# Michelle Bachmann is my new hero! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 12, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937 "2009-12-12T00:05:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/61 "2009-12-14T01:29:53Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > We kill people in the third world so that ultimately they can adopt progressive ideals. Hard to expect progressive ideals from a corpse. The ultimate conservative, they never listen anything new again. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/62 "2009-12-14T01:51:52Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Hard to expect progressive ideals from a corpse. The ultimate conservative, they never listen anything new again. Hahahahha. 😛 That made me chuckle. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/63 "2009-12-14T16:40:13Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > It’s amazing to me that you think it was all that particularly significant. The country didn’t change much, just our foreign policy did. > > The guys on Wall Street are the same regardless of who the President is. And as you can see, even Obama is pretty much aligned with their interests. > > Partisanship is for idiots who spend the most time thinking about the one election where they have the least amount of influence. Bush pushed the Patriot Act through taking American citizens rights away. Gutted Endangered Species Act started 2 wars gutted oversight of all kinds like in finance and banking tax breaks for companies that move abroad changed bankruptcy law spied on American citizens Declared the executive above the other branches and exempted himself from following laws that were passed cut taxes for the wealthy There was a time that we had caretaker type presidents that changed little. Bush/Cheney/neocons made sweeping and deep changes to benefit the few ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/64 "2009-12-14T17:13:48Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Al Gore’s bullshit on climate change is meaningful to this topic. Sure we can downplay the fact that he didn’t know the temperature of the Earth’s core, but millions of degrees? If he’s talking about global warming shouldn’t he know that the Earth’s core is not millions of degrees? Or at least know enough to STFU about it? If you’re going to include cockamamie silliness like that, you’d be better off doing it closer to the end of your posts. While you have lots of good things to say, adding this kind of frivolity really undercuts and diminishes what comes next regardless of its merit. Imagine for a moment talking about science administration and someone drops a complaint about wasting money because the moon landings were a hoax, or talking about politics and someone says how horrible it was that Castro had JFK assassinated. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/65 "2009-12-14T17:28:10Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Actually, it did and didn’t. Until you test it. Use a paper towel. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/66 "2009-12-14T17:41:02Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > If you’re going to include cockamamie silliness like that, you’d be better off doing it closer to the end of your posts. While you have lots of good things to say, adding this kind of frivolity really undercuts and diminishes what comes next regardless of its merit. Blah, I am disinterested in the culture war seal of approval. Al Gore does his own cause a disservice by being a fucking moron in the way he goes about it. It’s really simple to just not speak on a topic you don’t know about. “What is the temperature of the Earth’s core?”, “I really don’t know.” See how easy that is? He could of course fly commercial and reduce his carbon footprint significantly also. I’m not going to pretend that I respect Al Gore in order to win some kind of award. If this comment gets you to tap out with an _ad hominem_ that’s your problem not mine. > [@](#): > > Imagine for a moment talking about science administration and someone drops a complaint about wasting money because the moon landings were a hoax, or talking about politics and someone says how horrible it was that Castro had JFK assassinated. Except Al Gore said that on video, so it’s nothing at all like your ridiculous straw men. He said it. It kind of undermines his credibility to make such a stupid comment that the Earth’s core has temperatures similar to that found on a star. Even a little bit of logical forethought would help you out with that one. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/67 "2009-12-14T17:57:22Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Bush pushed the Patriot Act through taking American citizens rights away. Supported by Hillary Clinton and not repealed by Barack Obama. > [@](#): > > Gutted Endangered Species Act Not sure how significant this really is. This kind of stuff is standard football stuff being thrown back and forth between admins. This is kind of like Reagan unbolting the solar panels on the White House. > [@](#): > > started 2 wars Yes, but other Presidents have started wars, or engaged in ‘police actions’. > [@](#): > > gutted oversight of all kinds like in finance and banking > tax breaks for companies that move abroad > changed bankruptcy law This stuff has been steadily changing for many years, and I unfortunately am not equipped to argue it. > [@](#): > > spied on American citizens So did Clinton > [@](#): > > Declared the executive above the other branches and exempted himself from following laws that were passed Yes, and Obama is running with the expanded powers of the executive. Pretty much every President has expanded the scope of the executive and pretty much no President has scaled back prior administrations changes. > [@](#): > > cut taxes