OK, why be coy? I think Sarah Palin is a disaster. You know all the reasons: no experience, chosen cynically, a past that can charitably be called checkered, no understanding of the job for which she’s been picked, stirring up vile emotions in the base, blatant hypocrisy, $150,000 for clothes (how much sporting equipment could your standard Hockey Mom buy for that?), so on and so forth ad nauseum.
John McCain has shown a weird contempt for science education, repeatedly, though he does seem to support some science. But now Palin has opened her mouth once again, and dontcha know, garbage has spewed forth.
Palin is criticizing research into fruit flies, presumably because it’s a waste and takes away money that could be spent on helping learning disabled kids.
I would rail and froth at the sheer evil and willful antiscience of these statements, but PZ makes the case pretty well, showing why this research is vital into understanding genetics and molecular biology. Skeptico has, too, and Daily Kos has an awesome smackdown of her ignorant ravings.
Keith Olbermann interviewed Richard Wolfe about this, who didn’t hold back either, calling this comment from Palin, “mindless ignorant [and] uninformed.”
But Think Progress points out the real stupidity of Palin’s claims: research into fruit flies has led to understanding autism better.
Republicans used to stand for good science, way back in the 60s and 70s. What happened to this party? I can guess the massive pandering to the “religious right” is what destroyed their ability to support reality. I am strongly of the opinion that people like Palin, Inhofe, Brownback, and others in the government don’t represent the majority of citizens of the country or even their home constituents… and if they do represent them, it’s because science has been misrepresented to those citizens.
November 4th marches toward us like a tsunami. Vote.
