While the idea that dinosaurs didn't exist during the time of early man seems obvious for some, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has found the concept difficult. Charles M. Blow, columnist for the New York Times, writes that if these are the views of the Tea Party-laced Republican Party, then something has to change — and fast, if the GOP hopes to retain any sort of staying power.
Why the hedge? Because he is in a party of creationists. According to a June Gallup report, most Republicans (58 percent) believed that God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years. Most Democrats and independents did not agree.
This anti-intellectualism is antediluvian. No wonder a 2009 Pew Research Center report found that only 6 percent of scientists identified as Republican and 9 percent identified as conservative.
Furthermore, a 2005 study found that just 11 percent of college professors identified as Republican and 15 percent identified as conservative. Some argue that this simply represents a liberal bias in academia. But just as strong a case could be made that people who absorb facts easily don't suffer fools gladly.
Read Charles M. Blow's entire piece at the New York Times.
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