A dishonest creationist debating tactic shouldnāt go unchallenged in American life. Or in national politics
Juneās fatefulĀ Biden vs. Trump debateĀ led not just to the sudden ascension of Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Donald Trumpās performance also saw the return of a familiar tactic in American public discourse, the āGish gallopāāan avalanche of nonsense presented as factāon the debate stage. A favorite of creationists, the gallopās trot into the political arena needs calling out as we head into the home stretch of the 2024 election.
Coined by theĀ National Center for Science EducationāsĀ founding directorĀ Eugenie Scott in 1994, theĀ Gish gallopĀ takes its name from the creationistĀ Duane Gish, whoĀ frequently challenged biologists to debatesĀ about evolution. His tactic consisted of talking fast and with confidence, bombarding opponents with falsehoods, non-sequiturs and enough cherry-picked factoids to confuse the audience. Scientists debating him faced the challenge of sifting half-truths from outright lies andĀ finding the right evidence to refute them systematically, all within the few minutes allowed in response. Which effectively meant that when the bell went off,Ā the Gish gallop left the scientist āstumpedā and Gish declaring victory for creationism. Such a spectacle leaves the audience less informed than they were before the debate, all at the hands of a debater whose only goal is to discredit their opponent and āwinā the debate.
Iād watch this. Iād go to this. Iād shout āBill! Bill! Bill! Inertia is a property of matterā to the rafters until the roof blew off.