Weird signal from space identified: not from ETs

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mystery-signal-space-solved-not-aliens-172728213.html

RR

Did UFOs kill Paul Kimball’s political aspirations?

Copyright 2017, InterAmerica, Inc.

Paul Kimball, whom we all know, offers that he lost in his candidacy for a Halifax (Canada) position.

He doesn’t believe, I think, that being known for UFO advocacy or UFO interest affected his candidacy or was responsible for his loss.

But I asked some election pros I know if a candidate’s overt belief in UFOs would affect his or her electibility, and here are the responses I got:

“Since very few are members of the tin foil hat society, I think it would be a deterrent for any politician. But hey. Trump is in the White House, and he's as alien as anyone who has inhabited the place. Don't know if that answers your question.” [Steve Warden, newspaper reporter]

“Oohhhh.  Good question.  Googled a poll from 2015 and 52% of Americans believe in extraterrestrial life.

“That being said, I think the determining factor is how much of a issue does the candidate raise about it?  If it is a main talking point I think it hurts them for two reasons....first most folks are concerned about paychecks, not Martians.  Secondly it just makes you sound a bit nutty. (Of course Jesse Ventura and Trump were elected).

“Side note- I do believe in alien life!

(Me: I do too but don't think they have stopped by.)

“If they have they probably just shook their heads and moved on!” [Kevin Knuth, former Democratic Chair for Allen County in Fort Wayne, Indiana]

“Historically, it would have likely made the candidate a non-starter.  In these days of fake news it may have less impact.  The primary question, with the declining impact of real news, is how it would play in an ad.  Alone, it sounds made up.  But if the candidate takes an unusual position on a substantive issue, says something stupid, makes a gaffe, or provides an angle - it would be tattooed on their forehead if the opposition is competent.

“If you mean Halifax, Canada - Canadian elections are becoming more like those in the U.S. but also are more mellow in their attacks. There it is more difficult because once a quiet consensus develops, it quietly spreads and is difficult to undo.” [Mark Souder, former U.S. Representative for Northern Indiana]

“Whether ‘overt belief in UFOs’ would affect electability probably depends on office being sought and location. For ‘serious’ offices, I would think this belief would be a serious negative - but after last year's presidential election I'm no longer sure what counts as a fatal negative. And there are a probably larger numbers who believe in UFOs than many people would assume.” [Paul Helmke, former Mayor of Fort Wayne and lobbyist in Washington D.C.]

"The dean of the school of journalism at Drake University when I was there (and he's still alive, I think) did his master's thesis on communicating with UFOs. With all that keeps getting discovered, I don't know how you could rule it out. Candidates? I don't know. …

"A friend of mine in Iowa challenged Rep. Steve King in the 4th CD, which is like Indiana's 3rd — GOP as hell. This winter/spring, when King started going nutty again, my friend, Kim Weaver, was drafted to run again. She was raking in campaign cash then the oppo research kicked in and they found that this woman who now works in the state's nursing home ombudsman's office was an online psychic at one time got blown out of the race. She's been threatened and is now battling bouts of depression. For what it's worth." [Mike Marurello, Editor of Herald-Republican newspaper]

My pal, Pulitzer Prize winning New York TIMES Washington D.C. correspondent Charlie Savage, didn’t want to broach the topic at all.

My point, as it has been for some time now, is that when a person mentions they have a serious interest in UFOs or “ufology,” they will create a shift in how they are perceived, and not in a good way.

In Paul case, if I were managing his election campaign, I’d have suggested he not mention UFOs or downplay his interest in them, concentrating on the real issues his constituents were concerned with which I think he did to a great degree. But the UFO thing watered-down his sensible views, and thus, he wasn’t elected.

People may say they have seen something they call a UFO but admitting they are truly interested in the phenomenon will provoke a new, undesirable attitude by “normal” folks, as non-objective as that may be.

So, this post is a cautionary one, meant to provide my usual disdain for ballyhooing UFOs in polite society, sane society.

RR