The Republican War on Science

A Reuters poll in April 2010 showed that 20% of people around the world believe Aliens walk among us. Shocking you say? Well, 22% percent of Americans believe in ghosts. And believe it or not 18% of Americans believe in the central premise of Harry and the Henderson’s and 18% of the public think it only a matter of time before Nessie is mounted on some fisherman’s wall. We’re not sure what’s more frightening though, these statistics, or the fact that 62% of the Republican candidates running for president of the United States don’t believe in evolution or global warming.

It would appear that the 2012 Republican campaign is as much against President Obama as it is against science itself. Rick Perry, Michelle Bachman, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin, and Herman Cain all believe global warming is a hoax. You betcha! They believe it’s a massive conspiracy promoted by scientists around the globe to hurt corporate America by putting in place regulations to cap emissions and protect the natural environment.

The war on science doesn’t stop there, oh no. In statements that would make William Jennings Bryan proud – and give John Thomas Scopes PTSD - the GOP’s standard bearers think evolution is junk science and Darwin’s a fraud.

But wait… there’s hope! One notable exception in the GOP pack is former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, who courageously announced… get this… he believes in science! Heresy! And what does he get for announcing he believes in science while running for the Republican nomination for president? A whopping 1% in the polls. Oh, the rewards of rationality in a GOP primary.

Whether it’s calling global warming a hoax or denying evolution, the GOP has done a brilliant job of demonstrating how far outside the mainstream the party has become. Perhaps that’s why the Peekskill GOP is hoping the voters won’t realize they’re Republicans come Election Day.