# Let's suppose a Republican had said this \[Rep. Hank Johnson's Guam gaffe\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 1, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602 "2010-04-01T17:25:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/41 "2010-04-01T20:49:11Z")
Why did you quote my post? It has nothing to do with what you posted, as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/42 "2010-04-01T20:52:00Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Why did you quote my post? It has nothing to do with what you posted, as far as I can tell. It was an accident. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/43 "2010-04-01T21:00:14Z")
Wow. When I read here that he said he was concerned that the addition of more people could cause the island to tip over and capsize, I thought that sounds like something I’d say in a casual conversation, something like “how many more people can we put on Guam? I mean, we must be getting to the point where we’d cause the island to tip over and capsize or something!” That’s what I was expecting Johnson to say in this video. But it was more than clear that he was really, literally talking about the island tipping over and capsizing. Wow. OK, comparing that to Quayle: what Johnson said is way way way way stupider than Quayle’s misspelling. On the other hand, Johnson isn’t (and never will be) Vice President. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/44 "2010-04-01T22:51:19Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > The admiral to whom he made this inquiry showed admirable and unRhymeresque self-discipline in not laughing out loud, much less publicly mocking him. An admirable admiral? Try saying that three times fast. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/45 "2010-04-01T22:57:29Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > At least he knows its an island. Michelle Bachman probably thinks its bird droppings. Naah. Bachman knows the difference between Guam and guano – it is, after all, the variety of insane she is! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/46 "2010-04-01T23:45:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Yup-Democrats can be idiots, too. > The difference is we don’t think our idiots are presidential material. [Oh really](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-eeWow_WU)? He’s as close to the presidency as Quayle was. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/47 "2010-04-02T00:44:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > CNN is about to air a story on Johnson’s comments. Yeah, but they’re just doing so to provide cover against complaints that [del]liberals[/del] progressives and conservatives receive uneven treatment by the media. Just more evidence that the MSM has a liberal bent. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/48 "2010-04-02T00:49:48Z")
> [@Rafe\_Hollister](#): > > [Hank Johnson (D) from Georgia’s 4th District](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsFsn8ekyhw) > > Didn’t Dan Quayle get crucified for years for putting an “e” on the end of “potato”? Supposing a Republican had said this? I imagine you’d admire his common folk sensibility, nominate him for VPOTUS, and spend the rest of your life defending him as a misunderstood genius. Fortunately though, since he’s a democrat, we’ll all just point and laugh and thank our lucky stars that he’s an improvement over Cynthia McKinney. Does that about cover it, or do I need to slow it down and draw some pictures for you? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/49 "2010-04-02T01:01:47Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > To shed more light on this, it seems Mr. Johnson was diagnosed with Hepatitis C a number of years ago. The disease has caused liver and thyroid problems, which has resulted in depression, slow speech, loss of concentration, and other effects. [This](http://www.ajc.com/news/u-s-rep-hank-230506.html) newspaper article says that things have gotten worse in the last year with some significant weight loss and other effects. WTF, Hepatitis C is no excuse for thinking that Guam is a floating island that will tip over if too many people slide on the same side. However I happily voted for this man and will do so again as long as it keeps Cynthia McKinney out of office. You guys just don’t understand our options down here in the 4th district. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/50 "2010-04-02T01:07:00Z")
Danny boy was wrongfully lambasted for making a common misspelling which in fact he read off a card. This was unfair. Quayle did a lot of simultaneous stupid and more humorous things, this wasn’t one of them. Not even close. Thinking an island would tip over and capsize on any day other than April 1 (and the incident did not happen on April 1) reveals the Honorable Johnson as hilariously stupid! What a maroon! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/51 "2010-04-02T01:43:48Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Danny boy was wrongfully lambasted for making a common misspelling which in fact he read off a card. This was unfair. It’s more than fair considering everything else he could have been roasted for. The “potatoe” thing is just the one that best summed it all up. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/52 "2010-04-02T01:52:25Z")
