# Dick Cheney a Sartorial Embarrassment **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243 "2005-01-29T04:33:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/141 "2005-01-30T13:02:57Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > I think I had a minor stroke **will** typing that final sentence. sent **it’s** president to the ceremony. (bolding mine) Irony so thick you could cut it with a knife. Some weird reverse **Gaudere** ’s Law or something. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/142 "2005-01-30T13:06:02Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Mmmm hmmmmm. > The last resort of a trapped partisan: fallacious fungibility. > Thanks for playing, you do not get a toaster. Damn. These bagels aren’t getting crispy on their own… You know, I do have sympathy for your position. This just isn’t turning out to be lefty-friendly past couple of years, is it? The stress is starting to show (freaking out over winter coats, anyone?), but as long as it provides amusement, who am I to complain? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/143 "2005-01-30T13:09:20Z")
Yeah man I just can’t stop freaking out ~gnaws on fingernails~ I’m just so upset ~paces room~ Lon Cheney is a putz ~starts ripping out hair~ what ever will I do? ~implodes~ Your inability to recognize that, at the very least, wearing a hat with writing on it to a sombre memorial service is gauche… well… It’s not a huge deal. It’s just stupid, crass, tactless, etc… ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/144 "2005-01-30T13:25:52Z")
> [@Martin Hyde](#): > > \And most overcoats of the make the world leaders wear can’t be made with newer age linings or materials that will keep you warmer. Long johns may not have cut it. He probably also needs something to keep the wind off of him, something smaller jackets can’t do. > \ > Anyways you guys are ragging on a guy with a serious medical condition because of something he wore to _almost certainly_ address some of the problems that condition occurs. > \ Cheney has how much fucking money? And he can’t have nice-looking formal clothing made for him that takes into account his medical condition? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: My mouse-clicking hand got tired or else there would have been more rolleyes. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/145 "2005-01-30T17:38:27Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > You know, I do have sympathy for your position. This just isn’t turning out to be lefty-friendly past couple of years, is it? The stress is starting to show (freaking out over winter coats, anyone?), but as long as it provides amusement, who am I to complain? You are as willfully blind as any rabid partisan, and both sides are overburdened with 'em. You’re in no position to mock binary choices. It would be useful if dogmatists could grasp a very useful concept: _efficacy before party_. Work with me now… Neither party has a hammerlock on absolute virtue, truth, wisdom and American Values, and neither have attained perfection. It’s not only possible to judge dispassionately how well elected officials perform their functions, it’s healthy and necessary for the system to work. Every single elected offical, no matter what party, does something boneheaded at some time or other. They’re human. They, and we, need to be reminded of that fact. It keeps all of us honest and the political process at least somewhat in perspective. See, Cheney made a stupid, amateurish mistake. EVERY politican make mistakes, and all get called on them by citizens concerned about how their government conducts itself. Cheney blew it; not big, but avoidably. Noting the blatantly obvious doesn’t translate into a partisan attack. I’m sick to fucking death of the inane political posturing around here from rabid partisans _on both sides_ because 99% of it obscures more than it illuminates. Of course we could all exhume every ancient political snafu for yet another refreshing round of school yard forensics: “X was worse!” “Was _not_!” “Was too, but he got away with because he was a Y!” No wonder it’s taking so long. