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Politician Tells Truth, Immediately Regrets It

Jul 28, 2009
By .
Effluvia

Pity Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN), who committed the ultimate political blunder — he said what he thought.

Peterson had been quoted in an online story about conspiracy theorists, saying "25 percent of my people believe the Pentagon and Rumsfeld were responsible for taking the twin towers down. That's why I don't do town meetings."

Now, I think that Peterson is exaggerating when he suggests that 25% of his constituents are conspiracy theorists. However, he's probably on the money when he suggests that 25% of the people who would want to spend their time at one of his town meetings are conspiracy theorists. And that's a lowball figure. Bear in mind we live in this nation:

Overall, 44 percent of the respondents said they believe in ghosts, 36 percent say UFOs are real while 31 percent believe in both witches and astrology. About a quarter believe in reincarnation, or "that you were once another person," the survey found.

It would be interesting to see if the Truthers are more or less likely to believe in UFOs.

But back to Rep. Peterson. His regrettable honesty raises a question central to our federal republic: do we want our politicians to govern based on what they think is right, or based on what a cognizable percentage of their constituents think is right? To paraphrase Senator Huska, do crazy people deserve representation too? Back in the 1990s, they heyday of militia-promoted conspiracy theories, Idaho Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth famously urged investigation of black helicopters on the grounds that a number of her constituents believed in them. Was she right?

If she is, and we govern that way, someday the Truthers and the UFO-believers are going to form a coalition government. That should be entertaining.

Last 5 posts by Ken

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5 Comments

  1. David  •  Jul 28, 2009 @9:58 am

    someday the Truthers and the UFO-believers are going to form a coalition government

    Wait– isn't that Idaho?

  2. Mike  •  Jul 28, 2009 @10:31 am

    Let's not omit the Christians:

    "CHRISTIANITY

    "Believing that an omnipotent, omniscient cosmic jewish zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood, all the while you telepathically communicate with him to tell him you accept him as savior and master in order so that he can remove the evil force from your soul caused by an ancient woman made of spare ribs who talked to a talking snake and ate a magic apple.

  3. Ken  •  Jul 28, 2009 @10:33 am

    I estimated a 85% chance of a comment like that.

  4. Mike  •  Jul 28, 2009 @12:39 pm

    Well, you did lob the soft ball.

  5. Valhawk  •  Jul 28, 2009 @2:43 pm

    Christianity is not just the belief in Jesus etc., it's also contains a philosiphy of non-violence and a moral code that resolves around social justice and compassion(regardless of whether people follow it or not).

    The truthers and other conspiracy nuts only have belief system, not a fully formed religion.

    (PS: How do you follow "etc." with a pause that should get a comma?)