"I'm not in this race to slow the rise of the oceans, or to heal the planet. I'm here to help the American people."

Governor Romney repeated this "joke" about climate change during his first non-Fox "News" interview. He'd first used this trope during his acceptance speech at the GOP convention.

Obviously he wants to make it clear that in his opinion 98% of the world's climate scientists are lying--or that even if they aren't, it doesn't matter, because it's happening slowly enough that most Americans who are voters today won't be affected. Sure, their kids may be shafted, but apparently the "I've got mine Jack you're on your own" philosophy applies to Republicans' children and grandchildren as well.

This makes sense--as I recall surveys of the Republican base reveal anger and resentment at not just non-Anglo Americans of all ages but at even younger white people, who many of the GOP base consider to be lazy moochers full of entitlement.

So for the Republican Party, the threat of global climate change and ocean levels rising is a punchline used to ridicule Democrats.

Hmmm. I wonder what they think of that in the swing state that's mostly right at sea level?