We often don’t remember what a person says, but we never forget how they make us feel. In my only personal encounter with Republican Senate candidate John E. Sununu, I do remember what he said as well as how it made me feel. I was part of leadership at the NH Medical Society in 2008 when our four physician group met with former Senator Sununu at his Washington office to discuss health care legislative issues.
On our list of concerns was global warming. In a loud voice he responded, “IT IS A HOAX!” When one of us tried to explain why it was not a hoax, he tersely interrupted repeating, “It’s a hoax. I graduated from MIT. I know science (implying four physicians know nothing about science). Next question!”
I suspect that none of our group remembers much more of what we discussed that day, but we all remember how he made us feel. Apples do not fall far from the tree. His father John H. Sununu has maintained that scientist have not sufficiently proven that climate change is a severe, human-caused crisis and that rising temperatures cause catastrophic damage.
During John H. Sununu’s time in the George H. Bush administration, he famously dismissed international climate concerns as “technical poppycock.” As Chief of Staff, he actively worked to derail international climate treaty negotiations (such as at the 1992 Rio Earth summits and talks in the Netherlands). With the catastrophic weather damages we have witnessed in recent years, what are John H. and his son John E. thinking today?
The Sununus might want to revisit their alma mater. MIT has a climate project — a comprehensive effort to research, develop, deploy, and scale carbon free energy, clean air and water systems and resilient community solutions. The MIT Climate Policy Center translates complex climate science into non-partisan policy briefs and educates policymakers and congressional staffers on decarbonization strategies (MIT Sloan School of Management). Remarkably, John E. Sununu could now obtain a Bachelor of Science in Climate System Science and Engineering.
My concern about our conversation with Senate candidate John E. Sununu was not his lack of knowledge, but the arrogance with which he delivered his debunked anti-science thoughts on global warming. It was his lack of humility and lack of respect.
Our mail carrier has delivered a tree’s worth of Sununu “mailers” this past month, sometimes as many as three a day. On the mailers, he is cast in sunshine with a smile. Opposite is a photo of Chris Pappas in a shadow. On the mailer Sununu falsely claims Pappas, the democratic candidate for the senate seat, has raised our taxes while he will lower them.
John E. Sununu has maintained the endorsement of President Trump since February. He has praised the Iran war for weakening Iran. He backed Trump’s signature domestic legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that cut social services and Medicare, largely benefiting the wealthy.
We must understand that Sununu will be a reliable vote for Trump’s agenda in Congress. We will likely forget much of what John E. Sununu dishonestly says, but if he is elected, we will not like the way he makes us feel.
Oge Young is a retired OB-GYN. He practiced in Concord for more than 30 years, was the president of New Hampshire Medical Society and was a member of the general council representing New Hampshire obstetricians.