Politicians like talking about 'evidence based' decisions. But whose evidence?
鈥淓vidence based.鈥� Relying on scientific or other research data, as opposed to just political beliefs.
Politicians like the use the word 鈥渆vidence鈥� 鈥� which evokes the image of accusatory material that prosecutors introduce in courtroom trials 鈥� to make their views sound fact-based and rational, whatever the truth might be.
Consider Texas Sen. Ted Cruz鈥檚 crusade against 鈥済lobal warming alarmists鈥� who, in the view of the 2016 Republican presidential candidate, are misguided on science. 鈥淎nyone who actually points to the evidence that disproves their apocalyptical claims, they don鈥檛 engage in reasoned debate. What do they do? They scream, 鈥榊ou're a denier.鈥� 鈥� 聽in March 2015.
Another Texas Republican, state Land Commissioner George P. Bush, recently pushed back against a showing that he鈥檚 been out of the state or off work nearly half of the time since his father, Jeb Bush, became a presidential candidate. 鈥淭he evidence will strongly show that I've put my heart and soul into this position,鈥� the younger Bush
Across the ideological spectrum, 鈥渆vidence based鈥� has become a favorite term of Hillary Clinton鈥檚. Her campaign site聽touts a school-based approach to battling alcohol and drug addiction: 鈥淐linton will help state and local leaders put in place effective, evidence-based, and locally-tailored programs to meet their needs.鈥�
That鈥檚 an extension of Mrs. Clinton鈥檚 more partisan聽evidence-based聽comments leading up to her second White House bid. She has used it to contrast what she regards as the knee-jerk political posturing of Republicans.
鈥淚 want to get back to evidence-based decision-making.鈥� There鈥檚 too much that has gone on in our politics recently that is just pure ideology, pure partisanship,鈥澛犅燼t an April 2014 conference. Five months later, as she inched closer to becoming a formal candidate,聽she called for 鈥渆vidence-based optimism.鈥�
And after actually becoming a candidate in March, she聽聽at a conference on urban development at not having to address nagging questions about her e-mail server when she was secretary of State: 鈥淚 love sessions like this, because it鈥檚 really nice to get back into an evidence-based discussion.鈥�
But there鈥檚 evidence that 鈥渆vidence-based鈥� actually can be bipartisan.
In one of the rare collaborations in Congress between a senior Republican and a senior Democrat, Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan and Washington Sen. Patty Murray聽introduced a bill聽earlier this year to create an 鈥淓vidence-Based Policy Commission.鈥� It called for setting up a 15-member commission of experts in data and statistics to see whether a central data clearinghouse would help with making spending decisions without violating privacy rights.
Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark write their "Speaking Politics" blog exclusively for Politics Voices.
