I don't see this as a partisan issue.
Nerd, geek, dork, and all the other adjectives used to put down intelligence are not owned by any certain political persuasion. For every bible thumper on the right I can show you a tree hugging Gaia worshipper on the left.
When discussing genetic engineering (a subject of great interest to me), I've heard the words "playing god" come out of just as many liberal mouths as conservative mouths. My response to such remarks is that someone needs to.