Climate, evolution thorny issues for GOP hopefuls

[AsahinaKimi]

Joe Garofoli,Carla Marinucci, SF Chronicle Political Writers
Tuesday, September 6, 2011

GOP presidential candidates gathering at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley on Wednesday will spar over jobs, the economy and foreign policy - but the televised matchup will become especially tricky if it wanders into two topics related to science: climate change and evolution.

Both inspire fiery debate, pitting science and research against deeply held personal beliefs. Discussing them in a debate is politically tricky, as they're a recipe for alienating either the conservative evangelicals in the Republican base or the independent voters who must be courted for a 2012 general election victory.

Listening carefully to the answers will be voters and donors with particular financial and political clout - the executives of Silicon Valley, the innovation capital and a haven for green technology.

Nearly all the major Republican candidates disagree with - and in some cases outright mock - the scientific research supporting climate change. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., called it "manufactured science."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/05/MNCO1KV7MR.DTL#ixzz1XH99ZmZ1

[SpiralHawk]

1. Not to mention economics

Since the Republicons totally trashed the US economy and government budget over 8 years of ChickenHawkery under AWOL Bush and Dickie Deferments Cheney, leaving a COLOSSAL CRAPFEST for the Dems to deal with.

Ever since, of course, the Republicon economic nitwits have relentlessly, traitorously sought to cause America to FAIL FURTHER so they can blame the Dems for the COLOSSAL ECONOMIC CRAPFEST the Republicons have shoved down America's throat -- similar to the way Bush's intimate Saudi scion crony binLaden and his allied the Saudi Arabian terrorists shoved planes down the WTC throat ten stinking years ago. Republicon FAIL up the wazoo.

[MrScorpio]

2. Too bad there isn't a brush fire in Simi Valley

As we could watch them choking their climate change denying lies through a smoky haze of reality.

[Blue_Tires]

3. Science in general is a thorny issue for that lot...

[HappyMe]

6. Science and math are hard !1!1 nt

[Yavin4]

4. "Science Is Going to Exist Whether You Believe In It or Not" -- Neil DeGrasse Tyson

In the end, it does not matter if the climate change deniers accept science or not. The climate is going to change in a manner detrimental to human beings. Applause lines at partisan debates cannot change reality.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

5. Sorry to say but people will choose the economic pinch they feel here and now

over, what is to their minds, the abstract and distant threat of climate change.

That's not to deny it exists, it obviously does; but you have to get the electorate to focus in on it with the sense of existential urgancy as sweating their next paycheck. Some would counsel against focusing on the environment while people are unemployed. I say we can do both simultaneously but we are dangerously close to squandering the opportunity. Unless the shift to a green economy starts showing serious dividends the message will be lost even further. No more Soylandras; we need serious, positive green economic growth -- as if our lives depended upon it.

[adigal]

9. It's too late already. Many scientist say we are past the tipping point

Now, we can do things to not continue to add to the issue, but it honestly is too late.

[hifiguy]

7. Naturally, these are scientific issues

for which undisputable facts can be found, tested and proven. As the repuke candidates are, for the most part, mouth-breathing retrogressive knuckle-draggers with seven toes on each foot, the nature of science and its methods are utterly alien to them.

No one hates science like the teatalitarian talibornagain troglodytes. It's just too hard for their tiny little minds and it demands skepticism and critical thinking, two things that they cannot even begin to comprehend.

[Johonny]

8. what policy are they good on?

none unless you are part of the top 1 % and care nothing of the future.