Of course ClimateGate matters politically, and the damage has only begun. Rasmussen polling shows a sharp decline in belief in global warming, and what’s most striking about that is that the traditional-media cheerleading for Copenhagen, Cap-And-Trade, etc., has continued unabated. Most traditional news outlets (Jon Stewart doesnt’t count) have ignored or downplayed the ClimateGate story so far, meaning that what we’re seeing in the polls at the moment is the impact of alternative media alone.
The Big-Media stonewalling may or may not break down, but the story is already out, and politicians playing to the debunked Big Media storyline just look more and more foolish — or dishonest — to more and more voters the longer they keep this up. This won’t help their electoral prospects. It also has ramifications for health care: If you can’t trust them on global warming, can you trust them on cancer screenings?