Where's the Intellect?

A lot of people at my workplace are excited and energized about the upcoming presidential election. I realized today that the ones chatting most about it are in their late 20s and early 30s. I remember being that age and thinking that this stuff really mattered. That being a Republican or Democrat was an important decision or that one candidate was clearly superior to another. Somehow as you get older, you see things a bit differently.

A lot of Americans were excited by Sarah Palin's VP speech at the convention last night. Of course the audience in attendance was. If she couldn't win over all the Republicans in attendance, she'd really have problems. Similarly, people were gushing over Obama's speech last week, at least until McCain brilliantly stole his thunder with the Palin pick. The closer it gets to the election, the less impressed I am with either candidacy.

On the third page of the Plain Dealer today was a story about a huge ice shelf breaking loose from Canada and basically disappearing. A few days ago, the paper ran a story about the dramatic ice loss in the Arctic. While there's still a debate about how much of these changes are due to man and how much is simply a natural cycle, every scientist worth her salt agrees that there are indisputable signs of global warming. I haven't heard either candidate really discussing this.

Lawrence Krauss, former chair of the Case Western Reserve physics department, has formed a group calling for the candidates to debate or at least answer a series of specific questions relating to scientific topics of high importance to the world of the 21st century. So far I haven't heard either candidate comment on this proposal. The vulture media, who pick the bones of any trivial tidbit in this election, have not given the proposal any real attention. So I expect that we'll have the same toothless, meaningless debates we've grown accustomed to.

I suspect some of this has to do with the American public. We're a largely ignorant, poorly read, and poorly informed citizenry. Asking intelligent questions of our candidates might make us feel dumb. Who's going to ask the questions? Brian Williams? Katie Couric? Chris Matthews? These puppetheads can barely read off their teleprompters. If you want an intelligent discussion, you have to have knowledgeable people asking the questions. They would know how to follow-up. They would know if the answer given is B.S. But scientists aren't respected in this country. Calling someone an "Einstein" is often used as an insult. This despite the fact that we rely on science from the minute we wake until we go to sleep again, and even while sleeping.

Frankly, I think all four people who are the contenders in this race are intellectual lightweights and I'm tired of having leaders who are lightweights. Yes, they have college degrees. Yes, they went to good schools. But you don't have to be intelligent to graduate from college. You simply have to be good at the kinds of tasks colleges expect you to complete. I'd like, just once in my life, to see a candidate not resort to sound bites or pre-packaged statements that simply serve as the crack that satisfies a nation addicted to non-answers. We have to demand more but when I look around me and see how people, even people I think are pretty bright, are so excitedly satisfied with what they are already getting, I don't have much hope.

Really, thus far, has Obama or McCain or Palin or Biden actually said anything? Have any of them really addressed any of your concerns? Have they truly laid out any specific plans to address any of the most pressing issues of our time? Sure, we've heard some good speeches and, depending on your political bent, we've had some feel-good moments with whatever candidate we like. But do you honestly believe, deep down in your heart and mind, that either of these candidates is going to make a real difference in the problems we face? I don't. I don't even really believe that either of them have more than a cursory understanding of the issues. I think they are career politicians who have spent their lives not analyzing and researching issues but working on getting re-elected and expanding their sphere of influence.

I suppose it will always be this way. People who care about solving problems are out there solving them, not running for elective office. Most scientists I know or have listened to have an aversion to politics. That's because the majority of career politicians are lawyers and lawyers are not problem solvers. They make their money debating. They often have a vested interest in not compromising. They are in many ways rewarded for ego. Much of this is in polar opposition to the scientific community where collaboration is often rewarded, the truth is the end goal, and the biggest egos can be rapidly deflated if the person is unethical or dishonest. As I get older, I crave intellectual discourse. I'm tired of surface level discussions and pat, palliative answers from our supposed "leaders." Our country, indeed our world, faces significant challenges and we need real engagement from the people who are going to wield the power to address these challenges. Thus far, I'm not impressed with the intellect of either Obama or McCain. Perhaps that's unfair. I don't know either man and they may both be intellectually superior. Maybe they just don't care.