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/146 "2005-01-30T18:42:29Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > You are as willfully blind as any rabid partisan, and both sides are overburdened with 'em. You’re in no position to mock binary choices. > > It would be useful if dogmatists could grasp a very useful concept: _efficacy before party_. Work with me now… Neither party has a hammerlock on absolute virtue, truth, wisdom and American Values, and neither have attained perfection. > > It’s not only possible to judge dispassionately how well elected officials perform their functions, it’s healthy and necessary for the system to work. Every single elected offical, no matter what party, does something boneheaded at some time or other. They’re human. They, and we, need to be reminded of that fact. It keeps all of us honest and the political process at least somewhat in perspective. > > See, Cheney made a stupid, amateurish mistake. EVERY politican make mistakes, and all get called on them by citizens concerned about how their government conducts itself. Cheney blew it; not big, but avoidably. Noting the blatantly obvious doesn’t translate into a partisan attack. > > I’m sick to fucking death of the inane political posturing around here from rabid partisans _on both sides_ because 99% of it obscures more than it illuminates. Of course we could all exhume every ancient political snafu for yet another refreshing round of school yard forensics: “X was worse!” “Was _not_!” “Was too, but he got away with because he was a Y!” > > No wonder it’s taking so long. Thank you, **Veb**. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/147 "2005-01-30T21:47:10Z")
I don’t consider it unreasonable to expect our representatives – and particularly the President and Vice President – to present and conduct themselves with appropriate decorum. Vice President Cheney wearing what was essentially casual outerwear to a formal and extremely solemn occasion is hardly a major diplomatic incident – but neither is it insignificant. Neither, for that matter, was his use of abusive and profane language on the Senate floor some time back. He has indicated by these and other behaviors that he is either unable or unwilling to behave with the level of dignity and professionalism that behooves his position. The GOP certainly made much of Clinton’s besmirching the office of the President with his behavior. Surely the current VP can manage to set a better example. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/148 "2005-01-30T23:46:27Z")
This is a relatively minor matter. It is good for two things. First, the pictures are just plain funny. (_… One of these just doesn’t belong. Can you guess which kid is doing his own thing. Guess, before my song is done…_ Secondly, it provides more data, all of which supports the point that at either end of the distribution, the very important and serious and the mildly interesting, Republicans will spare no spittle in arguing that these people can do no wrong. It is hard not to see the term Bush-bot as appropriate, when even on such a trivial issue, they cannot say, “Jeez, yeah, that’s a surprise that they might get that wrong.” It’s like a whole party of Arthur Fonzerellis, who are incapable of saying "I was ruh… We were ruh… I was wr…oonng "! It has been their strength, certainly. Never admitting a single mistake appears to make it easier for things to slip into the memory hole. I have some hope, however, that it will turn into an Achilles heel for them. After all, never admitting to a mistake when there clearly have been mistakes means that at some point, you are lying or you are stupid. As an aside, it’s good to see that there aren’t many liars among the conservatives on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/149 "2005-01-31T00:53:36Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > You are as willfully blind as any rabid partisan, and both sides are overburdened with 'em… Ya. You are just the dispassionate neutral observer. :rolleyes: These ‘Partisanship is woe!’ blurbs that some rabid partisans feel the need to post are utterly transparent and utterly pathetic. You don’t get to ride on the Bush-bash bandwagon, then jump off every so often and loudly announce that you are oh so sick and tired of partisanship, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/150 "2005-01-31T00:55:51Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Ya. You are just the dispassionate neutral observer. > > :rolleyes: > > These ‘Partisanship is woe!’ blurbs that some rabid partisans feel the need to post are utterly transparent and utterly pathetic. You don’t get to ride on the Bush-bash bandwagon, then jump off every so often and loudly announce that you are oh so sick and tired of partisanship, you know. Okay, Brutus. You say this is a rabid partisan thread. I merely thought it was an observation that the VP made a faux pas. I wasn’t aware I was being rabid or partisan. In the future, if the VP makes a faux pas, how do you suggest I handle it? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/151 "2005-01-31T01:18:39Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Ya. You are just the dispassionate neutral observer. Are there any posters on the board whom you would consider “dispassionate neutral observers?” ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/152 "2005-01-31T01:20:11Z")
It is very telling, **Brutus** , that you view even _valid_ criticism of major Republicans as partisan. Very telling. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/153 "2005-01-31T01:20:31Z")
