# A warning to SE Iowa Dopers: David Pautsch for Congress **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 1, 2024, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365 "2024-06-01T01:41:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/21 "2024-06-02T18:54:41Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > True, but their ultimate tool–the current Supreme Court—is still in place. And their abortion decision laid the groundwork to be able to overturn any precedent. > > I wish I could be sure that these Federalist Society judges have no plans to overturn other “liberal” court decisions, but I do not. When _Dobbs_ was issued, Justice Thomas said in his decision that _Obergefell_ might also be reconsidered. I agree that in the current political climate, targeting gay people is a higher priority than targeting black people. But both are on the Republican to-do list. When gay people began receiving their rights, a lot of court cases cited precedents when black people began receiving their rights. Unfortunately, the process will work in reverse. The decisions that take away rights from gay people will later be cited to take away rights from black people. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/22 "2024-06-02T19:03:17Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > True, but their ultimate tool–the current Supreme Court—is still in place. And their abortion decision laid the groundwork to be able to overturn any precedent. The Supreme Court has always had that power. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/23 "2024-06-02T19:29:27Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The Supreme Court has always had that power. It’s generally been the legal equivalent of dropping the atomic bomb. A current Supreme Court overturning a decision made by a past Supreme Court is declaring that past court made the wrong decision. And acknowledging that any Supreme Court decision is wrong is something justices have generally been reluctant to do. It’s also a dangerous precedent that conservatives should worry about. If the current court can overturn Roe, what’s stopping a future liberal court from overturning Heller or Citizens United? Or Dobbs for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/24 "2024-06-02T19:40:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@flurb](#): > > > > Where? I’m not trying to be a smart ass, I’m genuinely looking for a cite. > > The Respect for Marriage Act was enacted in 2022, which says that states cannot criminalize same-sex marriages or interracial marriages. Miller-Meeks was one of the people who voted in favor of the law. Pautsch has said he opposes the law. I have no doubt that this person is a reactionary nut job. But saying that his opposition to the Respect for Marriage Act means “HE WANTS TO CRIMINALIZE INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE” is unnecessary hyperbole. It only helps these people when we try to paint them as more extreme than they are. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/25 "2024-06-02T20:49:17Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > I have no doubt that this person is a reactionary nut job. But saying that his opposition to the Respect for Marriage Act means “HE WANTS TO CRIMINALIZE INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE” is unnecessary hyperbole. It only helps these people when we try to paint them as more extreme than they are. Can you come up with a plausible reason why somebody would oppose a law the prevents the criminalization of something other than wanting to criminalize that thing? If somebody said they want to repeal the Second Amendment, it’s no stretch to think they also want to enact some gun control laws afterwards. Now I will note that this law protects both same-sex couples and interracial couples. So maybe Pautsch only wants to target gay people and has no particular plans for targeting black people. But while Pautsch has said he opposes the Respect for Marriage Act, he hasn’t said he’d like to replace it with a law that gives protection to interracial marriages but not to same-sex marriages. Pautsch has gone on record saying he opposes the protection of interracial marriages. If that doesn’t mean he opposes interracial marriages, he’s needs to go on record saying that. Otherwise people are going to come to the obvious conclusion. And finally, I’ll point out the other obvious conclusion. Even if Pautsch goes on record and says he’s okay with interracial marriages and it’s only same-sex marriages he wants to criminalize, he’s still an asshole. Gay people are entitled to their rights just like black people. Every American is entitled to their rights and not just the people that the Republican party recognizes as “Real Americans”. And finally finally, I’ll point out that even if David Pautsch has no chance of getting elected, he’s still serving the right wing and hurting America. He’s a chosen sacrifice to make a right wing candidate like Mariannette Miller-Meeks look acceptable in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/26 "2024-06-02T21:57:32Z")
Maybe not outside his hometown, Davenport, IA but in the Quad Cities, where I live, signs are all over the place. They usually share yards with signs that say things like “Trump 2024 - Take Our Nation Back.” Be careful what you wish for; you might get it, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/27 "2024-06-04T07:03:02Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > The Supreme Court has always had that power. > > It’s generally been the legal equivalent of dropping the atomic bomb. A current Supreme Court overturning a decision made by a past Supreme Court is declaring that past court made the wrong decision. And acknowledging that any Supreme Court decision is wrong is something justices have generally been reluctant to do. > > It’s also a dangerous precedent that conservatives should worry about. If the current court can overturn Roe, what’s stopping a future liberal court from overturning Heller or Citizens United? Or Dobbs for that matter. And yet it’s been done multiple times. Not frequently for certain but it’s always been on the table. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/28 "2024-06-05T05:27:50Z")
He lost by a 45/55 percentage. He must have some really hardcore supporters out there. Bon voyage and au revoir. In the meantime, I had to resist the urge to get a can of spray paint and write “RACIST” on every sign of his that I saw. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/29 "2024-06-05T12:08:38Z")
In an attempt to help or hinder his campaign? /s ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365/30 "2024-06-06T23:03:36Z")
Yeah, these days, you never know, do you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-warning-to-se-iowa-dopers-david-pautsch-for-congress/1002365.md?page=1)