You know, I’ve been watching politics closely for over 35 years and what has happened to the GOP in the last several years is pretty remarkable, if you step back and look at it. There are so many examples of them either changing positions as the wind blows or simply changing public opinion to match their crazy ideas. A perfect example of the latter is Climate Change (formerly Global Warming). Steve Benen has a post up with a link to a previous post of his own that shows this so clearly. From one of his pieces…
It’s disheartening enough that rejection of climate science has become a benchmark of Republicans’ ideology. It adds insult to injury to see how quickly the party’s perspective is regressing.It was, after all, literally just a few years ago that plenty of Republicans were willing to take the threat and the science seriously. GOP presidential candidates like John McCain and Mike Huckabee not only acknowledged climate change, they both endorsed cap-and-trade plans. Rank-and-file Republican voters, by and large, believed what the mainstream believed when it came to climate science.
If you follow that last link he gives, you discover that Republicans have been victims of a massive propaganda campaign. Maybe the word “victim” isn’t appropriate, since they seem to be doing it so willingly. Some might call it denial, some might call it lying to oneself and others might just call it stupidity. I think all apply. From another Benen piece…
A new report this week from the Pew Research Center shows what we probably could have guessed: conservatives in America reject evidence of global warming. But Pew study also raises an important related point: it didn’t use to be this way.Pew found that a 53% majority of self-identified Republicans believe there is no solid evidence the earth is warming. Among “Tea Party” Republicans, the results were even worse, with 70% concluding that the climate science is wrong. This isn’t exactly surprising.
But reader H.S. flagged a key detail about the trend in attitudes:
Disbelief in global warming in the GOP is a recent occurrence. Just a few years ago, in 2007, a 62%-majority of Republicans said there is solid evidence of global warming, while less than a third (31%) said there is no solid evidence. Currently, just 38% of Republicans say there is solid evidence the earth is warming, and only 16% say that warming is caused by human activity. In 2007, three-in-ten Republicans said global warming was the result of human activity.
That is one massive change in attitudes and it didn’t just happen by chance. If you want to know how this occurred, you just have to look at one example to understand it. Fred Upton, a Republican from my state of Michigan, has done a complete 180 degree turnaround. Just over a year ago in April 2009, Upton characterized climate change as “a serious problem that necessitates serious solutions.” It’s quite amazing how $20,000 can change a person’s mind. Brad Johnson fills in the blanks for us, via Steve Benen…(emphasis mine)
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, incoming energy chair Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) joined Americans For Prosperity (AFP) president Tim Phillips, a global warming denier, to support the lawsuits by global warming polluters against climate rules. One of the companies leading the charge against the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas endangerment finding is Koch Industries, the private pollution giant whose billionaire owners have been directing the Tea Party movement through its AFP front group.
Upton once considered a “moderate on environmental issues,” but has worked hard to refashion himself as a hard-right defender of pollution in recent months. Some Tea Party groups tried to block Upton from taking the gavel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, attacking his past support for energy-efficient light bulbs. Upton previously claimed that “climate change is a serious problem” and that “the world will be better off” if we reduced carbon emissions. However, in the course of the past two years — as he received $20,000 from Koch Industries — Upton has shifted to oppose not only cap-and-trade legislation but any form of limits on climate pollution whatsoever, instead supporting investigations against climate scientists and lawsuits against the EPA and its supposed “unconstitutional power grab that will kill millions of jobs.”
Look how far the GOP has regressed in just over a year. I don’t think you will find a single Republican saying anything about Climate Change these days. They have successfully brainwashed all their Fox-heads and Rush-heads to fall in line with the corporate overlords, Koch Industries. Lock-step everyone, lock-step. Tighten up those ranks, get those salutes tighter now…march, march, march. What’s next?
Extreme Liberal's Blog 
Yep, they are in lockstep. They’re stormtroopers for the new era of fascism.
Republican’s and their followers are going to be the leading cause of the fall of our planet I think. For one they refuse to listen to evidence that counters their denials. Thus this puts us in a ever present crisis that is getting worse and worse as time goes bye.
I am unsure if we can actually reverse global warming. I believe we can but with the political pressures and other truly man made beliefs collide with what is actually happening its highly doubtful that we’ll do enough even if it is possible (which I believe it is completely possible).
This is not the Republican Party I grew up in. When I was a member of Bill Buckley’s YAF in college, there was not the volume of attacks we see now on intellectuals…scholars, scientists. It seems many Republicans love being known as “know nothings” (the Party of NO!), anti-intellectual, anti-education. Sarah Palin and her ilk are heroes to many of the ignorant in the this nation.
I left the GOP in the late 60’s when it became bigoted, actively enlisting racist Democrats to come on over to the “Party of Lincoln” thus changing the Old South from Democratic to Republican. With subsequent hijackings by Neocons and religious nut-jobs, I have never looked back in regret over my decision to leave the GOP.
Remember it was Republican President Eisenhower who warned us to beware increasing corporate power affecting government, especially the Pentagon. It is the energy corporations now feeding the lies about global warming and the ignorant are lockstep behind them. But even back then, the right-wingers, led by the likes of Sen. Joe McCarthy and the John Birch Society, who impugned Eisenhower whispering loudly that he was “possibly” a leftie, commie sympathizer.
