# Laura Bush is a multimillionaire **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 2, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148 "2004-10-02T04:04:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/41 "2004-10-03T00:18:54Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > And I, as a black woman, can tell her to take her phony affinity and shove it, a phrase and concept with which she is well acquainted. So if she had darker skin you’d be just fine with what she said about herself? There’s a word out there for judging people by the color of their skin. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/42 "2004-10-03T00:30:07Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > And I, as a black woman, can tell her to take her phony affinity and shove it, a phrase and concept with which she is well acquainted. She was born and raised in Africa, for pity’s sake. She has more right to call herself an African-American than I have to call myself a Scandinavian-American. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/43 "2004-10-03T00:34:13Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Laura just comes across as a nice housewife. Nothing wrong with that, and that doesn’t have anything to do with money. While being a housewife may be anathema to the Left (if she isn’t a hairy-legged screaming feminist, she must be a Stepford wife-like toolbag?), Laura is quite well thought of by America. Thank god we have conservatives to defend the American family. The divorced Reagan who was estranged from his kids, the nude posing “Dr” Laura who is estranged from her whole family (and is not a housewife), Strom Thurmond who fathered a child out of wedlock and hid it for years, and the thrice divorced Newt Gingrich are all strong proponents of family values. Not to mention Bill Bennet the gambling hypocrite. Why don’t you guys just realize that they are exploiting your sense of values so they can stuff their pockets full of money. They are laughing AT you, not praying WITH you. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/44 "2004-10-03T01:04:39Z")
Well, oh-so-aptly-named **DanBlather** , I don’t suppose it has occured to you that typical family values do not equal some sort of Taliban-esque strict religious belief system? I hate to break it to you, but I don’t see gambling or divorce as a tool of the Devil. I daresay that most Americans, even conservatives, agree. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/45 "2004-10-03T01:10:07Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Well, oh-so-aptly-named **DanBlather** , I don’t suppose it has occured to you that typical family values do not equal some sort of Taliban-esque strict religious belief system? I hate to break it to you, but I don’t see gambling or divorce as a tool of the Devil. I daresay that most Americans, even conservatives, agree. How about posing for naked pictures, having pre-marital sex, fathring children out of wedlock, and being estranged from your family? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/46 "2004-10-03T01:19:33Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > How about posing for naked pictures, having pre-marital sex, fathring children out of wedlock, and being estranged from your family? Tonight? I’m busy. Maybe tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/47 "2004-10-03T01:30:47Z")
"As for her hubby, the piece says that Kerry spoke French to Teresa when he was wooing her, as is his wont. " It always worked like a charm for Gomez and Morticia, maybe John was hoping for the same result, a hot night of wuvvin? Or are we still mad at the French? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/48 "2004-10-03T01:55:24Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Well, oh-so-aptly-named **DanBlather** , I don’t suppose it has occured to you that typical family values do not equal some sort of Taliban-esque strict religious belief system? I hate to break it to you, but I don’t see gambling or divorce as a tool of the Devil. I daresay that most Americans, even conservatives, agree. I’d say that most Evangelical Americans see gambling and divorce as tools of the Devil. And they vote. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/49 "2004-10-03T02:19:53Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I’d say that most Evangelical Americans see gambling and divorce as tools of the Devil. And they vote. [Gambling.](http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=123) > [@](#): > > The three behaviors associated with finances and spending choices - boycotting products, buying lottery tickets, and gambling - produced no differences between the churched and unchurched. The only difference based on people’s faith commitment was that non-born again adults were marginally more likely than born agains to have purchased a lottery ticket in the past week (24% vs. 17%, respectively). [Divorce.](http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=170) > [@](#): > > Faith perspectives made a difference in people’s views on this matter [divorce] – but not as much as might have expected. Born again adults were twice as likely as non-born agains (24% vs. 10%) to strongly affirm this statement. However, a majority of the born again group (52%) disagreed that divorce without adultery is sin. Three-quarters of all non-born again adults (74%) disagreed with the statement. You guys are just operating off of stereotypes. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/50 "2004-10-03T03:59:02Z")
So what you’re trying to say, **Brutus** , is that conservatives are both pro-gambling AND pro-divorce? Or are you saying that it’s just Christians who are are pro-gambling and -divorce? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/51 "2004-10-03T04:33:49Z")
> [@chique](#): > > So what you’re trying to say, **Brutus** , is that conservatives are both pro-gambling AND pro-divorce? Or are you saying that it’s just Christians who are are pro-gambling and -divorce? You should look up ‘False Dichotomy’ someday. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/52 "2004-10-03T05:47:39Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > You should look up ‘False Dichotomy’ someday. You said (and I quote) “but I don’t see gambling or divorce as a tool of the Devil. I daresay that most Americans, even conservatives, agree.”