# Down Goes Eric Cantor **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 11, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516 "2014-06-11T00:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/181 "2014-06-11T19:58:35Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > One would hope he’s against it, but as a Tea Partyista, who knows? > > He does believe in slashing Social Security and Medicare because it’s unfair that all of those old people are making too much money. > > He also wants to slash funding for schools, because Aristotle did okay learning on a rock. No, seriously. Liberals are very gullible. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/182 "2014-06-11T20:03:48Z")
So, does the local democrat have a good shot of slapping the Brat on the ass this Fall? Will this seat go democrat? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/183 "2014-06-11T20:04:54Z")
Unlikely, democrats expected to have to face Cantor and have zero shot so they didn’t get a good candidate in the race either. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/184 "2014-06-11T20:12:48Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Liberals are very gullible. I think the last point is a perfectly reasonable interpretation of the quote “My hero Socrates trained in Plato on a rock. How much did that cost? So the greatest minds in history became the greatest minds in history without spending a lot of money.” ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/185 "2014-06-11T20:13:22Z")
Sounds like both parties will have weak candidates. In an off year that usually means low turnout. It won’t take much voter action to win this one but will either be able to inspire it? What if Cantor’s friends push for a write-in “against his will”? Would he take the seat? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/186 "2014-06-11T20:24:09Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I think the last point is a perfectly reasonable interpretation of the quote “My hero Socrates trained in Plato on a rock. How much did that cost? So the greatest minds in history became the greatest minds in history without spending a lot of money.” I don’t see any problem with that statement. Do you dispute the first sentence, or the last one? What in that statement is incorrect? How about “We spend[more money](http://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/48630868.pdf) on our schools than all OECD countries except maybe one, about double the OECD average, and the results are much worse” - do you find fault with this statement? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/187 "2014-06-11T20:31:29Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I don’t see any problem with that statement. Do you dispute the first sentence, or the last one? What in that statement is incorrect? Who said anything about correctness? I was just saying that the response to that statement you were responding to isn’t all that much of a stretch. Also, your use of “gullible” implied that you didn’t think that the statement was true AT ALL, so I didn’t know what you already knew about it. > [@](#): > > How about “We spend[more money](http://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/48630868.pdf) on our schools than all OECD countries except maybe one, about double the OECD average, and the results are much worse” - do you find fault with this statement? I dunno, it’s the same situation with health care, and there are plenty of conservatives who don’t see any problem with the current system. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/188 "2014-06-11T20:36:27Z")
Cantor lost because he was a swarmy careerist, but not a sausage maker. His raison d’etre was being tight with wingnuts. Which is sort of ironic, considering who threw him out. > [@adaher](#): > > What exactly does it take to be qualified to be a Congressmen? I was always under the impression that anyone was qualified if they were a citizen and lived in the district. It’s the People’s House, we’re supposed to elect regular people to represent us. > > These are professors. If anything, they are overqualified. They have no political experience and no experience in Washington. One or the other would be fine with me, as would extensive managerial experience or deep policy immersion. I’m guessing they have the prerequisite intelligence. > [@Terr](#): > > It always amazes me when because of political partisanship people dub opponent politicians who have graduated from Yale, or Harvard, or have gotten PhDs or medical degrees/boards dumb or, in this case “dull pencils”. It’s stupid. “Dull pencils” do not manage to get PhDs… I don’t want to be misunderstood. I _tried_ to convey that the dull pencil hypothesis was possible, but less likely than the alternative, which was that Brat hadn’t really prepped for victory. There are various sorts of intelligence and Brat may not have the chops to be successful in certain contexts: he could be bad at speaking on his feet for example. Not likely, but I know of some otherwise brilliant professors who were like that. It happens. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/189 "2014-06-11T20:39:27Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Who said anything about correctness? I was just saying that the response to that statement you were responding to isn’t all that much of a stretch. Also, your use of “gullible” implied that you didn’t think that the statement was true AT ALL, so I didn’t know what you already knew about it. Yes, because saying that “he also wants to slash funding for schools, because Aristotle did okay learning on a rock” using that statement as a basis is either stupid or dishonest. If you said that “he also wants to slash funding for schools because greatest minds in history became the greatest minds in history without spending a lot of money” - that would be both accurate and honest. But since it wouldn’t be as snarky, you went with the stupid. > [@](#): > > I dunno, it’s the same situation with health care, and there are plenty of conservatives who don’t see any problem with the current system. It’s not “the same situation” because it is not government money being spent on health care that is being compared. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/190 "2014-06-11T20:41:15Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > I don’t want to be misunderstood. I _tried_ to convey that the dull pencil hypothesis was possible, but less likely than the alternative, which was that Brat hadn’t really prepped for victory. And I am trying to convey to you that the “dull pencil hypothesis” is not possible, since “dull pencils” cannot get a PhD in Economics. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/191 "2014-06-11T20:46:13Z")
