Politics
pharyngula | September 1, 2008Word from the Democratic presidential candidate on the recent announcement from Sarah Palin (among other rumors):
"Let me be a clear as possible: I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor, or her potential performance as a vice president.
"And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18, and how a family deals with issues and, you know,…
clock | September 1, 2008From Politico:
At a press availability in Monroe, Mich., Barack Obama said: "Back off these kinds of stories."
"I have said before, and I will repeat again: People's families are off-limits," Obama said. "And people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18, and how a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn't be a topic…
clock | September 1, 2008Well, not really, but someone is running a satirical blog named Welcome To The PalinDrome: Sarah Palin's Blog.
Humor and satire are important part of every campaign. While I may not find conservative humor funny (it is too often mean and targets the weak and defenseless), I understand that conservatives find it funny and it helps them rally their own troops. So do we on our side and there are some very funny bloggers out there. This spoof blog is part of that tradition.
What is the funniest is checking out the comments and seeing that some commenters, both Lefty and Righty, did not see…
pharyngula | September 1, 2008Here's the other side: Sarah Palin made some policy statements in her run for governor, so we can see what to expect. She's pro-ignorance and anti-civil rights all the way, opposing gay marriage, sex education, and reproductive rights for women. No surprise at all, I know. Here are some answers that jumped out at me:
2. Will you support the right of parents to opt out their children from curricula, books, classes, or surveys, which parents consider privacy-invading or offensive to their religion or conscience?Why or why not?
SP: Yes. Parents should have the ultimate control over what their…
pharyngula | September 1, 2008By now, you must have heard that ScienceDebate 2008 had submitted a list of science and technology policy questions to our presidential candidates. So for, only Obama has answered them, while McCain has been silent (maybe he's waiting for input from his creationist VP choice). Obama's answers are pretty darned good, although we have to keep in mind that these are campaign promises, many of the proposals look rather expensive, and with the economy going as it is, implementation may be problematic. But the attitude is positive, at least.
Obama recognizes the problem that the US is a fading star…
pharyngula | August 31, 2008Michael Moore, in an interview with Keith Olbermann, joked that "This Gustav [the storm heading towards the Gulf Coast] is proof that there is a god in heaven". Yes, he was joking, and he was laughing, and we all know that it is not proof and isn't even evidence of such a thing, so it's somewhat different than when some fundagelical preacher tries to use calamity as a sign from god…but it's not that much different. It's tasteless to laugh as people are frantically trying to prepare for another dangerous onslaught.
Can we agree that it is ironic, but not funny, please? Moore's written comments…
jlynch | August 31, 2008Cindy McCain on Palin's experience:
And, also, remember, Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia. So it's not as if she doesn't understand what's at stake here.
Seriously.
evolvingthoughts | August 31, 2008
For my sins, I was once a public relations guy, for an educational institution, and I held positions roughly in that domain (e.g., as public communications manager for a medical research institute, although I managed the means not the message) for the bulk of my professional life until I finally took up a position as an academic philosopher four years ago. It was not my vocation, I hasten to add, but the way I supported my book habit and fondness for eating and feeding my family.
I have been asked to address a science communication class on the failure of science to communicate to the…
gregladen | August 31, 2008Over the source of several hours before the announcement by John McCain that Sarah Palin was to be his running mate, Palin's Wikipedia entry was heavily edited. The editors included individuals who were simultaneously updating McCain's Wikipedia entry. Apparently, similar activities associated with Biden's selection occurred as well. So, in other words, if you want to know what is going to happen just watch the Wiki.
This is all reported in the Washington Post and discussed on NPR.
drorzel | August 31, 2008As you have no doubt seen by now, if you read any of the other blogs on ScienceBlogs, the Science Debate 2008 group has gotten Barack Obama to answer their 14 questions on science issues. John McCain has apparently promised answers at some point in the future.
The answers are, well, pretty much what you would expect. For example:
What policies will you support to ensure that America remains the world leader in innovation?
Ensuring that the U.S. continues to lead the world in science and technology will be a central priority for my administration. Our talent for innovation is still the envy…
gregladen | August 30, 2008Razib has noted that there is a 15% chance that if McCain/Palin is elected, that Palin will take office based on actuarial data. However, I beg to differ with this given that the presidency is a) known to add years to a person's life, b) is a somewhat more dangerous job than average (there are 43 presidents, and four were killed in office, making this one of the most dangerous jobs in America) and c) we might as well consider other ways that a president can leave office, because that happens sometimes.
Of the last eight presidents that are also dead, half were dead before reaching McCain's…
pharyngula | August 30, 2008My state is practicing anti-democratic, anti-liberty tyranny right now.
Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets. Last night, members of the St. Paul police department and the Ramsey County sheriff's department handcuffed…
gregladen | August 30, 2008
Sarah Palin comes in at 4 minutes 20 seconds. Turns out she wants all the Polar Bear to die.
sa smith | August 30, 2008You all have probably seen this on the SB front page, but if not, Sheril at 'The Intersection' has big news: Obama answered some of their Science Debate 2008 questions!
Im annoyed at Q6 (H5N1 flu? Ugh.), but the rest are good... and Obamas answers are great... I kinda teared up a little. Hes actually going to support science. I dont just mean with $$, I mean his answers make it clear he is listening to scientists when they talk about stem cells and gene therapy and climate change...
Just read it :)
*triesnottogethopesup**triesnottogethopesup**triesnottogethopesup*
gregladen | August 30, 2008In November, 2007, a small group of six citizens - two screenwriters, a physicist, a marine biologist, a philosopher and a science journalist - began working to restore science and innovation to America's political dialogue. They called themselves Science Debate 2008, and they called for a presidential debate on science. The call tapped a wellspring of concern over the state of American science.
Apparently Obama is in. See this and this.
jlynch | August 30, 2008Sheril has just announced that Barak Obama has answered fourteen questions posed by the Science Debate 2008 team. I haven't had a chance to read his responses yet, so wander on over yourself to see what he has to say.
razib | August 30, 2008Sciencedebate 2008 got some answers from Barack Obama. Props to Chris and Sheril who put some labor hours into this....