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We don't have to sift for clues that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is pretty much already running for president, because in the 13 days since the 2012 election—and especially the last three—he's given us several obvious tip-offs about his destiny, and that of the Republican Party, come 2016. Like all of a sudden saying weird things about science, for instance. Here are five signs:
Rubio suddenly doesn't know how old the Earth is.
In an interview with GQ, Rubio made sure not to alienate the evangelicals who vote in early primary states by expressing his doubts about the planet's age.
GQ: How old do you think the Earth is?
Marco Rubio: I'm not a scientist, man. I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that's a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States. I think the age of the universe has zero to do with how our economy is going to grow. I'm not a scientist. I don't think I'm qualified to answer a question like that. At the end of the day, I think there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all. I think parents should be able to teach their kids what their faith says, what science says. Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries.
Granted, teaching creationism in public schools has been a conservative cause for some time. But still, think about it like this: "Q: How does water boil? A: I'm not a scientist, man… Some people say transferring heat energy to the liquid causes the molecules to move faster and turn to steam… other people say it's just in water's nature to boil."
