Tornoe’s Toon: Christine O’Donnell and Evolution

Filed in Delaware, Science and Health by on October 20, 2010

Cross posted at Punchline.

At two recent debates, Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell balked at answering a simple question, “Do you think evolution is a myth?”

Christine O'Donnell evolution debate constitution

O’Donnell maintains that her beliefs are unimportant, and her job is to follow the Constitution. I mean, when’s the last time someone had to vote on evolution?

It’s a sad de-evolution of modern political candidates that someone who is this close-minded, unqualified and unprepared to hold national office is supported by over 30% of Delawareans.

I don’t know the last time someone had to vote on 2+2, but I’d still like my elected representative to know that the answer was four.

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About the Author ()

Rob Tornoe is a local cartoonist and columnist, and can be seen in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Press of Atlantic City, The News Journal, and the Dover Post chain of newspapers. He's also a contributor to Media Matters and WHYY. Web site: RobTornoe.com Twitter: @RobTornoe

Comments (22)

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  1. Delbert says:

    A large part of that 30% support Ms. O’Donnell enjoys is the Religious Right. The current non-supporters “in the middle” are the votes she’s after. She could answer the evolution question with either a yes or a no, and would lose either way. She would be a fool to answer that question and she knows it, and I think you know it too.

  2. MJ says:

    If that is the case, Delbert, then she shouldn’t be talking about allowing the public schools to teach “intelligent design.”

  3. pandora says:

    But… she’s the one that inserted evolution into the mix. She called it a myth, which means asking her for a yes or no question is fair game.

  4. Delbert says:

    ….and addressing the question in the way that she has at this late date in the count down is also “fair game”.

  5. cassandra m says:

    That response is “fair game” if you think that weaseling out of your original response is somehow fair. And if you are counting on people forgetting your original response. You teatards really are trying to get a monopoly on belligerent ignorance.

  6. anonone says:

    “…either a yes or a no, and would lose either way.”

    Which is why Delbert and his ilk prefer dishonest and gutless politicians.

  7. anon says:

    What everybody is missing is that O’Donnell is at odds with the Church on evolution. In spite of being normally very conservative in all things, the Church is actually very hip to evolution and science, especially after eating the crow dished up by Galileo.

    Catholic schools teach standard evolution in science class and do not teach intelligent design even in religion class. Catholics do insist on God as the Prime Mover (i.e., “God created evolution”).

    Intelligent Design reduces and belittles God’s power and might, according to the director of the Vatican Observatory.

  8. a. price says:

    wow, unprovoked attack

  9. Steven Jones says:

    Personally I’m insulted by this argument or at least the implication that you can’t be a Christian & believe in evolution. It’s the equivalent of saying you have to turn your brain off to be a Christian.

  10. Michelle says:

    Yep, I learned evolution in Catholic school in the ’70’s. The anti-evolution thing is more a fundamentalist Protestant position.

  11. skippertee says:

    Yea, I’m with Michelle. And I go back to the 60’s and first to eighth grade in parochial school, St. John the Beloved.

  12. Delbert says:

    Cathlocism, and I have a lot of respect for it having been raised in the Anglican tradition, is not as big downstate. The fire & brimstone Protestants and conservative Methodists make up a strong RR base here. It is these voters as well as discouraged others influenced by the Tea Party activists that have given rise to Christine O’Donnell. But it’s not new this year. She all but tied Joe Biden in Sussex two years ago, while getting slaughtered in the final statewide count 65%-35% courtesy of Upper New Castle County. With that in mind and things as they are now; do you really think Coons will win Sussex, or even Kent for that matter? The battleground for CO’D is north of the canal.

  13. cassandra m says:

    We’re still on the evolution gaffe here, Del, so that wasn’t even an especially good deflection.

  14. Delbert says:

    My point, Cass, is that the RR is not as receptive to evolution debate as the Catholics seem to be by the posts others have just written. I was illustrating that on a statewide comparison.

  15. TellTheTruth says:

    People for the American Way asking for donations to send Christine thousands of copies of the Constitution. Christine is not a liberaterian but a self serving imbecile who knows she can’t win the election, but those out of state contributions are still rolling in. She will be a wealthy woman joining her protege Palin to continue the extreme right, authoritarian view of the world.

  16. Delbert says:

    In a certain ways, TTT, that could be a happier career for Christine than being a US Senator.

  17. Polemical says:

    For any of the liberals on here who want a free pocket-sized copy of the Constitution, go to the Heritage Foundation’s website (don’t worry, the liberal police won’t chastise you for going to this right-leaning, conservative site 😉

    Sign up and they will mail it to you. Btw, I find it very unprofessional for blog posters on DE Liberal to use such pejorative words when describing the ‘Tea Party.’ For example, those who think they’re creative and cute with their ‘teabaggers’ and ‘teajadis’ only reveal an inability to foment a well-researched and cogent argument.

    In fact, it’s no different than using the N-word. Anyone who falls into this lazy form of blogging/commenting loses all credibility. I’m not a pro-Tea Party advocate either. To be sure, free speech prevails; however, most credible people avoid such vituperative language.

    Bill Maher uses ‘teabaggers’ incessantly which shows his true character. Olbermann, too, uses it. Btw, Sean Hannity’s pernicious language when referring to Obama/Reid/Pelosi/Rahm is just as bad.

  18. Lee Ann says:

    @polemical, I don’t need a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution to know what the First Amendment says. What’s your point?

  19. Joe Cass says:

    ” it’s no different than using the N-word.”
    Are you serious? Or just seriously damaged?

  20. cassandra m says:

    In fact, it’s no different than using the N-word.

    It’s very different than using the N-word. And speaking of lazy, it is beyond the pale for you to come in here to get your victim on when people are calling out you and your candidate for your fierce clinging to your belligerent ignorance. The language used to describe the teajadis is exactly the language they’ve earned.

    So take your manufactured victimization over to some wingnut blog and make sure *they* aren’t calling liberals names before you even think about coming here to police anybody.

    Fool.

  21. cassandra m says:

    I know what the word Teabagger means. It is a word the teabaggers brought on themselves, really.

    And they still haven’t earned any better.

    Fool.