# I am a dumbass! **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 8, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330 "2012-11-08T04:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/61 "2012-11-08T23:00:31Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Can you explain this further? Are you saying that Republican unpopularity with Hispanics in the entire US is due (in significant part) to this local issue involving Hispanic non-immigrants in New Mexico? > > That seems highly unlikely to me, to say the least. (Perhaps you mean this as an example of something which has broader application.) No, I can’t speak nationally. I was addressing a post regarding New Mexico in particular. I do think there is a certain amount of patronizing tone that comes from many republicans that try to woe hispanics. Mittens was thick with it, but he was pretty much patronizing toward anyone who isn’t rolling in dough. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/62 "2012-11-09T00:20:24Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Boys and girls, > > Klaatu came here to acknowledge his being wrong, something too few have the gonads to do in this world. He was asked a question about his thoughts. > > Can’t you even in a moment of victory just step back and hear thoughts you disagree with in the spirit of trying to understand a POV you very much disagree with, without needing to attack it? > > I disagree with that POV too, but Klaatu is not evil for having it. We have different ideas of what “really needs it” is, perhaps. BTW, I am also 53 and raised in the same era with the same beliefs about only taking help if you really need it; I just perceive the GOP as not wanting to help those who DO really need it. Our having different takes does not make either of us evil. Or stupid. > > I do feel that voters like Klaatu have been _manipulated by_ the 0.01% to get the impressions they have. Attacking him for the effectiveness of their machinations will not undo how effective they are. One can hope that his realizing his information sources have been … flawed … in one sense, will enable him to question their worth for other impressions he holds. Somehow though I doubt attacking his honestly held beliefs is going to make that more likely. Seconded 100%. Klaatu was a class act for owning up when a myriad of much more visible conservative pundits are making excuses left and right. I can appreciate the urge for a grilling, but I say kudos to him. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@The\_Dord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dord)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/63 "2012-11-09T00:37:05Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Cite? > Are you fucking serious? It’s his schtick. He’s going for a Stephen Colbert flavor. 😉 Hint: Click his Name. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/64 "2012-11-09T00:44:38Z")
Good on you, **Klaatu**. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/65 "2012-11-09T02:05:59Z")
I just want to clarify something. When I used the term “wets” I was referring to how my Hispanic coworkers refer to them. Or more properly, at least here in ABQ they call them “Mojados”. Their term not mine. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/66 "2012-11-09T02:37:39Z")
Too add, and I want to be clear, 99 percent of Hispanics I have met here in New Mexico were born here. Also, 99 percent of Hispanics I know are highly opposed to illegal immigration. I spend a lot of time with these guys, as 21 of our 23 man crew are Hispanics. Many of us are friends outside of work too and we have shared beers and opened up to each other. When I moved here 22 years ago it freaked me out about their dislike of “Mojados” We give each other shit all the time, as any crew of tradesmen will do.They endearingly call me “Gavacho” or “guero”. I just call them beaners…😉 To you classical Spanish speakers, these words can mean nothing like would think they do. Here in NM, Spanglish and slang make it very different. Make of this what you will… ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/67 "2012-11-09T03:41:28Z")
God, I hate it when people get all classy here, but things like this are why I tend to forget who I dislike and why, so I’m stuck liking everybody, which sucks. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/68 "2012-11-09T04:01:24Z")
Well, you can always hate yourself. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/69 "2012-11-09T09:43:37Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > Seconded 100%. Klaatu was a class act for owning up when a myriad of much more visible conservative pundits are making excuses left and right. > > I can appreciate the urge for a grilling, but I say kudos to him. Grilling first, kudos later. I can appreciate your gratitude for him having the guts (unlike some others I could name [cough- **adaher** -cough]) to show up here and take his licking like a man, but that means he gets to experience his licking first, not that he gets bathed in love simply for showing up. He was wrong, he was obnoxious about expressing it, he was (as he acknowledges) a dumbass, and I would like some answers to my questions about his dumbassery before I congratulate him for showing up for the news conference. Otherwise, we’re just encouraging people to be dumbasses in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/70 "2012-11-09T18:07:06Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Romney lost a HUGE opportunnity by not going with Rubio in his effort to appeal to “the base” If Romney had picked Rubio, Hispanic churches would have had souls to the poll sunday in every state. I don’t know if it would have made a difference but Rubio would have been MUCH better than Ryan. You’re wrong about this on several levels. 1. Rubio _would_ have appealed to the base. He is a TP backed RW conservative, winner of a primary in which the Republican “establishment” backed Charlie Christ. 2. Hispanics are not monolithic. Rubio is a Cuban-American, and I’m skeptical as to how much crossover appeal he would have had to Mexicans, Puerto Ricans et al. (He would have had some, but not nearly as much as you suggest.) 3. Rubio had his own issues, most notably lack of experience, which Republicans are particularly leery of after Palin. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/71 "2012-11-09T20:53:16Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > Seconded 100%. Klaatu was a class act for owning up when a myriad of much more visible conservative pundits are making excuses left and right. > > I can appreciate the urge for a grilling, but I say kudos to him. I actually stood up and applauded when I saw this. Thanks, _Klaatu. Barada Nikto_ to you. We should have a thread where we invite OMG and Bricker and “their ilk” to drop in and admit they were wrong. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/72 "2012-11-09T21:44:09Z")
> [@digs](#): > > We should have a thread where we invite OMG and Bricker and “their ilk” to drop in and admit they were wrong. Maybe a whole forum devoted to this, to be called the “Crickets Chirping” forum. Because that’s what you’d hear, 24/7. Hello, **Bricker**? Hello, OMG? Is this thing AWWWWNNN? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/73 "2012-11-14T22:54:53Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > You’re wrong about this on several levels. > > 1. Rubio _would_ have appealed to the base. He is a TP backed RW conservative, winner of a primary in which the Republican “establishment” backed Charlie Christ. > > 2. Hispanics are not monolithic. Rubio is a Cuban-American, and I’m skeptical as to how much crossover appeal he would have had to Mexicans, Puerto Ricans et al. (He would have had some, but not nearly as much as you suggest.) > > 3. Rubio had his own issues, most notably lack of experience, which Republicans are particularly leery of after Palin. True, Rubio would have appealed to the base, even more reason to pick him. Hispanics are not monolithic but Rubio has a much mroe nuanced view of immigration than Ryan. He is popular among a lot of hispanics. Rubio was not the mayor of Wasilla, he has about 2 years less experience in politics than Ryan. Ryan just has more experience in DC. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/74 "2012-11-15T01:04:36Z")
That’s kind of a big deal. State congresspeople don’t do foreign policy. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330/75 "2012-11-15T03:45:44Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > True, Rubio would have appealed to the base, even more reason to pick him. > > Hispanics are not monolithic but Rubio has a much mroe nuanced view of immigration than Ryan. He is popular among a lot of hispanics. > > Rubio was not the mayor of Wasilla, he has about 2 years less experience in politics than Ryan. Ryan just has more experience in DC. I’m not denying that there were legitimate advantages to picking Rubio. But they were not nearly as compelling as you made them. There are no perfect candidates, and there are plusses and minuses for everyone. Had Romney picked Rubio, then Rubio’s flaws would have been the subject of more focus and people would be saying that he should have picked a smart guy like Ryan. In sum, you could make an argument that he should have picked Rubio (& he probably would have won FL had he done so) but he did not miss a “HUGE opportunnity”, and Rubio would not have been “MUCH better than Ryan”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-a-dumbass/640330.md?page=3)