Bobby Jindal Would Make An Awful Vice President, Say People Who Support Science and Reality

Mitt Romney will soon have to pick someone to run for Vice President with him… and if he wants to appeal to his base, he pretty much has to pick the least scientifically intelligent person out there.

Cue Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal — someone who probably understands science, but fights against it to score political points, says Ken Miller:

When Jindal stepped into Republican politics in Louisiana, he had a choice to make. He could defend mainstream science, which sees evolution as the powerful, strongly supported, and widely tested theory that it is today. Or he could have joined the doubters and deniers that populate the electorate in his party. Campaigning for the governorship in 2007, Jindal touted his Christian faith, shied away from specific statements about evolution, and emphasized his commitment to local control of education. Louisianans didn’t have to wait long to find out what this meant for science.

…

In a 2008 interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, Jindal said that he wanted students “to be presented with the best thinking, I want them to be able to make decisions for themselves, I want them to see the best data… I’d certainly want my kids to be exposed to the very best science. I don’t want any facts or theories or explanations to be withheld from them because of political correctness.” The problem, of course, is that if the “best science,” in the view of a local school board, includes creationism, the students in that school system are being cheated. Presenting an idea that has no scientific support as if it were the equal of a thoroughly tested scientific theory is academic dishonesty of the rankest sort. Indeed, this is why Jindal’s own genetics professor at Brown University, National Academy member Arthur Landy, advised him to veto the LSEA, advice Jindal ignored.

Zack Kopplin has already pointed out that Jindal‘s school voucher program would funnel upwards of $11,000,000 to schools that preach Creationism instead of teaching proper science.

It all makes you miss the good old days of Herman Cain.

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farnsworth

There is some thinking on the right that, since Jindal is not Caucasian, he can be a lever against Obama. But the Republicans who judge Obama by his race aren’t going to be happy about a Mormon/Indian ticket, so he is NOT getting the VP nod.
Joseph

Jindal has got to work twice as hard to burnish his Christian credentials in order to be a viable candidate for the social conservatives, since so many people in this country would find his ethnicity suspect (he don’t look like one of us… maybe he’s one of ’em MUSLIM terrorists!).
Matthew Baker

Wouldn’t be the first nor the last pro creationist in such a position. It would be nice to see them pick someone to act as a foil to Oven Mitt instead of someone who might just turn out to be is clone.
NewAtheist

While I personally think Jindal is a tool, and think LA politics are nothing back backroom good-ole-boy deals, This headline was total win!
Jim

My wife knew Bobby growing up, and went to the same public high school – a magnet school attended by the children of a lot of LSU professors. He’s catholic (converted,) and I’ve never met a creationist catholic – I sure wasn’t taught that during my 13 years of catholic school.

So when you say that he probably understands science, I think you’re right. There are some true believers in politics, I’m sure, but Jindal probably understands as well as you and I that creationism is bonkers nonsense. It says a lot about his political and social priorities that he’s willing to let the creationists take over Louisiana’s school system.
LesterBallard

Jindal believes he took part in a exorcism. That’s fucked up enough for me. And isn’t this the school voucher program that some Republican starting complaining about when she found out it would fund any school, including a Muslim school?
Renshia

Doesn’t that face just say; anyone got a Banana?
Gunstargreen

Are they really considering Bobby Jindal? If we end up one bullet away from having Bobby Jindal as one of the most powerful leaders in the world, we have a problem.
MV

There are multiple “flavors” of creationism. We commonly think of young Earth creationism when that term is used but it is equally valid to use that term for Catholics. They too believe that the Earth was created by God, they just have a different interpretation of the time involved.

He also likely does not understand science. After all, many people think the Catholic Church accepts evolution. They do no such thing. They accept the word “evolution”. Church teachings and the scientific theory of evolution aren’t compatible.
burrahobbit

That makes sense. I have generally found (at least in India) that converted christians (or muslims for that matter) are much more fundamentalist than most people brought up in the religion. Also, Bobby Jindal seems to be a smart guy who knows which side his political bread is buttered
C Peterson

I wonder why conservatives are so quick to believe Jindal is a Christian at all. I mean… look at him! His color, his name, his heritage. Surely, he’s some sort of Hindu or something, no? And has Louisiana released his birth certificate? The long one? Doesn’t the fact that he is an Oxford scholar make him an elitist?

I sense some double standards here.