A Post Election Rant
Now some, not Eli to be sure, might think it is time to call out all those in the US who were predicting a post-election Gotterdammerung for anyone slightly to the left of Dick Cheney (and to be quite clear, Eli is not sure that Dick would be safe either, given his backing for same sex bunnies he is related to), but actually that is not the problem. Rachel Maddow who is about as left as you can get in the US and be on TV nails it, rational people are exasperated to the point of wanting to mole whack any Republican in sight for what they have done to our political choices in the US
This pretty much captures Eli's exasperation, and Tamino's and the Real Climate crews'.
We all need to follow David Suzuki's lead in replying to a missive from the Heartland Institute
Eli has always maintained that these clowns are looking for affirmation. And he has always said that we need to push back against their idiocy and not sit quietly by
The problem is that bullshit has consequences. Ed Darrell at Millard Fillmore's Bathtub writes about Steve Schafersman, a geologist in northwest Texas who ran for the state school board and got trounced 3:1 by your typical religiously anti-science, GOP candidate, Marty Rowley of Amarillo. To quote Ed, "as a good-ol’-boy, former pastor, he’s got a lot of support from the usual suspects. Rowley’s views on science, technology, engineering and mathematics run contrary to the business and farming interests of his entire district." This, as Ed points out, is a remarkably Republican district, but why could they not put up a candidate for the state board of education who acknowledges that the Earth is slightly more than 5000 years old?
Third, this year a knowledgeable and qualified conservative Republican candidate did not win the District 15 Republican primary. Instead, a radically-regressive, religious-right Tea Party candidate who follows the platform and agenda of the extreme Tea Party-influenced Texas Republican Party won the primary. I am now in the position of offering the only rational, moderate, and effective choices on probably every issue to voters—including Independents and about half of all Republicans—who can't accept the extreme positions of a reactionary candidate.The Steve Schafersmans of the world need to keep running, even against daunting odds, if only to try and puncture the balloon, but the Republicans of the world and the so called conservatives and libertarians need to acknowledge that the planet is a sphere.
Till then, every time a Roger Pielke, Dick Lindzen, Fred Singer, or Ross McKitrick tries to dump a load on you simply reply
I am a scientist and I take great umbrage of being told such a load of crap from a bullshit shill like you. You are the most anti-science person I can imagine and I have no interest in talking to you or giving the appearance that I think anything you say or write has worth.Oh yes, defriend them on Facebook. If you don't, you will get more Marty Roleys telling your kids' teachers what to teach.
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Satellite images of Amarillo are startling. The epicenter of American carbon black production is surounded by a dark ellipse tens of miles across, reflecting how the local wind rose distributes the exhaust from the mother of all smudgepots.
Ah Russell, only you could miss the romance of carbon black. It's not all soot
Eli, there's hope. Up here in conservative Frederick County, MD, three moderate-to-liberal candidates (including one retired scientist) were elected to the Board of Education, beating the candidates favored by our conservative Republican leaders.
Dr. Lumpus Spookytooth, phd.
hahaha, I bet your weren't singing this tune after Bush beat Kerry. The fact is, your party could have run someone to beat Bush and we could have run someone to beat Obama. Neither had a very good record to run on for reelection but the challengers did not run good campaigns.
Secondly, what is your super obsession with religion? If you don't like it, dont' go to church. I don't think I should be paying for abortions but I still have to do it, that's more than you have to do for a religion. So it seems like your really partisan and think your opinions are more important than other peoples.
Deny what others say?
Sounds like denial.
You guys burned any books lately?
And the IEA just told us we need to leave 2/3 of fossil fuels in the ground to avoid runaway. Looks like Dr Suzuki's well justified in his reply and ten times more polite than I'd have been.
I'm calling out Lumpus for being Donald Trump's personal mini-me. Anon is Karl Rove's.
A post election rant from a Papa John delivery driver. BS to Obamacare making life harder for business.
Mentioning Pielke reminded me that the science correspondent, David Shukman, of the BBC wrote a piece on Sandy and the only scientist he quoted directly was Pielke Jr. Talking about agw he quotes' that there is no evidence that this can yet be blamed for recent disasters. More important, he says, is to focus on land use, protection and forecasting.' Quite a worrying turn after the excellent Richard Black left.
Rachel Maddow is an intelligent and clear-speaking woman.
The USA would be fortunate indeed to have someone with her forthrightness running for president.
Bernard J. Hyphen-Anonymous XVII, Esq.
Till then, every time a Roger Pielke, Dick Lindzen, Fred Singer, or Ross McKitrick tries to dump a load on you
Looks like Pielke the elder is retiring his blog for the second time.
One less dump to worry about.
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