from Joan Walsh — with Its Incorporated Reference to Journalist Jill Lawrence’s Worthy Work — a Combined Display of Admirably Effective Political Kneecapping