On November 4, 2008, voters in the United States will elect their 44th President. They also vote in the 111th United States Congress, including all 440 members of the United States House of Representatives (435 voting members and 5 non-voting delegates), and 33 of the 100 members of the senate.
In the run-up to the election, lobby groups have tried harder than ever before to get science on the agenda. The boldest move was Science Debate 2008 (www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php), a crusade for "a presidential debate on science and America's future." This initiative garnered unanimous support from universities and other science-based organizations, including The Scientist.
Realistically, however, there was never any hope of a science debate. The candidates would need days of coaching to appear competent on the wide and complex range of subjects that could be raised, something that they have neither the time nor, I suspect, inclination to do.
It ...
