There is a lot of kerfuffle today because of Marco Rubios comments about the "mysterious age" of the earth. I have heard from some Republicans that this was an unfair question to ask Mr Rubio. Well, it's only unfair if you say anything other than 4.6 billion years old. It's only a gotcha question if you measure time in epochs instead of years.
It is important for people know where leaders stand on questions like this one because it highlights if a politician is operating in a fact based world or a magical world or a purely political world where they must cow to the most extreme, ridiculous beliefs of the GOP base.
I have put together a new test for Republicans. These questions should be asked by every journalist given the chance to interview a high office seeking pub. Here goes.
The Crazy Test
1) How old is the earth?
2) Can rape cause pregnancy?
3) Was Obama born in America?
4) Do tax cuts increase revenue?
5) Is Climate Change real?
5) Is Climate Change cause by human activity?
6) Is compromise equivalent to appeasement?
7) Did Saddam Hussein take part in 9/11?
8) Did Iraq have WMD?
9) Does raising taxes on the rich kill jobs?
10) Is Obama a Socialist?
11) Did Barack Obama make the claim that business owners did not build their own businesses?
12) Did George W Bush win the popular vote in 2000?
13) Have taxes skyrocketed under Obama?
I could go on and on and on...and on, but I think you get the point and furthermore I think it is valid to ask these questions of Republicans.
American needs two reasonable political parties. I am not a cynic. I believe the GOP can be a vital and positive political force in America. The Republican party can make government more efficient and it can provide a good check on reasonable spending. The Republican party did a good job on foreign affairs during the 1980's. The Berlin wall came down and Reagan was willing to talk to Gorby to get it done. The Republican party designed the blue print for Obamacare and founded Realist FP. There is good in GOP tradition but in order to see those good ideas percolate again the Republican Party must purge itself of the crazies.
I hate to use ad hominum but I think ignoring factual data is a form of craziness and it's not helpful.