Saturday, May 14, 2011

Is your governor getting stupider?

Does your Republican governor seem to be getting stupider? There could be a reason for that.

From Salon, here's five signs your Republican governor might be planning to run for President:
Candidate develops doubts about evolution

Evolution, a scientific fact, is not recognized by one of America's two major political parties, and a majority of Americans are either creationists or at least express "doubts" about evolution, so it just makes sense for people seeking the Republican nomination to align themselves with people who think the Earth is 10,000 years old.

But belief in evolution correlates to education level, and most of the elites in politics and media are well-educated, so you don't want to become a creationist -- then you will be mercilessly mocked -- you just need to signal your tacit support for creationism and promise to let it be taught in schools. ...

Candidate suddenly agnostic on or openly hostile to climate science

Not that long ago, most Republicans agreed that climate change was real and something should be done about it. Nearly everyone currently running for the Republican nomination supported cap-and-trade, which was the moderate alternative to a proper carbon tax. Now, though, not so much!

Now, even those who still profess to believe in climate science think the government shouldn't do anything to stop it (the "reasonable" Jon Huntsman approach) and the rest of them no longer think climate change is happening, because Al Gore, who is fat, is also now divorced (the shameless Gingrich approach).

I won't copy all five signs here. You can check the Salon article yourself for the last three, if you like. Oddly enough, becoming a "birther" isn't one of them. But maybe the past two weeks has finally put paid to that nonsense?

Still, before then, Republican hopefuls were, if not as enthusiastically endorsing that lunacy as Donald Trump, at the very least showing their tacit support. Yup, just like denying evolution, being an out-and-out "birther" would get them laughed at by anyone with any sense at all. But it was popular among the base, and you just can't tell the Republican rank and file that they're complete idiots, even when - especially when - it's true.

Does your Republican governor seem to be getting stupider and stupider? Maybe he's just ambitious.

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