It’s d?j? vu at the Kansas Board of Education

So I see that the Kansas Board of Ed has approved new science standards that, “change the definition of science to allow for non-natural explanations and cast significant doubt on the theory made famous by Charles Darwin,” according to Knight-Ridder’s David Klepper. Sounds pretty grim. Amy Sullivan, however, points out that Kansas wasn’t the only place where this issue was subject to debate yesterday:

In [Dover, Pennsylvania] voters booted all eight Republican pro-intelligent design school board members who were up for re-election and replaced them with Democrats who oppose the curriculum policy. Dover is not some bastion of liberal politics; it’s more like Kansas than parts of Kansas are. If I had to make a prediction, I’d say that’s a better indication of where the intelligent design fight is going than the Kansas decision. It’s not a court striking down intelligent design, but voters taking matters into their own hands and deciding enough is enough.

Indeed, the Knight-Ridder story goes on to point out:

The vote brings to a close the latest chapter of the evolution saga in Kansas, but it is not likely to end it. A similar story played out in 1999, when the board removed most references to evolution, the origin of the universe or the age of the earth. Voters unseated conservatives in 2000, and a new board, dominated by moderates, changed the standards back. Moderates hope the same thing will happen next year, and they vow to unseat conservatives in next November’s elections. Voters will fill five board seats next year, four of them belonging to conservative incumbents. A handful of candidates have already announced their intention to run.

Ann Althouse has more, particularly on the interrelationship between the litigation and electoral strategies that tend to contain this kind of educational tom-foolery. UPDATE: Oh, dear, I see that Pat Robertson has opened his mouth on this topic. According to the AP:

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town Thursday that disaster may strike there because they “voted God out of your city” by ousting school board members who favored teaching intelligent design…. “I’d like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God. You just rejected him from your city,” Robertson said on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “700 Club.”…. Later Thursday, Robertson issued a statement saying he was simply trying to point out that “our spiritual actions have consequences.” “God is tolerant and loving, but we can’t keep sticking our finger in his eye forever,” Robertson said. “If they have future problems in Dover, I recommend they call on Charles Darwin. Maybe he can help them.”

Wait, I’m confused by that last sentence — does this mean that Robertson believes that Charles Darwin’s ghost is still around? Anyway, it appears that God ain’t pleased with Robertson.