> [@Cosmic Relief](#): > > It’s more than fair considering everything else he could have been roasted for. The “potatoe” thing is just the one that best summed it all up. There are much better ones. From the purely goofy: [QUOTE=Vice President Dan Quayle] I have made good judgements in the past; I have made good judgements in the future. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is. …to the oddly self-referential: > [@](#): > > People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history. > [@](#): > > I stand by all the misstatements that I’ve made. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/53 "2010-04-02T02:00:47Z")
> [@Rafe\_Hollister](#): > > Didn’t Dan Quayle get crucified for years for putting an “e” on the end of “potato”? To me, what was most disgusting about what Quayle did was his rude hectoring of the kid, who had spelled it correctly, until he changed it. The kid said afterwards that even after he changed it, he knew that he had it correct originally, but changed it to be polite to the Vice President. That kid showed a lot more class than Quayle ever did! ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/54 "2010-04-02T02:28:07Z")
I watched the video and…so nobody else here thinks that the Congressman just has a very dry sense of humor? You really think that someone can get himself elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but honestly believe that too many people on an island can cause it to tip over and sink? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/55 "2010-04-02T02:40:34Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I watched the video and…so nobody else here thinks that the Congressman just has a very dry sense of humor? You really think that someone can get himself elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but honestly believe that too many people on an island can cause it to tip over and sink? I will say that considering the bizarreness of what his literal words would have meant, combined with some knowledge of the flowery rhetorical turns that African-American politicians sometimes favor, I can almost convince myself that he was just doing a very esoteric piece of of stem-winding. But having lived in the 4th district as long as I have, I just have a really hard time not reaching for Occam’s razor on this one. This is just something too dumb to say, no matter who said it. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/56 "2010-04-02T02:52:24Z")
Well, if he is suffering from some medically caused form of extreme stupidity, I suppose I can cut him some slack. The voters, not so much. You vote for a moron more than once, you might be a moron. Tris ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/57 "2010-04-02T03:05:20Z")
At the risk of sounding stupid, I’ve watched the clip and don’t get the fury. Looks and sounds like simple hyperbole to me. And was fielded as such by the admiral. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/58 "2010-04-02T03:44:12Z")
> [@](#): > > I watched the video and…so nobody else here thinks that the Congressman just has a very dry sense of humor? You really think that someone can get himself elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but honestly believe that too many people on an island can cause it to tip over and sink? As somebody else commented, you better not making a joke like this unless you’re positive that everyone will know it’s a joke. I believe Johnson really did think an island can be tipped over. And that takes some serious stupidity. Admiral Willard deserves a medal for actually being able to come up with a coherent response to this question. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/59 "2010-04-02T03:59:08Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I watched the video and…so nobody else here thinks that the Congressman just has a very dry sense of humor? You really think that someone can get himself elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but honestly believe that too many people on an island can cause it to tip over and sink? > **[Michele Bachmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Bachmann)** > > Michele Marie Bachmann (/ˈbɑːxmən/; née Amble; born April 6, 1956) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 6th congressional district from 2007 until 2015. A member of the Republican Party, she was a candidate for president of the United States in the 2012 election, but dropped out after the Iowa caucuses. > Born in Waterloo, Iowa, Bachmann moved to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota as a teenager. She earned a bachelor's degree from Winona State University, a Juris Doct... ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602/60 "2010-04-02T05:47:27Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I watched the video and…so nobody else here thinks that the Congressman just has a very dry sense of humor? You really think that someone can get himself elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but honestly believe that too many people on an island can cause it to tip over and sink? Well, they were seriously worried about that on Manhattan Island in the 1820’s – proposed sawing off the southern half and rotating it to get the island back in balance. See [http://www.historybuff.com/library/refmanhattan.html](http://www.historybuff.com/library/refmanhattan.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-suppose-a-republican-had-said-this-rep-hank-johnsons-guam-gaffe/534602.md?page=4)