# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 22, 2020, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140 "2020-06-22T07:01:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 180
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3590 "2021-02-25T16:13:35Z")
In a sane world, Thune would have gone “My God, that’s absolutely right! My salary back then was actually OK, and today, minimum wage is not sufficient! I totally forgot about the rise in the cost of living! I apologize, and will now support a $15 minimum wage!” Instead, he’ll continue to be stupid, and refuse to acknowledge basic facts and simple math. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3591 "2021-02-25T16:36:59Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Instead, he’ll continue to be stupid, and refuse to acknowledge basic facts and simple math. Every time minimum wage is part of the discussion, some conservative says the same thing “when I was \_\_\_\_\_ I only made \_\_\_\_ and it was enough.” Either they’re all idiots or they know it plays well to their base and I cannot believe they’re all that stupid. Otherwise, they’d show up in congress with their shoes untied and on the wrong feet. What I don’t get is why South Dakotans find this compelling. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3592 "2021-02-25T16:41:13Z")
Because they show up at work with their shoes untied and on the wrong feet? ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3593 "2021-02-25T16:56:00Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Every time minimum wage is part of the discussion, some conservative says the same thing “when I was \_\_\_\_\_ I only made \_\_\_\_ and it was enough.” Either they’re all idiots or they know it plays well to their base and I cannot believe they’re all that stupid. Oh it works pretty good with the base. I have arguments with people all the time about this. The most recent one was a friend of mine who, after he retired, did the better part of a complete 180, politically speaking. He bashes “those millennials” left and right, including his own son, then gladly pointed out that ( in the late 60s ) he as a teen bought a new car from working and saving at making 2.50 an hour. I calculated for him ( thanks for smartphones ) that that would be nearly 18 dollars an hour today. He paused, gave a stupid look, and said “_But I’m just sayin’_” Good comeback…NOT! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3594 "2021-02-25T17:13:29Z")
People love to reminisce/grouse about when gasoline was 25 or 30 cents a gallon, but conveniently forget what their salary was at the same time. 🤔 Which reminds me of a phrase I recall but couldn’t find with some googling. Something to the effect of you could live quite well if you could receive a modern salary, pay '30s prices, receive interest at '70s rates and pay interest at modern rates. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3595 "2021-02-25T17:20:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > “The core failure of DHS lies not in the brevity of the January 20 memorandum or the corresponding administrative record, but instead in its omission of a rational explanation grounded in the facts reviewed and the factors considered,” Tipton wrote. “This failure is fatal, as this defect essentially makes DHS’s determination to institute a 100-day pause on deportations an arbitrary and capricious choice.” Unfortunately, he has a point. This was the SAME EXACT REASONING used in blocking Trump’s initial travel ban - basically the judge saying “Give me good reasoning.” Quite frankly, in my mind, an executive order saying “give us 100 days to formulate and legislate a reasonable policy” sounds an awful lot like a court saying “we’re putting a pause on this law until the appeals can be heard”. Maybe if the Biden administration appeals this ruling, there will be a temporary block on the block on blocking deportations. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3596 "2021-02-25T17:28:41Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > People love to reminisce/grouse about when gasoline was 25 or 30 cents a gallon, but conveniently forget what their salary was at the same time. 🤔 When I got my first real fulltime job out of college, I thought if I could make $500/mo gross, I’d be set. I made $590/mo so I was in clover! ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3597 "2021-02-25T17:31:36Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > Oh it works pretty good with the base. I have arguments with people all the time about this. The most recent one was a friend of mine who, after he retired, did the better part of a complete 180, politically speaking. He bashes “those millennials” left and right, including his own son, then gladly pointed out that ( in the late 60s ) he as a teen bought a new car from working and saving at making 2.50 an hour. I calculated for him ( thanks for smartphones ) that that would be nearly 18 dollars an hour today. He paused, gave a stupid look, and said “ _But I’m just sayin’_ ” I know you’re not in that conversation at the moment and I know that people who have their minds made up probably won’t budge - but (yay smartphones), you can look up the price of a mid-60s car and find out that they were about $2,500. Or, in other words, a car was about 1000 hours of work. That feels reasonable. Today’s cheap cars are $16,000. For a car to be 1000 hours of work, work needs to be $16/hour. No one is asking for free - we’re asking to be able to buy a car for 1000 hours of work. (apparently, [the average new car price is over _ **$40,000** _](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2021/01/07/new-cars-trucks-suvs-financing-downpayment-prices/4139776001/). I’m old, cheap, or both) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3598 "2021-02-25T17:32:54Z")
