# Good Things Accomplished By Republicans **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 20, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208 "2016-12-20T04:26:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/41 "2016-12-20T16:50:26Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > More permits=more guns carried=more blood in the streets. The observed data does not support this claim. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/42 "2016-12-20T16:51:45Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Holy shit, if conservatives loved humanity the way they love their fucking guns, what a better world it would be. More permits=more guns carried=more blood in the streets. I’m going to be contrary here and say that I think concealed carrry permits are a good thing. They don’t just hand them out willy-nilly and it ensures that people who have hidden firearms on their person either had some kind of background check or are breaking the law. I don’t think it does a lot to stop crime, but it doesn’t increase it. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/43 "2016-12-20T16:52:00Z")
This wasn’t hard to find. I haven’t read it all yet, and still am unsure of the outcome. But it’s a good fight for a Republican. [https://www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=press\_release&id=791](https://www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=791) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/44 "2016-12-20T17:29:40Z")
How far back are we looking? Freeing the slaves and reintegrating the Union strike me as seriously huge good things that Republicans once did. Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway system. Nixon implemented the Philadelphia Plan. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/45 "2016-12-20T17:32:23Z")
Downfall of USSR. First Gulf War. Eisenhower prosperity years of the 1950s. Also, preemptively dismissing accomplishments such as Lincoln’s makes no sense. Imagine if someone started a thread, “Things accomplished by Democrats; please don’t say FDR’s New Deal!” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/46 "2016-12-20T17:35:58Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Downfall of USSR. > > First Gulf War. > > Eisenhower prosperity years of the 1950s. > > **Also, preemptively dismissing accomplishments such as Lincoln’s makes no sense.** Imagine if someone started a thread, “Things accomplished by Democrats; please don’t say FDR’s New Deal!” That’s used to say “We’re not bad, we’re The Party Of Lincoln!” to excuse all the shit they pull _now._ ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/47 "2016-12-20T17:39:11Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Also, preemptively dismissing accomplishments such as Lincoln’s makes no sense. Imagine if someone started a thread, “Things accomplished by Democrats; please don’t say FDR’s New Deal!” It makes sense when you realize that all the old racist southern Democrats became Republicans starting in 1964. It would be like all the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns swapped teams and the new Patriots take the field and you say “Hey, there’s the team that won all those Super Bowls!” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/48 "2016-12-20T17:51:08Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > That’s used to say “We’re not bad, we’re The Party Of Lincoln!” to excuse all the shit they pull _now._ I’ll allow it for any Republican that vows to bring their party back to what it was back then. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/49 "2016-12-20T17:55:57Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > "How about this leaflet, “_Famous Jewish Sports Legends_?”. That sounds a lot like prejudice and antisemitism. See this list. Hint: it’s not short. > **[List of Jews in sports](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jews_in_sports)** > > This list of Jewish athletes in sports contains athletes who are Jewish and have attained outstanding achievements in sports. The topic of Jewish participation in sports is discussed extensively in academic and popular literature. > Sports have been a historical avenue for Jewish people to overcome obstacles toward their participation in secular society. Many Jewish people immigrated from the countries where they had faced persecution to the United States or have made an Aliyah to the State of I... ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/50 "2016-12-20T18:18:35Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > That sounds a lot like prejudice and antisemitism. > > See this list. Hint: it’s not short. > > [List of Jews in sports - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jews_in_sports) Wow. A long time Doper who hasn’t seen _Airplane!_ [Relevant clip.](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2e5w4h_famous-jewish-sports-legends_fun) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/51 "2016-12-20T18:23:38Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > …Eisenhower prosperity years of the 1950s… America won WWII, just about everybody else lost. Pretty hard not to be prosperous under such conditions, ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/52 "2016-12-20T20:52:24Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > That sounds a lot like prejudice and antisemitism. > > See this list. Hint: it’s not short. > > [List of Jews in sports - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jews_in_sports) While that joke was in poor taste, you _really_ need to go see “Airplane!”. That movie is possibly the funniest comedy I have ever seen. It easily ranks among the greats. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/53 "2016-12-20T21:19:11Z")
As far Lincoln goes, the reason I disallowed him in my OP is for the mentioned reason: Republicans freed the slaves and saved the Union! Well, but as early as the 1960’s it had become the party of racism, so I thought I would just cut off that point at the get go. Republicans still use it all the time, amazingly. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/54 "2016-12-20T21:37:42Z")
