GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty is now claiming that climate change is
something we have to look to the science on. The weight of the evidence is that most of it, maybe all of it, is because of natural causes.
He continues his bullshit, garbled response:
But at least as to any potential man-made contribution to it, it’s fair to say the science is in dispute. There’s a lot of people who say the majority of the scientists think this way. And there’s a minority that way. And you count the number of scientists versus the quality of scientists and the like. But I think it’s fair to say that, as to whether and how much – if any – is attributable to human behavior, there’s dispute and controversy over it
Pawlenty is of course claiming the exact opposite of the truth about the science on the issue, since there is an overwhelming scientific consensus about climate change. But typical of the corporate US media, the Miami Herald reporter lobs softball after softball in the interview, never following up with serious or probing questions.
In fact, the reporter wouldn't really need to know anything about climate science to still act like a journalist. For example, when Pawlenty says
And you count the number of scientists versus the quality of scientists and the like
the reporter could simply ask, "On what basis are you distinguishing good scientists from bad ones?" Of course Pawlenty would just continue with his evasive bullshit responses, but a few insistent follow-up questions like that would at least make it more clear how full of shit Pawlenty is for those who care about such things.
Apparently Pawlenty wasn't previously a committed climate change denialist, but now he's appealing to the know-nothing base of the GOP. Though I don't see how he can outflank Michele Bachmann when it comes to courting the wingnut vote.