What exactly do you mean by respect the position? What does that look like?
Also this can be hard to swallow following a Congress who is top priority was making Obama a one term President. Obama is a secret Muslim not an American. Etc etc etc.
Well for those working on cancer research I image it's to find a cure, save lives, and advance medicen . Right?
In some fields it's likely pure curiosity that drives people. And really any number of possible motivations.