‘Believes In Science’ Is Now A Kitchen Table Issue

When did science become a debatable election topic?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Add ‘believes in science’ to the list of issues that Americans now find topical, important, and a point of division in the election. From Virginia Senator Mark Warner’s “Believes in Science” tagline to vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ trust in scientists over the President’s word, this is the new kitchen table issue.

So-called kitchen table issues are those that matter most to voters. The concepts that President Obama, in 2009, said were the “quiet struggles” Americans “wrestle with at the dinner table” as they sign checks for monthly bills.

Historically this has been wages, the rate of unemployment, the cost of groceries, tuition, and healthcare. At times, concerns have been manifest as symbolic to illustrate the point — like the price of milk. Over time this has expanded to include cultural issues like the second amendment, equal rights, and civil unrest.

At times too, candidates have attempted to manufacture kitchen table issues to incite fake outrage. As if the debunked Burisma narrative somehow affects the paychecks of Americans.

At Joe Biden’s town hall this week, the words ‘science’ and ‘scientist’ were…