Rubio and Roberston on Young Earth

[Grey Fox]

They don't believe you, Spiess. If it wasn't an issue then no one would vote republican. Why would you side with the crazy religious people?

[Kleves]

I guess I'm saying that few people outside of small circles like Languish give a shit.

As long as you keep pandering to the religious morons, people will see you as the party of religious morons. That hurts the party now, and the effect will only increase with time.

[garbon]

Which is exactly why Republicans have lost two Presidential elections in the row despite a lackluster incumbent.

It's funny how every time it seems as if they finally got it right and understood that they can't win BECAUSE they are in thrall to the religious right, they fall back to their old habits.

Do you think that cost the GOP the election either in 2008 or 2012?

I think that some conservative (informed by religion) stances on social issues have been problematic.

[derspiess]

Which is exactly why Republicans have lost two Presidential elections in the row despite a lackluster incumbent.

It's funny how every time it seems as if they finally got it right and understood that they can't win BECAUSE they are in thrall to the religious right, they fall back to their old habits.

Do you think that cost the GOP the election either in 2008 or 2012?

I think that some conservative (informed by religion) stances on social issues have been problematic.

Which ones, and do you think they cost the GOP either election?

[Gups]

It seems to be widely acknoledged that extreme stances on abortion/rape lost meant that the GOP lost several senate seats.

As far as presidential elections are concerned, its a branding issue. You can't point to a single issue and say the GOP lost the elections because of that but it all adds to a serious issue problem. The Tories had the same problem a few years ago and made a concerted attempt to, as they called it "detoxify" the brand.

[Jacob]

Which ones, and do you think they cost the GOP either election?

Whore pills?

[derspiess]

It seems to be widely acknoledged that extreme stances on abortion/rape lost meant that the GOP lost several senate seats.

Two seats.  Did not cost the GOP the Senate.  But both were stupid mistakes, I'll agree.

As far as presidential elections are concerned, its a branding issue. You can't point to a single issue and say the GOP lost the elections because of that but it all adds to a serious issue problem.

Hmm.

The Tories had the same problem a few years ago and made a concerted attempt to, as they called it "detoxify" the brand.

From my perspective, they simply became less conservative.

[derspiess]

Which ones, and do you think they cost the GOP either election?

Whore pills?

  Yep, that did it.

[Valmy]

Which ones, and do you think they cost the GOP either election?

I am not sure if they specifically cost the GOP this election but the primary negative impact is the way good candidates get swept out in the Primaries to make way for crazies.  Now granted that happens in both parties but it seems to be a bigger problem in the GOP these days.  Particularly when those guys start talking about legitimate rape or whatever.

[Gups]

From my perspective, they simply became less conservative.

From their perspective they stopped losing elections.

[Jacob]

From their perspective they stopped losing elections.

[Neil]

Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries.

It's a throwaway answer to an irrelevant question.

Not an irrelevant question.  The point of the question is to force Rubio to announce a side, which it did.

[MadImmortalMan]

It's funny that Robertson's thing is even news. Even the vast majority of hardcore religious fundies don't believe the young earth crap.

[Caliga]

I think my mother in law believes it.

[Viking]

I'm still trying to figure out what the big deal was over Rubio's answer.

The problem is that he is willing to pander to special interests by giving credit to pseudoscience and conspiracy theory. Is this the kind of man you want with the nuclear trigger?