Anyone doubt that Cantor will win back that seat in two years? I recall a brash and cocky young Governor named Bill Clinton that lost to an unknown candidate, Frank White. Clinton took back that job and continued as governor for almost ten more years. Before becoming President. I always thought that loss made Clinton a better politician. He never took the public’s support for granted again. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/192 "2014-06-11T20:46:54Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > And I am trying to convey to you that the “dull pencil hypothesis” is not possible, since “dull pencils” cannot get a PhD in Economics. Ok, but what I was trying to convey was that idiot savants can get PhDs from 3rd tier universities. Though I’m speaking metaphorically - really, some people just don’t come across as very smart regardless of their native intelligence. I generally agree with your underlying point though. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/193 "2014-06-11T20:49:04Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Anyone doubt that Cantor will win back that seat in two years? Oh, I do. He could cash in big by lobbying, if it interests him. He could also obtain a sinecure from any number of wingnut organizations, sort of like Santorum. I don’t know what he will do and I’m guessing he doesn’t either. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/194 "2014-06-11T20:51:14Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Anyone doubt that Cantor will win back that seat in two years? I hope he doesn’t, and finds himself a career that doesn’t involve being a scoundrel and lying to people. I hate to see a nice Jewish boy demean himself in that way. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/195 "2014-06-11T20:51:26Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Yes, because saying that “he also wants to slash funding for schools, because Aristotle did okay learning on a rock” using that statement as a basis is either stupid or dishonest. If you said that “he also wants to slash funding for schools because greatest minds in history became the greatest minds in history without spending a lot of money” - that would be both accurate and honest. But since it wouldn’t be as snarky, you went with the stupid. I can’t speak for the original snarker, of course, but considering what I personally think of the point being made, there’s less daylight between the two interpretations to me than to you. And I still think regardless, “gullible” was the wrong word to use. It gave me a far different impression of what you were saying, And just as a point of clarity on the education thing, I actually do wonder how much Brat was thinking of/talking about federal spending versus spending in general. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/196 "2014-06-11T20:53:13Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > And just as a point of clarity on the education thing, I actually do wonder how much Brat was thinking of/talking about federal spending versus spending in general. I am sure he was talking about government spending - federal and local. Not about private spending. Because private spending on education is not in the purview of politicians. ---
**Author:** ![common\_good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@common\_good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/common_good)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/197 "2014-06-11T20:59:02Z")
The search for pure conservatism continues. So does the search for a fountain of youth. Neither will, or can ever, be found. The GOP is rudderless and without a rallying-point. Good. Hope the thing sinks to the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/198 "2014-06-11T21:04:31Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Liberals are very gullible. So did he lie when he made those claims? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/199 "2014-06-11T21:07:11Z")
What do the Senate seats in Virginia look like in two years? Is there a position there for Cantor to campaign? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516/200 "2014-06-11T21:18:07Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Interesting. The [R-MC website](http://www.rmc.edu/Academics/economics-business/faculty.aspx) says: > > > [@](#): > > > > Ph.D., Philosophy in Economics, The American University, Washington, D.C. > > M.A., Divinity, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ > > B.A.,Business Administration, Hope College, Holland, MI > > OK, a Ph.D. in “Philosophy in Economics”, yet he thinks raising the debt ceiling is a bad idea. Do you suppose he could get a refund? Interesting educational path- From a B.A. to Divinity, from there to Economics. > > Not surprised that he went to Hope, although it’s more of the West Michigan Gerry Ford type of conservative than the flaming batshit crazy conservative type of place. It’s also worth noting that, while his RMC page accurately lists his educational CV, his [political website](http://davebratforcongress.com/about-dave/) stretches the truth a little bit: > [@](#): > > For years in Virginia, everyone from the media to Governors have come to Dave Brat for insights on the budget, knowing that he tested his rural values against the intellectual elite while at Princeton and against the powerful elite at American University. That experience continues to give Dave the ability to make the case for new budgets that are based on the fact that a free and robust economy is necessary for a free society to thrive. > > \ > > Dave’s journey led him to Princeton where he obtained a Masters in Divinity and on to American University where he earned a Ph.D. in Economics. I don’t know about you, but if i read that, i’d think that he had attended Princeton University. Princeton Theological Seminary and Princeton University are in the same town, but they’re are not the same institution. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/down-goes-eric-cantor/690516.md?page=11)