for the wealthy Eh, political football. > [@](#): > > There was a time that we had caretaker type presidents that changed little. I can’t even see this statement as meaningful. Here’s a page listing Clinton’s legacy on Civil Liberties. [http://civilliberty.about.com/od/historyprofiles/tp/clinton.htm](http://civilliberty.about.com/od/historyprofiles/tp/clinton.htm) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/68 "2009-12-14T18:19:57Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > This stuff has been steadily changing for many years, and I unfortunately am not equipped to argue it. “Unfortunately?” IMHO, you might want to take it as your cue to go start your own pit thread about not wanting to jump on the I HATE REPUBLICANS bandwagon, and stop hijacking this discussion about what a stupid twat Michelle Bachmann is and how the world is a worse place because she happens to be a member of Congress. Unless you want to contribute something to that discussion? If you want, you can even argue against the proposition; I won’t object. 😛 And the rest of y’all might do well to focus. :p:p P.S. the smilies are there to indicate that I’m not intending to junior mod, here. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/69 "2009-12-14T18:46:14Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > “Unfortunately?” IMHO, you might want to take it as your cue to \*\*go start your own pit thread \*\*about not wanting to jump on the I HATE REPUBLICANS bandwagon, and stop hijacking this discussion about what a stupid twat Michelle Bachmann is and how the world is a worse place because she happens to be a member of Congress. I thought it \*was \*her OP? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/70 "2009-12-14T18:48:17Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I thought it \*was \*her OP? :smack: Anyway, **mswas** is a guy. Maybe we should be apologizing to him about hijacking his thread. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/71 "2009-12-14T18:53:37Z")
**kaylasdad99** LOL, bring it back on point, give us something to chew on if you want to diss Michelle Bachmann. I generally figure that BBQ Pit threads only have a semblance of focus for the first page and start to devolve, and as such I just allow it to go organically after that. It irritates me when threads are hijacked in GD, but in the BBQ Pit I don’t have any standards for discourse to speak of. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/72 "2009-12-14T19:06:57Z")
> [@elelle](#): > > Perhaps at some point, the dirt will be revealed on the Secretary of Defense or the head of Microsoft. > > Can’t wait for Gatesgate. Controversy with HTML entity protocols: etaggate! ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/73 "2009-12-14T19:12:22Z")
Egad. Anyone else here read it as _ **Ms** _. Was? Oops. Sorry for the hijack. And I still think your overall points would be stronger without resorting to picayune gotcha-yas. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/74 "2009-12-14T19:19:25Z")
Kick-backs to the spicy mustard industry: Guldensgate. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/75 "2009-12-14T19:34:31Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Kick-backs to the spicy mustard industry: Guldensgate. I’m sorry, you need a transition to make that joke. A Guldensgate bridge, if you will. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/76 "2009-12-14T19:55:11Z")
> [@](#): > > People are dead who wouldn’t be, had it not been for our “foreign policy”. Lots of them, hundreds of thousands of them. That matters. And about 10 times as many poor Africans would be dead of AIDS and Malaria if it weren’t for George Bush’s “foreign policy”. That also matters. I know you don’t want to hear this, but George Bush’s foreign policy on balance saved more lives than any president’s policies have in decades. Or is it okay to let millions of poor black people die horrible deaths, so long as you don’t get involved in wars the left hates? Did you know that by Bill Clinton’s own admission, his decision to not intervene in Rwanda cost about 300,000 lives? And he greatly regrets that choice? That’s more than the entire casualty count of the Iraq war. Do you hate Clinton with the same passion you show for your hatred of Bush? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/77 "2009-12-14T20:58:05Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > And about 10 times as many poor Africans would be dead of AIDS and Malaria if it weren’t for George Bush’s “foreign policy”. That also matters. > > I know you don’t want to hear this, but George Bush’s foreign policy on balance saved more lives than any president’s policies have in decades. I know YOU don’t want to hear this, but … cite? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/78 "2009-12-14T21:44:46Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Physicists in the US have become the first to use laser light to make neutral, ultracold atoms behave like charged particles in a magnetic field – even though the atoms have no charge. Waitaminnit – how can an atom be “hot” or “cold”? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/79 "2009-12-14T22:55:59Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Waitaminnit – how can an atom be “hot” or “cold”? Cold just means that the atoms are moving very slowly:[Optical molasses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_molasses) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937/80 "2009-12-14T22:58:34Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Waitaminnit – how can an atom be “hot” or “cold”? By moving fast or slow, respectively. [Laser cooling of atoms](http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/optmod/lascool.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-bachmann-is-my-new-hero/520937.md?page=5)