Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
A Republican Nightmare: Science Group Demands 2016 Presidential ‘Science Debate’
Last edited Mon Jun 8, 2015, 10:27 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Addicting Info
Given how monumentally important scientific literacy is for anyone who hopes to lead America in the 21st Century, you would think holding a “science debate” alongside issues of foreign policy, social issues, and the economy is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, one half of the political spectrum seems to believe science isn’t observable facts based on data, and instead political opinions that come from your gut or the checkbook of the closest oil tycoon. As you can imagine, Republican candidates have historically opposed discussing science during elections at all costs. 2016 may change all that – and it will be a bloodbath.
<snip>
And it may actually work. We know that if there is one thing that politicians listen to almost as much as money it’s popular opinion. Knowing that 42,000 people are demanding you engage them in your views on science is hard to ignore. It’s also overwhelmingly popular. In fact, even Republicans who reject things like climate change and evolution want to appear like they are scientifically minded. They certainly don’t mind bringing up scientific studies or findings if they believe they support something they believe in. If a new study came out tomorrow that demonstrated conclusively that the Earth wasn’t warming at all (it won’t), the GOP and their friends in the right-wing media would become the biggest fans of science in the world over night.
The problem lies in the fact that on almost every issue, Republicans would get creamed. This is the “I’m not a scientist, but…” party, after all. Browsing the selection of presidential hopefuls, it is immediately clear that any one of them would struggle to make sense or sound smart while being asked about carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere. (Although, Rick Perry does wear glasses now, so there’s that.)
It’s hard to say whether scientific ignorance could cost a particularly dimwitted candidate an election, but watching someone like Rick Santorum or Scott Walker struggle to articulate their laughably off-base views on the Theory of Evolution might move the needle just enough. It’s hard to get excited to vote for a person who seems like they couldn’t hack it at an elementary school science fair.
<snip>
And it may actually work. We know that if there is one thing that politicians listen to almost as much as money it’s popular opinion. Knowing that 42,000 people are demanding you engage them in your views on science is hard to ignore. It’s also overwhelmingly popular. In fact, even Republicans who reject things like climate change and evolution want to appear like they are scientifically minded. They certainly don’t mind bringing up scientific studies or findings if they believe they support something they believe in. If a new study came out tomorrow that demonstrated conclusively that the Earth wasn’t warming at all (it won’t), the GOP and their friends in the right-wing media would become the biggest fans of science in the world over night.
The problem lies in the fact that on almost every issue, Republicans would get creamed. This is the “I’m not a scientist, but…” party, after all. Browsing the selection of presidential hopefuls, it is immediately clear that any one of them would struggle to make sense or sound smart while being asked about carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere. (Although, Rick Perry does wear glasses now, so there’s that.)
It’s hard to say whether scientific ignorance could cost a particularly dimwitted candidate an election, but watching someone like Rick Santorum or Scott Walker struggle to articulate their laughably off-base views on the Theory of Evolution might move the needle just enough. It’s hard to get excited to vote for a person who seems like they couldn’t hack it at an elementary school science fair.
Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/06/04/republican-nightmare-science-group-demands-2016-presidential-science-debate/
There are some DUzys in there! Can you even imagine the hilarity that would ensue...
13 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Perfect. 
Sign me up.
At least make the Repubs decline and explain why.
Booby Jindal's views on evolution are just as laughably off-base. And he holds an Ivy League degree in biology! 
I doubt there is anything since George Carlin passed that would make me laugh that hard, though that much concentrated stupidity and ignorance in one place might rip a hole in the fabric of spacetime.
|