A schematic of natural selection acting on mutation, one of the chief theoretical mechanisms explaining the observed evidence for common descent

This is going to be a fun election season. TPM is reporting Teaparty darling Rick Perry told a questioner in New Hampshire “”Here your mom was asking about evolution. And you know, it’s a theory that is out there — it’s got some gaps in it. In Texas we teach both creationism and evolution in our public schools. Because I figure–” … I have sympathy for politicians. It is grueling, they’re working crazy hours subject to endless hassle, and they have to be up and energetic all the time. So I can understand a gaffe. 

For the record, creationism is not taught in Texas K-12 schools. Outside of the occcasional fundamentalist teacher freelancing, it’s not taught in any public K-12 schools in the United States. Teaching creationism is illegal. It has been struck down several times, most recently in Edwards v Aguillard in 1987, and even ‘teaching the controversy’ was kicked in the ass in 2005 in Kitzmiller vs Dover Area School District. In the latter case, a republican judge appointed by President George W. Bush, John E. Jones III, wrote a blistering response against the creationists. That’s a ruling Rick Perry should probably take the time to read before answering any more questions about evolution or science education in Texas or anywhere else.

The part about Texas teaching both sides may have been a gaffe, maybe, but Perry’s underlaying pseudoscientific view is sincere. He’s a religious opportunist through and through, a card carrying member of the anti-science right, who happens to be up to his eyeballs in extreme right-wing dogma for a very good reason: The man is competing for votes from social conservative voters, the kind of voter for whom scientific ignorance isn’t a shortcoming, far from it, it’s badge of freaking honor to be worn proudly and openly for all to see. This is the same guy who believes or pretends to believe — I’m not sure which is worse — that NASA is leading a global conspiracy to mislead the world about the global warming. Motivated by research grant money or some stupid shit. Perry is a clown, but he may prove to be a very dangerous clown.