# Assholes jumping to conclusions **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 16, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947 "2007-10-16T20:50:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/1 "2007-10-16T20:50:45Z")
Sunday night, Air America host Randi Rhodes was injured while out walking her dog. Her associate Jon Elliott reported on the air that she was mugged and beaten up. He speculated that it was a hate crime perpetrated by right wingers. The [Talking Radio blog posted about it](http://talkingradio.blogspot.com/2007/10/randi-rhodes-is-victim-of-violent.html) and ran with the conspiracy idea. They blamed everyone but W and Halliburton. It has now come out from her lawyer that she [was not mugged](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/10/16/2007-10-16_air_america_host_randi_rhodes_wasnt_mugg.html) but that she fell. No police reports were filed, no conspiracy. What pisses me off was the rush to judgement by her associate and the posters on the [Democratic Underground site.](http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2055525) According to their view there was no other possible explanation for her injuries besides a mugging, preferably by someone wearing a Bill O’Reilly t-shirt. I know this happens on all sides of the political spectrum and it’s bullshit. Knee-jerk reactions from radio hosts/bloggers/talking heads when something happens that offends their finely cultivated sensibilities are pathetic. A Democrat proposes healthcare reform? It’s a commie plot! A black dancer accuses frat boys of rape? They must be guilty because they are white! I’m sick of this shit. The world moves so fucking fast that everyone wants to break the news first and to hell with the facts. “Damn the cites and full speed ahead!” Let’s find out all the facts before we tar and feather someone. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/2 "2007-10-16T20:57:04Z")
I heard it was \*\*erie774 \*\* who kicked Randi’s ass. I’ll check to make sure, but I just wanted to get this out there for discussion first. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/3 "2007-10-16T20:57:17Z")
But she WAS mugged! Authorities have released [composite sketches](http://www.unconfirmedsources.com/?itemid=2819) of the muggers. Others have [speculated](http://gawker.com/news/developing/was-talk-show-host-randi-rhodes-jumped-by-14-ketel-ones-311453.php) she was tanked and did a self-induced face plant. Who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/4 "2007-10-16T21:05:12Z")
Maybe they just bought a Jump To Conclusions Mat. You see, it has these different… conclusions on it… that you can jump to. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/5 "2007-10-16T21:17:03Z")
Maybe she got her ass kicked by the ghost of the [real Randy Rhodes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rhoads2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/6 "2007-10-16T21:31:11Z")
[QUOTE=erie774] Let’s find out all the facts before we tar and feather someone. [/QUOTE] Boy are **you** in the wrong message board’s flame Forum. If we waited for facts, here, there would only be about two new threads a week. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/7 "2007-10-16T21:34:07Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] Boy are **you** in the wrong message board’s flame Forum. If we waited for facts, here, there would only be about two new threads a week. 😛 [/QUOTE] Wholly untrue - a deliberate falsehood. RO threads would still abound. Besides, if it ever gets too slow, one could always start a thread about declawing cats, why circumcision should be mandatory, or movement to repeal the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution. Those would be fun for days! ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/8 "2007-10-16T21:43:38Z")
That’s horrible, and Elliott deserves all the ridicule that can possibly be heaped on him - by Olbermann as well as Hannity. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/9 "2007-10-16T23:13:32Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Wholly untrue - a deliberate falsehood. RO threads would still abound. [/quote] Hey! Not **all** RO threads are without facts to get outraged about. > [@](#): > > Besides, if it ever gets too slow, one could always start a thread about declawing cats, why circumcision should be mandatory, or movement to repeal the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution. Those would be fun for days! You really like living dangerously - I’d just start a thread about making leash laws apply to cats as well as dogs. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/10 "2007-10-17T00:18:49Z")
> [@](#): > > The network released a statement that said Rhodes “experienced an unfortunate incident.” Hah, that’s just what you’d _expect_ our corporate media to say. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/11 "2007-10-17T15:46:23Z")
Wouldn’t mugging an Air America host for money be a waste of time? So would beating her up for political reason–I mean, who would notice? 😃 And we can be sure it wasn’t Randy Rhodes who attacked Randi Rhodes. They’d never find her body if he had. We all know he was quite the axman. **Lizard** , who believes cats should all be declawed, foreskins are evil, everyone should own a gun, and that puppies make a fine stew. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/12 "2007-10-17T18:51:17Z")
Of course they had to back off the mugging story. They didn’t want Randi to end up as a Conservative. Since… A Conservative is just a Liberal who’s been mugged. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/13 "2007-10-17T18:56:13Z")
I can’t even imagine the cajones needed to turn a few bruises from falling into a massive right wing conspiracy. I mean, what kind of guilible fuckhead what actually buy that? Probably the same jackasses that ran around yelling “Bush is going to repeal Roe v Wade!” in the run-up to Election '04. Sometimes I wish there was a “none of the above” option in the voting booth. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/14 "2007-10-17T19:35:58Z")
[QUOTE=Duke of Rat] Of course they had to back off the mugging story. They didn’t want Randi to end up as a Conservative. Since… A Conservative is just a Liberal who’s been mugged. 😃 [/QUOTE] OMG, **Liberal** got mugged?!? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/15 "2007-10-17T20:06:19Z")
[QUOTE=erie774] OMG, **Liberal** got mugged?!? 😃 [/QUOTE] He’s just waiting for the mod approval to change his user name. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/16 "2007-10-17T20:11:18Z")
Wait, did I hear this right? **Liberal** just got mugged of all his Monopoly money? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/17 "2007-10-17T20:20:08Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] Wait, did I hear this right? **Liberal** just got mugged of all his Monopoly money? [/QUOTE] Yes. In the billiard room. With a candlestick. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/18 "2007-10-17T20:25:15Z")
[QUOTE=saoirse] Yes. In the billiard room. With a candlestick. [/QUOTE] But was he circumcised? On second thought, I don’t want to know. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/19 "2007-10-18T00:17:09Z")
I had heard these were the [assailants](http://www.southparkstudios.com/media/wallpaper/913_Composite_Sketch_1280x1024.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947/20 "2007-10-18T04:37:43Z")
[QUOTE=Duke of Rat] A Conservative is just a Liberal who’s been mugged. 😃 [/QUOTE] And a Liberal is a Conservative who’s been to jail. 😉 So the question is, if a Liberal is mugged, shoots and kills his asailant, then serves time for it, does he come out of jail unchanged from when he went in? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assholes-jumping-to-conclusions/422947.md?page=2)