In an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, Sarah Palin goes head-to-head with President Obama on health care.

While giving a wink (and a wave) to her “death panels” coinage that came to dominate public conversation, Governor Palin steers clear of any incendiary rhetoric, instead offering a solid point-by-point rebuttal of some of the president’s claims. She does a nice job of marrying her power-to-the-people persona with a more nuanced look at policy than many expect from her:

In an interview with the New York Times in April, the president suggested that [a Medicare Advisory Council], working outside of “normal political channels,” should guide decisions regarding that “huge driver of cost . . . the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives . . . .”

Given such statements, is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats’ proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by—dare I say it—death panels? Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans. Working through “normal political channels,” they made themselves heard, and as a result Congress will likely reject a wrong-headed proposal to authorize end-of-life counseling in this cost-cutting context. But the fact remains that the Democrats’ proposals would still empower unelected bureaucrats to make decisions affecting life or death health-care matters. Such government overreaching is what we’ve come to expect from this administration.

Furthermore, Governor Palin defuses the president’s “Their answer is do nothing” rhetoric by endorsing four concrete proposals – more concrete than anything President Obama has yet put forth:

Instead of poll-driven “solutions,” let’s talk about real health-care reform: market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven. As the Cato Institute’s Michael Cannon and others have argued, such policies include giving all individuals the same tax benefits received by those who get coverage through their employers; providing Medicare recipients with vouchers that allow them to purchase their own coverage; reforming tort laws to potentially save billions each year in wasteful spending; and changing costly state regulations to allow people to buy insurance across state lines.

And Palin includes an old line from Ronald Reagan – “no one in this country should be denied medical care because of a lack of funds” – to show that Republicans can be – dare I say it? – compassionate conservatives.

What’s interesting is that by tossing out a loaded term – “death panels” – on her Facebook page a couple months ago, Sarah Palin made herself a key spokeswoman on the most prominent economic-social policy debate of the day. And in doing so, she’s squelched any controversy about leaving the governor’s office and answered any question about whether she could still be relevant in the public debate.

So here we are in September 2009 and the Republicans with the highest public policy profiles have turned out to be Sarah Palin (domestic) and Dick Cheney (foreign). While the left dismissed them, they used their stature in conservative circles and their liberation from government offices to speak freely, clearly, and passionately – rallying despondent Republicans and giving the new Administration fits.

Whether this portends anything of the future remains to be seen – Palin would seem to have more career miles ahead of her than Cheney. But both will be credited with leading Republicans out of their darkest days. Crazy as it once would have seemed.