Americans Prefer Candidates Strong On Science

A new poll conducted by Scientists and Engineers for America indicates an overwhelming majority of voters prefer candidates who support research into science and technology, with emphasis on the three E's: education, environment, and energy. Nice to know, and in a sane world I'd be tempted to add a snarky "No shit?" But in the bizarro conservative fantasy world constructed by the Bush-McCain GOP, maybe it's we best count our few remaining blessings even as they vanish faster than dry ice on a hot summer day. Among the key findings:

Majorities across partisan lines say they would be more likely to support a candidate who is committed to these issues. However, Democrats express considerably more intensity than do independents and Republicans for a candidate who is committed to preparing students with the skills they need for the 21st Century, reducing the cost and improving the quality of healthcare, and addressing climate change and the demand for energy through public investments in science and technology.

Almost twice as many Democrats (65%) are "much more" likely than Republicans (38%) to vote for a candidate committed to preparing students with the skills they need for the 21st Century through public investments in science and technology education. Predictably, Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one (48% to 17%) when asked if they're much more likely to vote for a candidate committed to addressing global climate change through public investments in science and technology. Strangely a similar partisan pattern is seen when asked the same question about using science and technology to address the demand for energy. One interpretation of the above would be, apparently, a lot of Republicans still resist admitting they were wrong -- or more accurately were misled by sources they inexplicably continue to trust -- over climate change. And a sizable chunk seems to feel that either energy policy is fine as is, or that science isn't part of any solution.

Some of this may seem odd in the most technological nation on earth, but keep in mind the process isn't static; we're probably seeing the end result of some partidularly vicious recent iterations. In today's political climate, a sort of cultural selection regularly combs through the conservative base with every new shiny piece of evidence for [Insert Respective Field of Science Currently Under Right-wing Assault], leaving behind only those conservatives with the greatest immunity to invading intellectual pathogens from the insidious liberal vector called reality.