How Awesome Science Is

I am saddened somewhat with the ending of the Huntsman campaign, as a THINKING and INFORMED American, who understands scientific theory and how science is not to be "believed" it is to be "understood", since it is Peer Reviewed, and Verifiable.  It is NOT a "belief system" or taken "on faith".  Huntsman was the only Republican candidate who came on the side of trusting science.  Gingrich used to be on the side of science, but as he's bent over backwards to lick the boots of the far far far right primary voters, he's dismissed climate science as inconclusive and not to be paid any attention to.  And besides, Gingrich is like the spoiled milk in the fridge - he was thrown out of the House Speakership on ethics charges and forced to apologize.  His Contract On America caused incalculable harm to the fabric of society and set the stage for Bush's squandering of the the treasury surplus that Clinton left behind.  Why would the spoiled milk be any better, in November 2012?

And why should anyone who works in Science, or has a family member or friend works in Science, and who is capable of rational thought, support any of the fundamentalist Republican candidates?  Or Ron Paul who would de-fund and dismantle the NIH, CDC, NOAA, NASA, EPA, and FDA, just to name a few?  But sadly, most American citizens are so poorly educated in science that they have little to no understanding of it, and fear it.  46% of Americans think that the Earth is only 6000 years old (yet they still use microwave ovens, computers, ipods, fly on airlines,  get x-rays or CAT or PET or MRI scans, and sometimes even wear sun screen - all of which are intrinsically tied to the speed of light and the 2nd law of thermodynamics, which quick creationists strongly contend). 

So the last "hope" for a rational Republican candidate who respects and trusts Science is gone.  I wish that guaranteed that Obama would win in November, but this is the same electorate who re-elected W.  The same electorate who inordinately believes that Iraq was involved in 9-11.  The same electorate who enjoys 98% of television programming that I cannot stomach... so my "hope reserves" are dwindling.  I want to believe that it "will all be OK", but the feeling of dread continues to build.  I think I'm going to have to take November 7th off, and spend time appreciating the Arizona wilderness with a long hike, or reading the Journals SCIENCE and NATURE (both of which we now receive in our home).