Reality sweeps away Republican fantasies
Jonathan Schell considers how climate change made its presence felt at the US election and gave the lie to the Republicans' fantasy world
There is a kind of war under way in the US nowadays between fact and fantasy. President Barack Obama's re-election marked a victory, limited but unmistakable, for the cause of fact.
Events in the days leading up to the election provided a stark illustration of the struggle. Among senior aides to Republican challenger Mitt Romney, a belief developed that he was on the cusp of victory. Their conviction had no basis in poll results. Nevertheless, the feeling grew so strong that aides began to address Romney as "Mr President".
On election night, when the networks projected Obama's re-election, the Romney campaign refused to accept the result. A very awkward hour passed before he accepted reality.
The same disregard for reality has been the hallmark of the Republican Party in recent times. When the Bureau of Labour Statistics issued a report last month showing that the national unemployment rate remained "essentially unchanged at 7.9 per cent", Republican operatives sought to discredit the respected bureau. When polls showed Romney was falling behind, they sought to discredit the polls. When the non-partisan Congressional Research Service said a Republican tax plan would do nothing to foster economic growth, Republican senators muscled the service into withdrawing its report.