We all need to support global warming. Now that Al is getting a divorce he will need the money that his hoax has brought him.
For every “expert” that says there is global warming, there is an “expert” that says it is a hoax. Global pollution yes, global warming is for the uninformed crowd and of course Al Gore and his partner Leo who have made millions out of fleecing the uninformed masses.
Couple of things here:
Atlanta Ralph if you nut jobs don’t believe in global warming that’s on you. And these scientists you right wingers want to cite to refute global warming are brought and paid for by the very industry that doesn’t want regulation.
The Republican party today remind me of those mobsters in “The Dark Knight” they got their asses kicked in 2006 and 2008 by the Democrats so in response the Republicans got desperate and handed over their party to nuts. Look at the corp of Republicans that ran for office this election cycle they’re either bat shit crazy, corrupt or just plain dumb.
While the Republicans made gains this election cycle, they may paid the price for pandering to the extreme elements of their party. They may have to forget about ever getting the Latino vote,they ensure they may only get only 2% of the black vote and they told rational people they’ll willingly to gum up aid for them until Paris Hilton or the cast of “Jersey Shore”get their tax cut.
And I’m going back to the election results again if certain progressives hadn’t demobilized the base we could be once again looking to add or protect seats than trying to unseat one of these corporate street walking tea bag Republicans who by the way will have a huge advantage over their Democratic challenger due to the fact they got unlimited corporate cash behind him or her.
Had a wingnut on Facebook make fun of “Al Gore’s Global Warming” because they had SNOW in Indiana in December!!! Omigod!
When I was studying physics in grad school at Texas A&M (hardly a liberal institution where Robert Gates was once president, where George H.W. Bush built his library), I was shown by climate professors in their meteorology department pictures taken over decades from space showing shrinking ice caps, glaciers, ocean ice. This was several years before Al Gore started giving us warnings. A recent study from A&M is linked below. Of course BIG ENERGY hasn’t hired these REAL scientists, yet.
http://geosciences.tamu.edu/hotlinks/79-news-rotation/725-cloud-feedback-affects-global-climate-and-warming-says-texas-aam-study
BTW, hardly a 50-50 split on the science!!!!
A study was conducted by academics from the University of Illinois, who used an online questionnaire of nine questions about global warming. The scientists approached were listed in the 2007 edition of the American Geological Institute’s Directory of Geoscience Departments.
Two questions were key: Have mean global temperatures risen compared to pre-1800s levels, and has human activity been a significant factor in changing mean global temperatures?
About 90 percent of the scientists agreed with the first question and 82 percent the second.
And a couple of decades ago we had global cooling. While I was going for my PHD in astrophysics at the University of Stockholm I had a professor who said the world was not round, but I didn’t believe him.
Global warming is a hoax put on for the benefit of AlGore and his Nobel prize,only one less deserved is by num nuts in the oval office who, again, did nothing to deserve it.
How many years ago did you work on your doctorate at the University of Stockholm, Atlanta Ralph? According to their website, the school has long been researching Global Warming and attributing it in part to MAN’s influence….
http://www.su.se/english/about/society-and-business/2.340/collaborative-environmental-research-1.536
You people live up to PT Barnum saying and AlGore is very thankful. If there is such a fear of global warming why does alGore make a fortune selling carbon credits. This is the biggest hoax on the American People since Barry Obama. No reason to prove anything because there are enough people who will believe anything, hopie changie is working great for this country.
So Al Gore investing in green energy companies to stimulate their development is immoral whereas the Bush administration was full of persons from Big Oil, even starting a war in Iraq to steal that nation’s oil.
BTW, another photo demonstrating global warming. But then, Ralph, you being a PhD from the University of Stockholm, probably have already seen such:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7895611/Photos-show-dramatic-shrinking-of-Mount-Everest-glaciers.html
There is a difference between advancing a hoax to make a profit.
Those pictures prove that climate change is cyclical but does nothing to prove the global warming hoax.
Gore’s books came FIRST (Earth in Balance he penned in 1992) before he actively invested monies earned from his book sales and his 2007 NOBEL PRIZE in “green energy” start-up companies. IOW, TROLL RALPH, PhD is criticizing Gore for putting his money where his mouth is!
The USA has been “Johnny come lately” in the manufacture of solar panels, wind turbines, etc. (which BTW China is already producing for the world market…let China have it all???).
I imagine TROLL RALPH, PhD has never read any of Gore’s books (or even Rachel Carson from the 50’s/60’s like I did) or even seen Gore’s OSCAR-winning documentary film like a real academic would/should have done before leveling such caustic criticism.
FYI, we all know Gore is not a scientist but his books do compile leading-edge research from top scientists around the world, using photographs, charts, and other illustrations. Gore has only added some personal anecdotes and observations to help support the FACTS. He has referenced over 900 peer-reviewed, independent, international scientific studies of which all reached the same conclusion: Global warming is real. It appears the phenomenon is being aided by the burning of fossil fuels by the citizens of Earth, presenting a clear and present danger to human health and safety and the global economy.
Funny how many powerful REICH-wingers were supporting the fight against Global Warming only a few years ago, but now OBSTRUCT the science for purely PARTISAN reasons (plus continuing to take money from Big Oil lobbyists). Here is New Gingrich in 2007: