# Most Vile Things Said by American Politicians in the last ten years **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 31, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542 "2013-12-31T04:18:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/1 "2013-12-31T04:18:20Z")
This’ll end well. I’m curious to see what people can come up with as the “most vile thing said” by an American politician in the last ten years. Particularly wondering what has been the “most vile thing said” by a leftist politician with real influence, and by a rightist politician with real influence. Who will win the contest of vileness? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/2 "2013-12-31T04:42:37Z")
Rep. Todd Akin (R, MO): _“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”_ Nothing else comes close, IMO. Leftists, by nature, do not say vile things. They may say stupid things, but not vile things. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/3 "2013-12-31T04:51:58Z")
How about [this guy](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sc-lt-gov-andre-bauer-compares-helping-poor-to-feeding-stray-animals/) saying that feeding the poor = feeding stray animals (which he thinks is a bad habit, of course) ---
**Author:** ![turtlescanfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@turtlescanfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turtlescanfly)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/4 "2013-12-31T05:03:52Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Rep. Todd Akin (R, MO): _“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”_ Nothing else comes close, IMO. First thing that came to mind for me. Although on reflection it seems more clueless than cruel or vile. I’m sure it can be topped. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/5 "2013-12-31T05:38:22Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > . . . Leftists, by nature, do not say vile things. They may say stupid things, but not vile things. I’m a leftist…and I wish I could agree… Some of the things Richard Dawkins has said about religion are pretty damn vile. It depresses me hugely that the American left has become pretty strongly anti-Israel. When a leftist compares Israel to South Africa (“They both practice apartheid”) I have to say that’s vile. I think the left is less vile than the right. Sarah Palin pretty much clinches that debate all by herself; toss in Anne Coulter and it’s a gimme. (And what ever happened to Michele Bachmann?) (And I’m glad I looked it up, else I would have misspelled both her first and last names… Deliberate misspelling of people’s names is a trope more practiced by the right than by the left… “Democrat Party” for the win.) The attached is not from a politician, just a “celebrity,” but when [Ted Nugent said “Trayvon Martin got what he deserved,”](http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/08/04/2410171/ted-nuge/#) that’s got to be near the top of anyone’s “vile utterances” list. (Warning, URL has pop-up ad. Phoo.) ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/6 "2013-12-31T05:39:20Z")
Vote for OBummer. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/7 "2013-12-31T08:38:11Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Rep. Todd Akin (R, MO): _“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”_ Nothing else comes close, IMO. Ohhhh, I dunno about that. Sadly, I think there are a lot of examples that come close or even surpass Asshole-Akin’s bullshittery. First one that came to my mind was from Georgia Representative Terry England. In March 2012, during a debate over Georgia House Bill 954 - which would make it illegal for a woman to obtain an abortion after 20 weeks, \*even if she is carrying a **a stillborn fetus or one that will not live to term** \* - England spoke in support of the bill with this delightful anecdote: > [@](#): > > “Life gives us many experiences…I’ve had the experience of delivering calves, dead and alive. Delivering pigs, dead or alive. It breaks our hearts to see those animals not make it.” He _literally_ compared women to cows and pigs. By the way, the bill passed. ☹ And if you want another rape-related one, Tom Smith (who ran for the US Senate in 2012, though he lost, thankfully) [compared rape to premarital sex](http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/karen_heller/20120829_Karen_Heller __Another_GOP_moment__ Smith_comparing_daughter_s_unintended_pregnancy_to_rape.html): > [@](#): > > Mark Scolforo of the Associated Press asked Smith, “How would you tell a daughter or a granddaughter who, God forbid, would be the victim of a rape, to keep the child against her own will?” > > Smith answered, “ **I lived something similar to that with my own family.** She chose life, and I commend her for that. She knew my views. But fortunately for me, I didn’t have to. . . . She chose the way I thought. \*\*Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t rape.” > > Scolforo: “Similar how?” > > Smith: "Having a baby out of wedlock. > > Scolforo: “That is similar to rape?”\*\* > > Smith: “No, no, no. Well, put yourself in a father’s position. **Yes, I mean it is similar.** ” Or! Regarding the Texas legislation that would enact some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country (that Wendy Davis successfully filibustered, only to have a special legislative session called specifically to pass it) - the bill’s sponsor, Jody Laubenberg, while explaining why an exception for victims of rape or incest wasn’t necessary, said > [@](#): > > “In the emergency room they have what’s called rape kits where a woman can get cleaned out.” To be bipartisan, here, I’ll also offer up Harry Reid’s racist remarks regarding Obama. It’s a _great_ example of how someone can _think_ they’re giving a compliment to an individual and unwittingly displays their deeply-entrenched racism. In “Game Change,” which chronicled the behind-the-scenes events of Obama’s 2008 campaign: > [@](#): > > [Reid] was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, \*\*especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, \*\*unless he wanted to have one,’ as he said privately. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/8 "2013-12-31T09:11:51Z")
What Reid said was just political reality. Some other examples were mostly being inarticulate and/or stumbling over words/not being good at debate. Politics is shitty business. I’d say participating is an acceptance if not embrace of vileness. If electoral politics requires analyzing and embracing vile things, that’s what will be done. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/9 "2013-12-31T09:21:15Z")
The [Truth’o meter](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/rulings/pants-fire/) has a collection of the most outrageously untrue things politicians either said or that were attributed to them. I must say, I find it outrageous that any politician who has twisted the facts as much as in some of these examples isn’t forced to step down. It certainly would in the Netherlands. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/10 "2013-12-31T09:58:43Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > The [Truth’o meter](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/rulings/pants-fire/) has a collection of the most outrageously untrue things politicians either said or that were attributed to them. > > I must say, I find it outrageous that any politician who has twisted the facts as much as in some of these examples isn’t forced to step down. It certainly would in the Netherlands. [Wow!](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/sep/27/government-not-god-pac/ad-claims-obama-will-force-doctors-assist-homosexu/) > [@](#): > > “Barack Hussein Obama will … force doctors to assist homosexuals in buying surrogate babies.” ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/11 "2013-12-31T10:48:44Z")
Sometimes they say [vile things](http://www.factcheck.org/2012/02/santorums-bogus-euthanasia-claims/) about the Netherlands: Santorum said that half of the people who were euthanised in the Netherlands were killed involuntarily, and that elderly Dutch people wear bracelets begging not to be euthanised. He also said old people were afraid of going to hospital. The funniest part being they were afraid of racking up hospital bills, and then being euthanised because of “budget purposes”! Ha! Even if all the rest were true, we wouldn’t be killing people over hospital bills… that only makes sense in countries where hospital bills are an actual concern, like uh, you know… Not the vilest thing said over the last 10 years, I’m sure, but pretty fucking vile towards a whole country. I do find it somewhat baffling that they never seem to have to come back to those comments. They don’t seem to do a little press release apologising. How do they get away with that? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/12 "2013-12-31T11:14:04Z")
As far as quotes from the Republican rape-fest goes, I like the [Republican Party Rape Advisory Chart](http://s3.amazonaws.com/dk-production/images/8907/large/gop_rape_advisory.gif?1351126298). > [@Frylock](#): > > Particularly wondering what has been the “most vile thing said” by a leftist politician with real influence, and by a rightist politician with real influence. In America? There _are no_ leftist politicians with real influence. > [@buddha\_david](#): > > Leftists, by nature, do not say vile things. They may say stupid things, but not vile things. :dubious: They most certainly _do_ say vile things. Stalin: “Death solves all problems - no man, no problem.” ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/13 "2013-12-31T11:45:20Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Particularly wondering what has been the “most vile thing said” by a leftist politician with real influence You’ll have to start by _finding_ a leftist politician with real influence. Has Bernie Sanders said or done anything inflammatory lately? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/14 "2013-12-31T13:01:30Z")
> [@Lazlo Hapsburg](#): > > Vote for OBummer. Do please explain in more detail. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/15 "2013-12-31T15:46:23Z")
There ought to be some sort of formula for vileness. How about: (willingness to harm others) × (politician’s amount of power) × (level of offense taken by the group mentioned) ÷ (politician’s ignorance of facts) In other words, the shutting down rape comment, while pretty awful, loses points because it was probably made in ignorance rather than just malice. Harry Reid’s statement about light-skinned Obama loses points because he wasn’t really trying to cause harm. Comparing women to animals offends women and is backed up by power. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/16 "2013-12-31T16:06:55Z")
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.” — Joe Biden, describing fellow candidate Barack Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/17 "2013-12-31T16:16:59Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I’m a leftist…and I wish I could agree… Some of the things Richard Dawkins has said about religion are pretty damn vile. Often an accusation thrown at Dawkins and he is certainly damming on what religions say and do but he doesn’t stray into wild and inaccurate accusations. Some of the things done in the name of religion, and the beliefs that spring from them _are_ truly vile but they just don’t like to be reminded of them. He certainly hasn’t come up with anything as horrific as the USA political right espouse on a regular basis (and the correlation between the views of the USA political right and fundamentalist religious beliefs is, of course, no accident) ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/18 "2013-12-31T16:38:57Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > What Reid said was just political reality. BZZT. I thought of that myself and it may have been his intention, but … _negro dialect_? In fucking 2008? That’s the part that makes me side eye him. ¬\_¬ ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/19 "2013-12-31T17:53:24Z")
I had a quite negative view of Romney’s 47% comment: “My job is not to worry about those people,” Mitt Romney said. > **[Mitt’s Forty-Seven-Per-Cent Problem](https://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/mitts-forty-seven-per-cent-problem)** > > “My job is not to worry about those people,” Mitt Romney said. “I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for … ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542/20 "2013-12-31T18:31:50Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I had a quite negative view of Romney’s 47% comment: > > “My job is not to worry about those people,” Mitt Romney said. > [http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/closeread/2012/09/mitts-forty-seven-per-cent-problem.html](http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/closeread/2012/09/mitts-forty-seven-per-cent-problem.html) > [@](#): > > “My job is not to worry about those people,” Mitt Romney said. “I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” Listening to the comment in context it was clear he was saying that he will never convince 47% of voters to VOTE for him, calling them a lost cause in the context of voting Republican. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-things-said-by-american-politicians-in-the-last-ten-years/677542.md?page=2)