According to an episode of Bullshit!, George HW Bush believed that porn was harmful to society. Rather than do anything to ban it, he instead commissioned a study to investigate the question. They came back to him saying that it seemed to either do nothing or, possibly even, to reduce the incidences of rape. Consequently, he changed his mind and backed down on the subject. George W Bush was relatively pro-nuclear energy and tried to finance new installations. (Not sure if any of them took off, though.) ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/55 "2016-12-20T21:47:37Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > That’s used to say “We’re not bad, we’re The Party Of Lincoln!” to excuse all the shit they pull _now._ Didn’t Lincoln think blacks and whites couldn’t live together, shouldn’t marry, and that the freed slaves should leave the country? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/56 "2016-12-20T21:54:10Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > Didn’t Lincoln think blacks and whites couldn’t live together, shouldn’t marry, and that the freed slaves should leave the country? His ideas changed over time and with reflection, toward a far more liberal view than he had originally. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/57 "2016-12-20T22:17:12Z")
I’ll give Trump (at least his coattails) credit for one thing. The city where I live, Corpus Christi, had a recent water quality issue due to an industrial accident that occurred at the beginning of this month. The previous mayor swept it under the rug and did not inform the public. The new mayor, who came in on Trump’s coattails, informed the public of the problem on his first day in office and began work to solve the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/58 "2016-12-20T22:41:19Z")
I’m still impressed by what Eisenhower chose to do in his last major speech (before leaving office). Instead of doing everything possible to support Big Money/Big Power–usually the Republican Rule One–he actually spoke up in warning against it: > [@](#): > > In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. There hasn’t been one day since he said this, back in 1961, that it hasn’t remained relevant. (And largely ignored by the many who have strong incentives to ignore it. But that’s not Eisenhower’s fault.) > **[A quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/3237-in-the-councils-of-government-we-must-guard-against-the)** > > In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial com... > **[Ike's Warning Of Military Expansion, 50 Years Later](https://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-of-military-expansion-50-years-later)** > > On Jan. 17, 1961, President Dwight Eisenhower gave the nation a dire warning about what he described as a threat to democratic government. He called it the military-industrial complex, a formidable union of defense contractors and the armed forces. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/59 "2016-12-20T23:12:36Z")
Great Lakes Compact - signed into federal law by W (Congress was under Democratic control but it got overwhelming bipartisan support.) Putting a formal international agreement, behind the then existing more informal structure, to protect about 1/5 of the world’s surface fresh water is kind of a good thing. Earned Income tax Credit - Proposed under Nixon, enacted under Ford, and greatly expanded under Reagan. It’s one of our most effective anti-poverty programs and the largest for helping the working poor. It still gets support from the current batch of Republicans. Last year, facing provisions in the law set to expire, there was an opportunity to gut the program by simply doing nothing. The Republican controlled Congress didn’t just extend the provisions it made them permanent as part of the overall budget deal. If you care about anti-poverty measures Republicans are a big piece of what’s worked. NAFTA - Although more controversial on both sides of the aisle, it was a major piece of work by the elder Bush to negotiate it even if it probably took Clinton to get it past the Democrats in Congress. START 1 (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty / CFE (Conventional Armed Forces In Europe) - START was proposed by Reagan and negotiated by the Elder Bush. It greatly reduced strategic nuclear forces as we transitioned from the end of the Cold War. CFE was also Bush and set conventional force limits which drove drawdowns there as well. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208/60 "2016-12-21T00:26:28Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > I’ll give Trump (at least his coattails) credit for one thing. The city where I live, Corpus Christi, had a recent water quality issue due to an industrial accident that occurred at the beginning of this month. The previous mayor swept it under the rug and did not inform the public. The new mayor, who came in on Trump’s coattails, informed the public of the problem on his first day in office and began work to solve the issue. 😕 Where are you getting this timeline? AFAICT, the determination of an industrial accident in the asphalt plant [didn’t actually happen until Monday Dec. 12](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/corpus-christi-had-3-reports-of-dirty-water-before-ban-official-says/), just before the new mayor’s first day of office. How was the outgoing mayor supposed to have “informed the public of the problem” before that? > [@](#): > > Assistant City Manager Mark Van Vleck said the first “dirty-water report” came Dec. 1 from the Valero-owned administration building at the asphalt plant that’s leased to Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions. City workers flushed the pipe. A second report came from the same building Dec. 7, he said, and the main was flushed again. > > “We get dirty water reports all the time,” Van Vleck said of the first two, saying old cast-iron pipes are usually the reason. > > But Monday [Dec. 12], Valero workers told the public works department “something white and sudsy” was in water at the administration building. City workers determined there was a leak in a chemical tank at the asphalt plant and on Tuesday determined there was a backflow problem. > > The city told the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about it Wednesday, Van Vleck said, and hours later,the state banned use of public drinking water. Mayor Dan McQueen has said local officials only learned of the leak Wednesday. Not that I don’t share your admiration for Mayor McQueen’s quick addressing of this problem; I’m just not seeing negligence in the outgoing mayor’s not addressing it before it was actually known to have happened. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-things-accomplished-by-republicans/775208.md?page=4)