This may become a regular feature for me. I can’t seem to get away from this. Apologizing to the rest of the world (or at least the nation) for the paucity of intellect displayed by our sitting Governor; the longest sitting governor for the State of Texas (I’d be ashamed, but I’ve never cast a vote for the man. The rest of you, though…) Sometimes I wonder if this man ties his own shoes in the morning, or if he has to have someone else do it.
Case in point. I’m watching Hardball last night (as I do virtually every night) and I nearly fall out of my chair as the Governor tells a New Hampshire child on national television (!?) that we teach creationism alongside evolution in Texas.
Now, I know that this has been his goal for about the last decade or so, it’s why he’s appointed a series of young-earth creationists to chair the SBOE; but apparently he hasn’t kept track of what his appointed cronies have been forced to accept recently. The entirety of intelligent design (aka, creationism) has been rejected by the SBOE in a unanimous vote. There will be no creationism taught in Texas schools. There cannot be, no matter how many times he appoints creationists to the SBOE, as it is a violation of the separation between church and state.
The Governor’s campaign for the White House is a train wreck, and an embarrassment to thinking Texans (and yes, we do exist) everywhere. The national political pundits are probably drooling at the chance to have a real circus to report on. It’s good for ratings. I can only imagine what the behind the cameras dialog was like when McCain ran against Obama or Dole ran against Clinton. “Where’s the drama? I’m supposed to attract viewers with this?”
The kind of divisive political piety that he displays (and is detailed here for those who haven’t been paying attention) Will play well in certain areas of the nation, but be alienating to the majority of voters. He’ll do great in the Midwest (and a good portion of the old South) he will not favor well anywhere in the Southwest outside of Texas, and won’t play at all in the North.
The outcome that the administration is hoping for is facing off against a Rick Perry or Michele Bachmann. That campaign they’ll be able to phone in since neither one of them is even acquainted with “Mainstream America”, and will be easy to trip up on the most basic of scientific inquiries (young earth creationists generally are) not to mention their willingness to gut all social programs, especially health care programs, in the name of fiscal responsibility. It will be the simplest of matters to rally the middle in lukewarm support of an Obama second term in the face of that kind of challenge.
The only thing Obama is terrified of is the jobs numbers not getting better; perversely, it’s the only thing the opposition has to hope for, since they can’t seem to find a candidate that will satisfy the crazies (Like Chris Christy points out in this video http://www.youtube.com/wat
Jon Huntsman knows where the center is,
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, another contender for the GOP presidential nomination, took to Twitter almost instantly, seeming to mock Perry for the creationism comment, as well as for his recent statements on climate change: “To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”
texastribune.org
…but I doubt that the Republicans will give him the time of day.
