Charles Darwin gets 4,000 write-in votes in Georgia election

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun called evolution a lie 'straight from the pits of hell' — a statement that spawned a Darwin for Congress Facebook page.

By

John Platt

Fri, Nov 09 2012 at 11:21 AM

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Photo: Freddie Phillips/Flickr

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia made headlines a few weeks ago when he called evolution, embryology and the Big Bang "lies straight from the pit of hell."

Well, now he's making headlines again, this time for an unexpected opponent in his successful bid for reelection: Charles Darwin. The long-deceased "father of evolution" received nearly 4,000 write-in votes in Athens-Clarke County this week, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. The votes for Darwin were not officially tallied since the naturalist was not a certified write-in candidate.

The push to write in votes for the author of "The Origin of Species" grew out of a "Darwin for Congress" Facebook page, which called for voters to "send a message to Paul Broun and his colleagues." The page's founder, Jim Leebens-Mack, a plant biologist with the University of Georgia, told the Banner-Herald that the number of votes Darwin received shows that Paul Broun is vulnerable. The most recent post on the page tells people not to worry, "We will definitely find a rational, living candidate to replace Dr. Broun in 2014!"

Broun did receive nearly 17,000 votes in the county and more than 200,000 votes through his district. He ran unopposed.

The comments about evolution and other sciences were made at a Sept. 27 church banquet, when he also said that he believes the world is 9,000 years old and was created in six days. "I hold the Holy Bible as being the major directions to me of how I vote in Washington, D.C.," he said, "and I'll continue to do that." In 2009, he petitioned to make 2010 "The Year of the Bible." He also co-sponsored legislation that would define marriage as consisting only of the union of a man and a woman."

Broun, a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party Caucus, has been in office for five years. A physician by trade, he sits on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Broun had no comment on the write-in campaign.

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Comments: 7

Brianna Jan 16 2013 at 12:40 AM

Aw, what a poor old man. He sounds senile. You can't help but feel bad for those whose minds have turned.

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Nedmorlef Jan 13 2013 at 2:53 AM

Any biblical scholar or true Christian could tell you that man is only about 10,000 yrs old. That's as far back as our evidence shows. As for the earth there are three ages. We are in the second one. The earth itself could be millions of years old. This one too will end and the new one will be lit by Christ. The light of the world. If the atheists want to be taken seriously they need to quit quoting every backwoods Christian that comes along. Atheists have their backwoods members too. They

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spew the doctrine like they learned it yesterday also. When you question them about the amount of hydrogen in the universe doesn't support evolution then, you get the deer in the headlights response. If you want to attack Christianity at least compare scholar to scholar and not atheists doctorate to summer bible school teacher.

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FELLOW SCIENTIST Jan 02 2013 at 8:54 PM

EVOLUTION AND THE BIG BANG THEORY HAVE LOTS OF EVIDENCE, MORE THAN THE BIBLE (WHICH HAS VERY SILLY MAGIC STUFF). THE WORLD CANNOT BE 9000 YEARS OLD. IT HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN.

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foman Dec 13 2012 at 4:56 PM

+1 for Darwin

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Guest Nov 11 2012 at 6:17 PM

Good for Paul Broun! Evolution and the big bang theory have never been proven...they are only theories. Booo to the residents who voted in Darwin. #Openyourmind