The Fox GOP debate melted down when the word “climate” was mentioned ( www.motherjones.com )

After the network showed a clip of a young conservative activist saying that climate change was the number one issue for young voters, Fox News moderator Martha MacCallum asked for a show of hands in response to her question, “Do you believe human behavior is causing climate change?”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to participate, and then GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy declared, “I’m the only person on the stage who isn’t bought and paid for, so I can say this: The climate change agenda is a hoax.” A crowd full of Republicans started to boo.

Most of the Republicans on stage fell short of completely denying that climate change is caused by human activity. Ramaswamy, perhaps taking a page out of the Trump playbook of making the most outlandish comment possible, came right out and said it.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shot back, “I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT.” Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley went so far as to venture, “Climate change is real.”

But moderator Bret Baier seized not on Ramaswamy’s blatant denial of the scientific consensus on climate change, but on his claim that he was the only candidate on the stage who was “not bought and paid for.” Baier took turns asking candidates, “Are you bought and paid for?” In classic Fox News fashion, a moment that could have provided insight into how far Republicans are willing to go to please young voters concerned about the environment devolved into senseless crosstalk. Still, for a party that has spent years ignoring or denying the biggest threat to our planet’s future, tonight’s responses were actually, almost, a little bit refreshing.

NeedingvsGetting , (edited )

I want to point out that they denied climate change while in Milwaukee, which set a record high temperature of 101°F the day of the debate, with a heat index of 115°F.

The average high temperature over the past 30 years is 80°F

No wonder the audience started to boo.

gAlienLifeform ,
@gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world avatar

Also, Milwaukee’s Public Schools are all closed because of the heat today

TokenBoomer ,

That should be alarming.

ThunderWhiskers ,
@ThunderWhiskers@lemmy.world avatar

Wait, they closed the school because of heat? As a native Texan I don’t understand. Do the schools not have central air?

mindbleach ,

If the schools were built for 80-degree highs, two months out of the school year… probably not.

flyingjake ,

I grew up in the northeast and none of the schools had central air. It’s not hot enough before summer break to justify it. At least historically…

shastaxc ,

Do they at least open the windows? Never cycling the air sounds gross.

flyingjake ,

Yeah, the windows would open. But, honestly some days were gross. But US school would end by mid June and start in September so there’s only a few hot days to worry about, you might hit over 80F /27c a few times at most.

Pickle_Jr ,

I can’t see anywhere which would explain why the school closed. It’s possible that it doesn’t have central air. It could also be an efficiency thing; maybe the AC can’t vent out the heat fast enough to cool down the building when it’s that warm? My house is actually like that when it hits around 105° outside.

The smart ass reply is they close down when it’s hot for the same reason Texas closes down when it’s only 30° and it barely snows 😅

Railing5132 ,

Nope, most schools in the midwest, particularly rural schools with small tax bases, don’t have air. It was 85 F in my town’s high school today.

echodot ,

As a non American, viewing this from the outside. Let me say this.

These guys are ridiculous please don’t vote for them. Not only do they not believe in climate change, which is insane given how much of the planet is currently ablaze, but they don’t even understand what chat GPT is. So they are corrupt and stupid.

What am I saying, they are presidential material.

ComradePorkRoll ,

The only people that say climate change is a hoax are either in need of serious psychiatric intervention or being paid to say it’s not real.

DulyNoted ,

That’s what makes the “I’m not bought and paid for so I can say it’s a hoax freely” line so weird.

I’ve never understood how people not being paid to intentionally misunderstand the topic can go on about the hoax line.

CapgrasDelusion ,

It's less that he's bought and more that he's hoping to be bought. He's seeking donations from other people with a vested interest in denying human made climate change. He's not bought, he's for sale.

CrapConnoisseur ,

Should have made that dumbfuck sit outside for the duration of the debate. It was 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Milwaukee on the day of the debate.

queermunist ,
@queermunist@lemmy.ml avatar

Lahaina is fucking gone

gruvn ,

And the far northern Canadian city of Yellowknife was just evacuated due to a wildfire.
The Arctic is literally on fire.

mindbleach ,

Oil companies buy votes.

Climate activists can’t.

Dubious_Fart ,

Climate activists could, if you knew how little per voter it takes to buy off a politician.

hell, some sell out their constituency for as little as 3 cents a head.

darq ,
@darq@kbin.social avatar

I think we have to rapidly come to terms with the fact that, politically, we are never going to adequately address climate change before it is too late. Conservatives will dig in their heels and slow the process to a near-standstill, and liberal democratic institutions will allow it to happen.

Climate change will be addressed by either a deus-ex-machina-like technological breakthrough, or by means outside of electoral politics.

AAA ,

Climate change will be addressed by either a deus-ex-machina-like technological breakthrough, or by means outside of electoral politics.

And we can rule out the technological breakthrough. It’s unlikely, although not impossible, to happen, BUT it’s absolutely impossible to be implented on a large enough scale to make change.

