GOP: Still the Party of Stupid

With Oklahoma Republicans seeking to block advance placement courses, especially in American history because they too accurately depict true history and don't promote the myth of "American exceptionalism" so prized by the cretins of the GOP base, once again the GOP proving that it is truly the party of stupid.  Driving the embrace of ignorance, of course, is the Christofascist/Tea Party elements of the GOP base where ignorance is worn like a badge of honor.  Sane and rational Republicans quite naturally find themselves jumping form the GOP asylum and either becoming independents or de facto Democrats.  A piece in Salon looks at the continued intellectual demise of the GOP.  Here are highlights:

It was quite amusing to see Scott Walker pilloried by certain right-wing luminaries for failing to smoothly answer when asked by a British reporter whether he believes in evolution. Not that there’s any doubt that it was a very clumsy answer:

“For me, I am going to punt on that one as well. That’s a question politicians shouldn’t be involved in one way or another. I am going to leave that up to you. I’m here to talk about trade not to pontificate about evolution.”

One might have expected the Great Whitebread Hope to be a little better prepared — or at least be politically skilled enough — not to come right out and say, “I’m going to punt on that one.” It was amateur hour, to say the least.

Walker showed that he understands the Republican base far better than the likes of George Will, who said on Fox News last week that press questions about evolution are “a standard way of trying to embarrass Republicans … We should be able to come to terms with the fact when asked about evolution you say yes. And if one syllable of one word is not enough say Paleontology. Everything says evolution is a fact. Get over it.”

The sad fact is that polling shows fewer and fewer Republicans believe in evolution.

[I]t’s not really religion that holds the GOP base together, it’s a sense of victimization. And this thesis weaves a number of important strands into a colorful if ahistorical tapestry.

It presents a bit of a problem for conservative leaders, however. As you can see from Rios’ unhappiness at George Will’s forthright support for evolution, people who actually believe in science (as it’s understood by scientists anyway) are considered traitors to the cause. And most of them are less willing than Will to buck the victimization creed. 

If a Republican politician wants to go straight to the right-wing heart on this issue he would say what presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said with just the right amount of smug insider wingnut humor:

“If you want to believe that you and your family came from apes, that’s fine. I’ll accept that. I just don’t happen to think that I did.”

That’s the kind of statement that will elicit cheers from your GOP base and make the likes of Laura Ingraham applaud wildly. Unfortunately, it won’t carry much beyond Mencken’s loathed Bible Belt or right-wing radio.