Jon Huntsman is still milking the Perry “evolution” controversy, and so far he’s been rewarded with a hearty endorsement from Howard Dean. But Perry’s comments are also getting a critical reception from conservative pundits. At Politico yesterday, Charles Krauthammer took a jab at the Texas governor:

 “I would hope that whoever the Republican candidate is, he or she will not tell us that creationism or intelligent design is the equivalent of evolution — just another theory about the origins of the biological man,” said the syndicated Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, who declined to weigh in on specific candidates, though Perry was recently recorded telling a young boy on a rope line that Texas schools teach both theories. “To put intelligent design on that level is like offering grade-school children a choice between astronomy and astrology,” he said.

Why is it all of a sudden controversial for a candidate to take this stance on creationism? Most Republican candidates in recent years have supported creationism or its close relative, intelligent design, including John McCain (though he said it should not be taught as science). The same goes for the majority of the GOP — a 2010 Gallup poll found that 52 percent of Republicans subscribe to creationism.

Here’s Ronald Reagan talking about evolution on the campaign trail in an Aug. 22, 1980 AP article, and sounding remarkably like Perry:

On another point, Reagan said he had serious doubts about the theory of evolution, and said that if it were taught in schools, then students should also learn about the biblical theory of creation.

“I have a great many questions about it,” Reagan said of the theory of evolution. “I think that recent discoveries down through the years have pointed up great flaws…(it) is not believed in the scientific community to be as infallible as it once was believed.”

Reagan was wrong on the science. And his comments prompted a fair amount of criticism at the time. But his opinion on the issue had no bearing on the qualities that made him a great president: his judgment, leadership, wisdom and character. Plus, when will the president’s personal opinion on evolution have any impact on policy? Is there a pending fight over mandatory federal creationism programs in the public schools that I’m unaware of? There are plenty of legitimate reasons to criticize Perry, but discounting him based on his remarks on evolution would be short-sighted.