The same people who don’t want wind turbines or solar farms within eye sight of their backyard are suddenly to accept something completely new and not well understood or tested… on an unprecedented scale? Sign me up for a laugh.

edit: All those bastards advocating some world saving technology, just so they don’t need to change something now, ignore the fact that it’ll also be them who will prevent that technology - if it comes. NIMBYs stay NIMBYs.

breakfastburrito ,

Remember what happened when we got that miraculously effective covid vaccine? The unwillingness of people to take that simple, free action to help return to the normal they wanted back so badly really killed my hope for an end to climate change.

andrewta ,

Sadly in my opinion it is already too late. In my opinion we are already in the downward spiral. It’s like a roller coaster ride, once you are over that hump just hang on for the ride.

At this point we and our great great great great great great…. Grand children will pay the price.

We had the chance to fix it. It’s already way too late. Sorry just my opinion. Less pollution might make the fall out slightly less bad. So there is a point in stopping pollution, but as for reversing and stopping what’s going to happen? Yeah no sorry we are screwed.

sharkfucker420 ,

Really hoping for some deus ex machina shit rn and I think that says a lot

m4xie ,

If the tech breakthrough hurts oil companies profits, they will lobby and propagandize against it.

P1r4nha ,

Forget technology. Even scientists’ and engineers’ wettest dreams don’t consider technologies that capture even a tenth of the billions of tons of CO2 we release on a yearly basis.

If you look closely at the numbers it’s hard to understand that we engineer ourselves out of this mess.

Solar, wind etc. is all nice. Nuclear fisson, cold and hot fusion, okay. We’re far away of anything useful. Capital is just in the wrong hands.

darq ,
@darq@kbin.social avatar

Trust me, I realise... I mention a technological breakthrough not because I think it's likely or a good idea to expect, it's not and it isn't. It's a terribly stupid "solution" to bet on.

But no actual, plausible solution will actually be allowed. At least not until tremendous damage has already been done.

Anti_Face_Weapon ,

In my own stupid opinion, the GOP is infested by fascist thought to its very core. And yet, they got boo’d for denying climate change. Some change is good, and some change is bad, and I think the conservatives recognizing climate change is a damn good thing.

But it should have happened 20 years ago. We are seriously fucked now. Thanks Mitch.

Cethin ,

You don’t have to lead facts with “in my opinion.”

DragonTypeWyvern ,

The thing is, fascism is a populist ideology. It works best when you can point at someone and say “this thing that concerns you is insert boogeyman’s fault!”

I’m ultimately not as concerned by these hacks as the guy who comes along and actually appeals to someone besides the boomers.

axont ,

All of these dorks are just auditioning for jobs in the Trump administration. They refuse to say anything bad about Trump even though they’re running in a race against him.

Except none of them will get jobs because Trump thinks they’re all dorks.

UlyssesT ,

Except none of them will get jobs because Trump thinks they’re all dorks.

Stephen Miller is an ultra dork, creepy as he also is.

WIIHAPPYFEW ,
@WIIHAPPYFEW@hexbear.net avatar

Chris Christie did, because he still plays by the 2015 edition rulebook

richietozier4 ,

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shot back, “I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT.”

heartbreaking

letsgocrazy ,

This comment was spot on - I listened to an interview with Vivek Ramaswamy and thought he was one of the most insincere bullshiters I’ve heard in a long time. “Chat GPT” nails it.

Parent ,

He made a career convincing investors to buy into his biotech startup. Insincere bullshitting is the name of the game there.

VHS ,
@VHS@hexbear.net avatar

Bought and paid for by the all-powerful Climate Science Industry?

qwertyWarlord ,

They don’t believe in anything. They’re vapid narcissists grabbing at power. They will say and do anything for power and approval, that’s what makes them so dangerous. It wasn’t a debate up there, they weren’t debating anything, it was a popularity contest and each and every one of them danced for the crowd in their own way

Elderos ,

As I said again and again, trump is simply following the fascist playbook. You have to at least grant it to him, it is virtually the only thing he’s good at. Do you know which other very popular democratically elected leader skipped presidential debates a few years ago? It’s the guy waging war to Ukraine.

letsgocrazy ,

Putin wasn’t eligible to attend any presidential debates.

volcel_olive_oil ,
@volcel_olive_oil@hexbear.net avatar

my “not bought and paid for” t-shirt is generating a lot of questions already answered by my t-shirt

Treczoks ,

Wow. It is hard to believe, but they are all as dumb as Trump. Couldn't they have placed just one candidate with an IQ over 90? I mean, just for a change?

donuts ,
@donuts@kbin.social avatar

Being smart doesn't poll well on the right.

Daft_ish , (edited )

Smart? You mean elite snob know it all?

CapgrasDelusion ,

They're not all stupid, but they're all catering to stupid. With the exception of Chris Christie which is why he's so far behind.

timicin ,

Still, for a party that has spent years ignoring or denying the biggest threat to our planet’s future, tonight’s responses were actually, almost, a little bit refreshing.

setting the bar so low that any response besides outright hostility as refreshing, is not refreshing.

chuckleslord ,

Ah! Finally, after years of being given boiling water to drink, I’ve finally been given horribly scalding water instead. Refreshing! /s

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