Republican epistemology

Paul Krugman summarizes the Republican attitude toward reality-based policy very well in The Ignorance Caucus New York Times 02/10/2013:

The truth is that America’s partisan divide runs much deeper than even pessimists are usually willing to admit; the parties aren’t just divided on values and policy views, they’re divided over epistemology. One side believes, at least in principle, in letting its policy views be shaped by facts; the other believes in suppressing the facts if they contradict its fixed beliefs.

In her parting shot on leaving the State Department, Hillary Clinton said of her Republican critics, "They just will not live in an evidence-based world." She was referring specifically to the Benghazi controversy, but her point applies much more generally. And for all the talk of reforming and reinventing the G.O.P., the ignorance caucus retains a firm grip on the party’s heart and mind.

This is what has been so disturbing about President Obama's eagerness to achieve bipartisan compromise for its own sake with a genuinely radicalized Republican Party.

Tags: radical right,, republican party