Rubio and Roberston on Young Earth

[Martinus]

At best his answer in full was pandering to people who'd be upset if he said that he agreed with modern science. As a Republican, I'm tired of that.

No, it's a non-answer trying not to alienate either side.  If he were pandering to the young-earth crowd, he'd state his agreement with them.

Only that it's not one of these "there are two sides to a story" issues or "the truth is in the middle". One side is patently, obviously and painfully wrong and the other is right. "Trying not to alienate either side" is pandering of the most vile type.

[derspiess]

I grant you that's an irrelevant answer! He wasn't being asked about current issues. When asked about how much his grandfather inspired him he didn't say that had nothing to do with the state of the economy. 

And I disagree anyway. I am as near to certain as you can be that the earth is more than 7,000 years and I think most people who are not religious fundamentalists are too. Those who are equally have a strong belief that it is.

I personally would not vote for anyone of any party who is unable to say that the earth is more than 7,000 years old.

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

[Martinus]

Because very few people have strong beliefs on that, either way.  The age of the planet earth has very little bearing on current issues.

What. the. fuck. It is not about having "strong beliefs". It is about statements that are right or wrong in a binary fashion. I also do not have a "strong belief" about sun being a star but if someone claims something different, he is a fucking moron.

Seriously, is derspiess representative of how a certain portion of the US population thinks? 

[Martinus]

And ultimately, it is not about "feeling strongly about some issues" (just as well, probably most of the people do not "feel strongly" about the value of the number Pi or the Avogadro number) but a rejection of universally accepted scientific facts and with it the entire scientific/rational mindset. This quality is something that is a cause for a great concern in someone who wants to govern and lead people.

[Gups]

I grant you that's an irrelevant answer! He wasn't being asked about current issues. When asked about how much his grandfather inspired him he didn't say that had nothing to do with the state of the economy. 

And I disagree anyway. I am as near to certain as you can be that the earth is more than 7,000 years and I think most people who are not religious fundamentalists are too. Those who are equally have a strong belief that it is.

I personally would not vote for anyone of any party who is unable to say that the earth is more than 7,000 years old.

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

According to you, he daren't say what he thinks for fear of alienating one side or another. Make your mind up.

[derspiess]

And ultimately, it is not about "feeling strongly about some issues" (just as well, probably most of the people do not "feel strongly" about the value of the number Pi or the Avogadro number) but a rejection of universally accepted scientific facts and with it the entire scientific/rational mindset. This quality is something that is a cause for a great concern in someone who wants to govern and lead people.

Rant all you want, but I'm only saying that nobody really gives a shit.  It's definitely not as relevant to most people as various economic and social issues are.

[sbr]

It's relevant to one set of people, the fundy religious crazies, and the gop knows they can't win national elections without them.

[derspiess]

I grant you that's an irrelevant answer! He wasn't being asked about current issues. When asked about how much his grandfather inspired him he didn't say that had nothing to do with the state of the economy. 

And I disagree anyway. I am as near to certain as you can be that the earth is more than 7,000 years and I think most people who are not religious fundamentalists are too. Those who are equally have a strong belief that it is.

I personally would not vote for anyone of any party who is unable to say that the earth is more than 7,000 years old.

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

According to you, he daren't say what he thinks for fear of alienating one side or another. Make your mind up.

  He's a politician.  They give vague answers all the time.  Just like Obama did when faced with a similar question a while back. 

[frunk]

Rant all you want, but I'm only saying that nobody really gives a shit.  It's definitely not as relevant to most people as various economic and social issues are.

It's a symptom of a crappy or at best incomplete science education.  There's no way you can be a thinking nuclear physicist and go "yes, I know the uranium has a half-life of 4 1/2 billion years, and based on the amount of material left plus decay products it's been around for at least 3 billion years.  Obviously this was all set up this way when the earth was created 7000 years ago."  I don't have a problem with people who believe in the divine, but Young Earthers aren't any better than Flat Earthers and should be equally ridiculed.

[Tamas]

And ultimately, it is not about "feeling strongly about some issues" (just as well, probably most of the people do not "feel strongly" about the value of the number Pi or the Avogadro number) but a rejection of universally accepted scientific facts and with it the entire scientific/rational mindset. This quality is something that is a cause for a great concern in someone who wants to govern and lead people.

Rant all you want, but I'm only saying that nobody really gives a shit.  It's definitely not as relevant to most people as various economic and social issues are.

But Marty is right. Denying evolution and the general age of the planet is equal to saying that the Sun orbits the Earth.

[Faeelin]

According to you, he daren't say what he thinks for fear of alienating one side or another. Make your mind up.

The best way to square the circle is to say that no one cares except for the base of the GOP, who Rubio is in thrall to based on this sattement.

[garbon]

According to you, he daren't say what he thinks for fear of alienating one side or another. Make your mind up.

The best way to square the circle is to say that no one cares except for the base of the GOP, who Rubio is in thrall to based on this sattement.

But is that really the base of the Republican party? Based on that Pat Robertson bit and the rest that I clipped out of the article (as well as personal experience), I'm not sure I believe that the base of the Republican Party believes that.

[Martinus]

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.

[derspiess]

  I forget where I am sometimes.  Yes, I agree with you guys that the earth is more than 7000 years old.  But there are many more relevant issues to me & most other Americans, and it doesn't bother me that Rubio and Obama gave vague answers.

[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?