Another wtf GOP move in Iowa.

[charby]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/20/iowa-senator-wants-political-balance-among-university-professors/98167182/

Bill for a hiring freeze for the Universities in Iowa unless the faculty is more balanced politically.

So far the GOP is doing a fine job of positioning themselves not to be reelected in 2018.

[Perd Hapley]

Sounds like the type of bill that will go nowhere, and probably isn't meant to.

[charby]

Sounds like the type of bill that will go nowhere, and probably isn't meant to.

Why waste the energy on it?

[MillCreek]

Because when you are signing up for that Physics 202 course, you need to know if you are going to be taught liberal or conservative physics.

[charby]

Because when you are signing up for that Physics 202 course, you need to know if you are going to be taught liberal or conservative physics.

Damn, glad I got in on classical physics.

[Perd Hapley]

Why waste the energy on it?

Why do politicians do anything? To get votes.

I think sometimes they do this kind of thing just to raise awareness of some pet cause.

[bedlamite]

Why waste the energy on it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTmfwklFM-M

[charby]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTmfwklFM-M

Excellent

[230RN]

Why do politicians do anything? To get votes.

I think sometimes they do this kind of thing just to raise awareness of some pet cause.

Beat me to it, but I would've said  "to raise awareness of a genuine problem, similar to the plain and evident bias of the mainstream media."

Similar to a "trial balloon."

Ineffective if actually implemented, of course.  One of the tenets of passionately self-righteous movements is that it's OK to lie for the cause.  (In addition to the definitional problem.)

Terry

[RevDisk]

Bill for a hiring freeze for the Universities in Iowa unless the faculty is more balanced politically.

So far the GOP is doing a fine job of positioning themselves not to be reelected in 2018.

Politicians doing something stupid as political posturing rather than focus on actually helping their state. Shocking, that.

Besides, it's only lop sided in the non-STEM degrees. Inside STEM, you still have plenty of whackos of various stripes but they tend to be a bit more balanced. If he wanted to actually make a real impact, he could have promoted STEM funding. It'd look good, be productive, help his state AND achieve a bit of his desired goal. Rather than this that will be negative PR and likely be counterproductive.

[KD5NRH]

Because when you are signing up for that Physics 202 course, you need to know if you are going to be taught liberal or conservative physics.

If one could get a degree with only STEM courses, that would be one thing, but when you have to take lit&comp, among others, you can end up with badly suffering grades because of professors who allow their politics to influence their grading.

[230RN]

Oh, I don't know, RevDisk.  That negative PR seemed to work OK for one of our major elected officials recently.

Scratching an itch.

Oh, and a good point, KD5NRH.  FB FB OM K.

Terry

[MechAg94]

I agree it is political posturing.  Similar to anti-gun bills introduced in Texas that have no chance of passing.  

It was likely just one state legislator, not the entire GOP unless you know it has a lot of supporters. 

Also, in lower level politics name recognition is everything and negative publicity can be just as good as positive.

[Perd Hapley]

...that will be negative PR and likely be counterproductive.

Maybe. If it makes the Republicans/conservatives in his district say, "Yeah, he gets it. He's worried about something that we think is a problem," then it helps get him re-elected. Which is productive, as far as he is concerned. (Realistically, almost anything that keeps Democrats from getting a Republican-held seat is productive.)

As far as blow-back is concerned; he's a Republican. It's not as if he's going to get worse coverage than he's getting otherwise.

[charby]

And he graduated from Sizzler U, claimed it as a business school/program.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/busted-iowa-gop-lawmakers-alma-mater-turns-out-to-company-that-ran-sizzler-steak-house/#.WLdGF8CaEQ8.facebook

[MillCreek]

^^^But on the plus side, the certificate came with a loaded baked potato.

[French G.]

Because when you are signing up for that Physics 202 course, you need to know if you are going to be taught liberal or conservative physics.

An-cap physics where the particles only care if they are being detained.