Hey, the VP _never_ makes a faux pas. There are…_no mistakes._ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/154 "2005-01-31T01:22:03Z")
> [@Girl Next Door](#): > > In the future, if the VP makes a faux pas, how do you suggest I handle it? Hey, the VP _never_ makes a faux pas. There are…_no mistakes._ ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/155 "2005-01-31T02:43:52Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Ya. You are just the dispassionate neutral observer. > > :rolleyes: > > These ‘Partisanship is woe!’ blurbs that some rabid partisans feel the need to post are utterly transparent and utterly pathetic. You don’t get to ride on the Bush-bash bandwagon, then jump off every so often and loudly announce that you are oh so sick and tired of partisanship, you know. And you are just the frothing idiot. You don’t get to paint anyone who disagrees with you as a ‘rabid partisan’. If you still had two brain cells left unscrambled by percussive blows from your kneecaps you might have noticed many people in this thread–myself included–aren’t even Democrats, much less apeshit partisans. Got a glimmer of a clue yet, Einstein? I’m an Independent because as many puerile insanities are espoused by extreme liberals as by neocons. I’m sick to the point of puking of you–_and_ your conterparts on the other side–bogarting every single fucking political discussion here to the point rational people abandon them in disgust. You extremists can hate each others’ guts as much as you like. But don’t you dare impute motives and opinons wholesale onto others those who don’t in fact share them. IMO the little cadre of rabid political partisans _on both sides_ hog waayyy more of the resources here than they rate. A pox on both your houses. On second thought, I’m wasting time even trying to reason with you. You don’t bother with discussion; you just spew bile on cue. You are contemptible, **Brutus** , and not worth serious discussion. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/156 "2005-01-31T02:55:04Z")
Whoa, **Veb** , you are on fire! Remind me never to get on your bad side! ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/157 "2005-01-31T03:18:11Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > And you are just the frothing idiot. > > You don’t get to paint anyone who disagrees with you as a ‘rabid partisan’. If you still had two brain cells left unscrambled by percussive blows from your kneecaps you might have noticed many people in this thread–myself included–aren’t even Democrats, much less apeshit partisans. Got a glimmer of a clue yet, Einstein? I’m an Independent because as many puerile insanities are espoused by extreme liberals as by neocons… You may operate under the delusion of not being an apeshit or partisan, but you are certainly both in spades. You don’t have to be a card-carrying Democrat or Republican to be a ‘partisan’, you know. Hypocrites like you are certainly among the most annoying posters out there. On one hand, you blabber about being non-partisan, and on the other hand, you drop a nugget like, ‘But then I’m an independent, albeit one who’s convinced a chimp could display more enlightened statesmanship than BushII.’ > [@](#): > > On second thought, I’m wasting time even trying to reason with you. You don’t bother with discussion; you just spew bile on cue… Heh, your stupid ass is going to comment on ‘spewing bile’? Irony strikes again. You are using a lot of words that you like the sound of, but don’t know what they mean. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/158 "2005-01-31T03:23:21Z")
While I’m happy that a thread I started is getting attention, I’m mostly bummed that so much partisan nonsense has made it turn ugly. This was just supposed to be a silly little IMHO thread about Cheney’s goofy outfit. I guess I was naive in that regard. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/159 "2005-01-31T03:23:42Z")
[A fervent, sometimes militant supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=partisan) Thus, if one is not a Party-Fiend, and opposes Bush because of his policies, or his intelligence, or whatever, it’s not partisanship. Or would all the registered Republican voters who have a problem with Bush also be rapid-democratic-partisans? No… I’m afraid opposition to Bush is not enought to make one a partisan. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243/160 "2005-01-31T03:24:19Z")
**TVeblen:** There are at least a dozen posters on the left side of this board who are far more partisan, vicious, and obnoxious than Brutus could hope to be on his finest day. That you would single him out as being the obnoxious partisan here should make you re-check your ‘non-partisan’ status. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-cheney-a-sartorial-embarrassment/287243.md?page=9)