. I made an attempt to verify. You accused me of saying there are no other alternatives. There are other alternatives, however. You could say that, while gambling is not a tool of the devil, some conservatives believe that gambling isn’t a very good thing. You could also say that some conservatives think divorce isn’t a very good thing. Instead, however, you chose to attack me for questioning your statements. Therefore, I see your “false dichotomy” and raise you an “ad hoctum”. Now I’m just a philosphy 101 student three times over, and I’m sure there are others who will say you did not commit an ad hoctum error and I did not make a false dichotomy error. All of which is, of course, quibbling, as the thread subject is whether Laura Bush and her money makes her a bigger bitch than Teresa Heinz Kerry and her money. Since it’s long established that Laura Bush is a Southern Belle (and, therefore, an angel on earth); and that Teresa Heinz Kerry is a foreigner (and, therefore, evil incarnate); the only logical conclusion one could make is that electing John Kerry means that life on earth as we know it shall cease to exist, the lion shall lie down with the lamb, and all civilized people shall rise to sit at the right hand of which father they chose to believe in. You could say that some people think the First Lady is a class act, and that the woman whose husband wants her to be First Lady is a class act, and that whichever hubby wins their other half will admirably represent our nation on the world stage. Of course, if you were SMRT, you would look at each candidate’s website, choose which issues are most important to you, vote accordingly, and ignore all the stupid shit that has absolutely NO bearing on our next government. If you were SMRT. If you wanna get bogged down in “He talked to her in FRENCH” details, that’s up to you. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/53 "2004-10-03T05:58:34Z")
> [@chique](#): > > You said (and I quote) “but I don’t see gambling or divorce as a tool of the Devil. I daresay that most Americans, even conservatives, agree.”. OK, so explain: > [@](#): > > I made an attempt to verify. You accused me of saying there are no other alternatives. Attempt to verify? Why? You already know what I said. You presented me with ‘Did you say A or did you say B’, when in fact I said neither. But you already knew that, didn’t you? > [@](#): > > There are other alternatives, however… In your other post, there were only two. (Not they they made any sense, mind you.) > [@](#): > > …and I did not make a false dichotomy error. Indeed you did. You presented two extreme options, as if those were my only choice. > [@](#): > > If you wanna get bogged down in “He talked to her in FRENCH” details, that’s up to you. Since I never mentioned that, I’d like to know what’s up with the putting words in my mouth? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/54 "2004-10-03T06:03:47Z")
I know I have a lot of catching up to do, but I’m going to post this and _then_ go back and see who all has beaten me to it: [quote] **TeaElle** : This woman has described America as hell… (From your link) > [@](#): > > …At a recent campaign stop, she responded to Bush-supporting hecklers shouting for “four more years” by quipping, “They want four more years of hell.” Describing the concept of having Bush in office for four more years as “hell” is hardly the same as calling America hell. Her “barbed inanity” was just that. It was her own off the cuff reaction to a negative poll. Do you honestly think it was meant to represent John Kerry’s official position on the importance of Arizona? Her comment about treating step-children like pets: > [@](#): > > I thought, `I love kids, kids love me, I’ll be fine.’ Baloney. You have to treat stepchildren like pets. You’re nice to them but you don’t get too close or they chew you up. _Well, I did it the other way._ (italics added) You are offended by someone who says what she really thinks without pretense. I am offended by people who distort and misrepresent and twist what others say. If the Vice President of the United States can tell a Senator to “fuck off” in the halls of Congress, I don’t see why Theresa Heinz Kerry can’t tell a reporter with a history of harassing her family to “shove it.” I thought it was refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/55 "2004-10-03T06:16:28Z")
**Brutus** , an an argment centered around the bitch-factor of various First Ladies and their money, you provided cites indicating that both gambling and non-aldulterous divorces were conservative values. What kind of point were you trying to make? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/56 "2004-10-03T06:20:45Z")
> [@chique](#): > > …you provided cites indicating that both gambling and non-aldulterous divorces were conservative values. Really? What post number would that be? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/57 "2004-10-03T06:31:26Z")
> [@](#): > > **TeaElle** : …her husband continually supports her, defends her, and has made no effort to keep her off of the front lines, away from reporters or to limit her to written (and carefully vetted) commentary only, without pausing to notice that her continual ad hominems don’t reflect well on him and his campaign. But what reflects _beautifully_ on his character is that Kerry, as you put it: > [@](#): > > **"continually supports her, defends her, and has made no effort to keep her off of the front lines, away from reporters or to limit her to written (and carefully vetted) commentary"** What new breed of politician is this? That is impressive! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/58 "2004-10-03T06:46:58Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > You wouldn’t hear a peep from Republicans…but I’m guessing we’d hear a peep from her DEMOCRAT critics, ehe rjung? I’m guessing that the roles would be reversed here as to who thought she was ‘strong’ and who thought she was a ‘rich bitch’…and I’m guessing that the fact that she is ‘rich’ would be a MAJOR bust from the liberals, who would have endless fun mocking her for BEING rich. Yeah, if I had a nickel every time a liberal mocked Laura Bush for being a wealthy-wife-of-a-Republican-politician, I’d have… ten cents. :rolleyes: Meanwhile, I believe that’s **Brutus** over in the corner, trying to recruit you for another round of “Tah-ray-sah” taunting… ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/59 "2004-10-03T07:39:50Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Meanwhile, I believe that’s **Brutus** over in the corner, trying to recruit you for another round of “Tah-ray-sah” taunting… Would you mind keeping it down? I’m trying to read my _ **Maestro Rjung** ’s Guide to Taunting_ over here! ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148/60 "2004-10-04T16:09:45Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Why do conservatives think it’s the height of hilarity to mock the pronunciation of her name? I don’t get the joke. Will someone explain it to me? Why do liberals think it’s the height of hilarity to mock Bush’s pronunciation (acceptable, by the way) of nuclear? Could it be that both sides have their irrational childish moments? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-is-a-multimillionaire/267148.md?page=4)