Problems with Palin

[Galapagos]

Jerry Coyne speaks out:

Swatting attacks on fruit flies and science | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/31/2008

Enough already. I bit my tongue when I heard that Sarah Palin believed that dinosaurs and humans once lived side by side and that she and John McCain wanted creationism taught in the public schools.

 

And I just shook my head when McCain derided proposed funding for a sophisticated planetarium projection machine as wasteful spending on an "overhead projector."

 

But the Republican ticket's war on science has finally gone too far. Last week, Sarah Palin dissed research on fruit flies.

[...]

 

Why are the Republican candidates so contemptuous of science? I suppose it's part of their general attack on "elitism," which has been surprisingly effective. We white-coated nerds in our labs, fooling around with flies at taxpayer expense, are easy targets.

 

But America can't afford cheap shots at science, because a lot of basic research has immense implications for human welfare - even if ignorant politicians can make it sound silly. Work on fruit flies is just one example.

 

This year's Republican campaign has consistently attacked the values of reason and logic that undergird our democracy. If anything has led to America's high standard of living and world preeminence, it's the idea that we can advance only with the best science possible.

 

When Palin declares that we don't have to know what causes global warming in order to fix it, she's not only exposing herself as a scientific illiterate; she's going against two centuries of American progress in technology, medicine and science. Trying to bond with the American people by taking pride in your ignorance and making science the common enemy - now that's a bridge to nowhere.

[CraigD]

Jerry Coyne speaks out:

Enough already. I bit my tongue when I heard that Sarah Palin believed that dinosaurs and humans once lived side by side and that she and John McCain wanted creationism taught in the public schools.

Swatting attacks on fruit flies and science | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/31/2008

While Coyne makes very good points about the importance of basic research such as fruitfly genetics, he like many people appears to have been premature in believing Young Earth Creationist claims attributed to Palin.

 

To the best of my knowledge, since her 2006 election as Governor of Alaska, Palin has not made a public statement affirming or negating the belief that the Earth is less than 10000 years old, or that dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time. Claims that she believe these things appear to originate for several sources. One is an admitted satirical hoax by small blogger Bob Salsbury. Another are claims by Philip Munger, who is open in his opposition to Palin, that Palin privately confided to him that she held these beliefs.

 

Unlike her nationally broadcast statement that she believes the causes of climate changes are unknown, Palin’s belief in YE Creationism appears to be neither confirmed nor denied by any credible source.

 

That neither Palin, McCain, nor spokespeople from their campaign staff have directly confirmed nor denied this rumor illustrates, I think, a quality of American politics: it is to McCain and Palin’s advantage that voters who believe in YE Creationism believe that Palin, and perhaps McCain, share their belief, while others who do not believe that the candidates share their disbelief. Practical election politics appear at present to benefit candidates who do not clearly state their personal beliefs (or even opinions on public policy).

 

Sources: Palin Dinosaurs - Mahalo; »»»»»»»» »»»»»»»» Sarah Palin Dinosaurs Fake Quote - Sarah Palin Did Not Say Dinosaurs Were Here 4,000 Years Ago… »»»»»»»»; Progressive Alaska

[Galapagos]

While Coyne makes very good points about the importance of basic research such as fruitfly genetics, he like many people appears to have been premature in believing Young Earth Creationist claims attributed to Palin.

 

It's good to see that the specific rumors about her thinking dinosaurs and people lived together 4000 years ago(or whatever Matt Damon was on about) isn't true, but I am still not comfortable at all with Palin's view of science, education, or creationism(or GW).

 

Massimo Pigliucci gets it right, I think:

 

Is Sarah Palin a Creationist? | LiveScience

 

And therein lies the problem: exactly what are Republicans committed to when it comes to science and education? To raise a nation of ignorant bigots whose understanding of the world is no better than that of a tribe of ancient middle eastern people wandering around the desert thousands of years ago? To allow individual states to decide just how misinformed about science their citizens can be? That way if you are from Alaska, Alabama, Mississippi or a variety of other places along the Ignorance Belt you can keep falling behind in quality of life and ability to compete in a world where science plays an increasingly central role in our lives. Now, there's a platform worthy of LaHaye and his readers.

 

These are questions that Mrs. Palin and Mr. McCain have to answer to voters before the November election. But considering that they disagree about some of those answers, perhaps the two should first get better acquainted and straighten things out a bit. They've got two months to do it.

 

Except I don't know if they have to straighten things out for anybody. We are now very close to election day, and I still don't know what Palin thinks, and this worries me.