Dear Stephen: About that "Intelligent Design" stuff ...

From back here, Simon Pole suggests that I take on the thankless task of getting a national reporter to ask Stephen Harper his opinion on ID. That's an interesting idea but, if you really wanted to get any meaningful response, you'd have to phrase the question far more precisely.

If you just ask "What's your opinion about Intelligent Design," you will almost certainly get a vacuous, feel-good answer like, "Well, I think it's good to have an open mind, and consider both sides, and let students hear all the evidence and make up their minds ... blah blah blah ..." You get the idea. Pure bullshit.

No, if you had the chance to ask a question, you'd have to craft it very carefully. Perhaps something like, "In your opinion, and based strictly on the scientific evidence, what do you think is the most well-established and well-supported theory for the current diversity of life?" Note that that question doesn't allow for more than one answer.

Or perhaps something like, "With respect to science in the public school system, do you support balancing the presentation of biological evolution with the religious fundamentalism of Intelligent Design?"

Sure, I'd love to prep a reporter with just the right kind of question that wouldn't allow Stephen (or any other party leader, for that matter) to weasel their way out of it. Dear reporters: my e-mail address is up there. No, higher up. Even higher than ... keep going, dammit! Yes, there it is.

Call me.