# I pit Bricker for subtle reasons **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 21, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403 "2011-01-21T01:39:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [January 21, 2011, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/21 "2011-01-21T03:36:53Z")
**Bricker** never wears white socks with black shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/22 "2011-01-21T03:44:13Z")
Bricker is never seen drinking cappuccino in Italian restaurants with oriental women. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/23 "2011-01-21T04:04:26Z")
“Legal” and “right” are two different debates. Many times they are conflated and pointing out the distinction is helpful. As far as the tu quoque, I don’t see him doing that. More than a few people need to look up the term, as they use it sloppily. What he does do is try to get the person railing to the high heavens about the conduct of Republican X to state whether it is the act itself they object to or Republican X. Both of things attempt to define the terms of what is being debated more tightly. And that is helpful to any debate. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/24 "2011-01-21T04:50:57Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > They’re very much meta-threads about things that are more aspects of human nature than anything concrete that could be realistically addressed. They’re the message board equivalent of tilting at windmills. True, but great like that. Even the title is subtly meta. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/25 "2011-01-21T04:55:16Z")
**Bricker** always covers his mouth with his arm when he sneezes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/26 "2011-01-21T05:20:38Z")
It sounds like you are giving him credit for his liberal qualities, like agreeing with logic when he actually does agree with logic. And for liking Obama from time to time. Well, must of us do that. We don’t get a pat on the back for being liberals, or criticizing the government when it tortures unindicted foreigners. But as also noted, he’s something of a disingenuous arguer on many topics. It’s like he plays word games just to keep at top form in stereotypical dickish lawyer behavior. Now I’m all for stereotytpical diskish lawyer behavior, but without a live audience in the form of a clerk, reporter and judge to roll my eyes at. Incidentally, I do generally love his columns on legal subjects. He’d be a great law professor for first year law students. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/27 "2011-01-21T07:34:17Z")
I don’t see logic as a liberal position, myself. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/28 "2011-01-21T07:53:42Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Bricker is never seen drinking cappuccino in Italian restaurants with oriental women. Yeeeeeeaaahhh. Bricker, Bricker, roly poly Bricker, Bricker, Bricker, tu quoque, yum! IMO, **Bricker** serves a good purpose here, arguing the legals when the “what’s right” appears obvious. I am sure that in the case of many of the things Bricker disputes and nitpicks, he has a personal moral opinion that isn’t far from those of us who are saying “illegal this” or “illegal that” - but he reminds us that just because we think things are illegal, or should be illegal, they’re not necessarily so. I would imagine he’d go down a lot better were he to say stuff like “while I personally believe that cutting children’s thumbs off is wrong, you’ll find that in Daumenlutscher vs Scissor-Wielding Tailor, it was established that this is a constitutionally sound punishment for thumb sucking”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/29 "2011-01-21T08:39:02Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I don’t see logic as a liberal position, myself. Logic is traditionally a liberal art. [http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?\_nfpb=true&\_&ERICExtSearch\_SearchValue\_0=EJ240797&ERICExtSearch\_SearchType\_0=no&accno=EJ240797](http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ240797&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ240797) ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/30 "2011-01-21T14:11:20Z")
I think many posters here think of Bricker as they want him to be, or as he was a while ago, not as he is now. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/31 "2011-01-21T14:14:39Z")
I would be surprised if many posters want _any_ other posters to be something. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/32 "2011-01-21T14:22:13Z")
Bricker does not always drink beer. But when he does, he drinks Dos Equis. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/33 "2011-01-21T14:30:21Z")
I don’t do “subtle” pittings. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/34 "2011-01-21T14:33:56Z")
**John Mace** smells only faintly of fish. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/35 "2011-01-21T14:40:08Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Bricker does not always drink beer. > But when he does, he drinks Dos Equis. Nah, his stated “hobby” is malt scotch. [Here he is](http://www.creativepro.com/files/story_images/20090717SAWG_fg11a.jpg) in a rare photo, gearing up for a session of correcting the gross misapprehensions of Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/36 "2011-01-21T14:45:06Z")
> [@digs](#): > > This is so unfair. What if Bryan Ekers had been a dick? Or kaylasdad? Or Cat Whisperer? > > Sure, pick on Bricker. \*\*HE has to play by the Marquis of Kingsbury Rules, and EVERYone else gets a pass. \*\* > > I mean, what if a lib’rul was a dick? Would anyone even notice? Oh, no, the SD Hive Mind would never allow that to even be perceived. Will SOMEone here admit that Ted Kennedy was a dick at Chappaquiddick? No, didn’t think so. > > And Bricker’s not even here to nitpick a side-topic like the etymology of dick. And whether dickness is a contributing factor in excommunication. > > It’s just SOOOOOOO unfair! > [/sarcasm] Hah! Love it. The bolded part is classic Bricker. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/37 "2011-01-21T14:47:19Z")
Just my humble opinion here: **Bricker** can be really annoying at times, and he is in the thread about the golf-club-wielding drug user shot by a cop, but this board would be much worse without him. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/38 "2011-01-21T14:48:31Z")
**Bricker** would probably correctly identify Marquess of Queensberry Rules. 😉 ---
**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:** [January 21, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/39 "2011-01-21T14:49:42Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > [Here he is](http://www.creativepro.com/files/story_images/20090717SAWG_fg11a.jpg) in a rare photo, gearing up for a session of correcting the gross misapprehensions of Dopers. Actually, I’ve always pictured him as a Hispanic David Niven. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403/40 "2011-01-21T15:14:01Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > [Here he is](http://www.creativepro.com/files/story_images/20090717SAWG_fg11a.jpg) in a rare photo, gearing up for a session of correcting the gross misapprehensions of Dopers. No, I did a Google Image search, and found [this picture of **Bricker**](http://www.virginiaappellatelaw.com/uploads/image/bigstock_Angry_6736540.jpg), reacting to one of the poorly worded “Liberal” assertions on the Straight Dope. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-bricker-for-subtle-reasons/568403.md?page=3)