I remember thinking when I first entered the workplace in the late '80s that $10/hour sounded quite good. That’s only $20,000 gross, presuming a 40-hour week and 50 working weeks a year. 😲 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3599 "2021-02-25T17:34:03Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > (apparently, [the average new car price is over _ **$40,000** _](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2021/01/07/new-cars-trucks-suvs-financing-downpayment-prices/4139776001/). I’m old, cheap, or both) - There’s a massive amount of more tech in even the most basic car. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3600 "2021-02-25T17:40:11Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Today’s cheap cars are $16,000. For a car to be 1000 hours of work, work needs to be $16/hour. No one is asking for free - we’re asking to be able to buy a car for 1000 hours of work. > > (apparently, [the average new car price is over _ **$40,000** _](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2021/01/07/new-cars-trucks-suvs-financing-downpayment-prices/4139776001/). I’m old, cheap, or both) Yeah, I was gonna say, there are cars out there for $16,000. A few. That’ll get you into a Chevy Spark, barely. > [@running\_coach](#): > > There’s a massive amount of more tech in even the most basic car. True, it’s safer and more reliable. But it still is a much higher barrier to entry into being able to afford transportation. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3601 "2021-02-25T17:58:25Z")
I remember watching _The Price is Right_ when I was a kid in the early-70s. If the game was to guess the price of “a brand new car!” it was always four-digits, and started with ‘3’. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3602 "2021-02-25T18:14:33Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Senator John Thune tried to claim that $15 an hour minimum wage is too much, by claiming that when he was a kid, he made $6 an hour. People pointed out that with inflation, that $6 is now over $20 and thanks for proving the point. > **[Here’s What the US Minimum Wage Was the Year You Were Born](https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/economy/minimum-wage-year-were-born/)** > > See how the minimum wage has changed, or not, over the years. The man’s an idiot. The minimum wage the year I was born (1948) was $.40. (In 2020 dollars: $4.35) The year I graduated from college (1970) it was $1.60. (In 2020 dollars: $10.92) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3603 "2021-02-26T00:42:52Z")
[https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mcconnell-says-he-d-back-trump-as-2024-gop-nominee/ar-BB1e1uDO?rt=1&ocid=Win10NewsApp&referrerID=InAppShare](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mcconnell-says-he-d-back-trump-as-2024-gop-nominee/ar-BB1e1uDO?rt=1&ocid=Win10NewsApp&referrerID=InAppShare) Is Mitch just trolling us? Or did he say this because he figures he will be dead by then (or Donnie will) so it will be moot? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3604 "2021-02-26T03:11:45Z")
I think The Turtle is just saying what he needs to in order to get through the day. Let tomorrow be its own problem, he’ll say something else then. Fortunately for him, most of the GOP has no memory and doesn’t believe the media, so it works. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3605 "2021-02-26T03:32:52Z")
Doctor Rachel Levine, who is transgender, appeared before the Senate today for her confirmation as deputy Secretary of Health. Rand Paul asked her if she supports the genital mutilation of children. > **[Transgender physician calmly shuts down Rand Paul's smear campaign during...](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/25/2018092/-Rachel-Levine-expertly-shuts-down-Rand-Paul-s-anti-trans-diatribe-during-confirmation-hearing)** > > Dr. Rachel Levine, who on Thursday faced a Senate confirmation hearing, may very well make history as the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Levine, a pediatrician and public health expert appointed by... On the same day, as the House voted on the Equality Act, Marjorie Taylor Greene intentionally misgendered the trans daughter of her across the House office building hall neighbor Marie Windsor. > **[‘Sickening, pathetic, unimaginably cruel’: Marjorie Taylor Greene under fire...](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-equality-act-marie-newman-transgender-b1807325.html)** > > It comes after MTG installed a sign saying male and female are the only two genders ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3606 "2021-02-26T12:18:10Z")
🎵_The McConnell, my friend_ _Is blowin’ in the wind…_ 🎵 ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3607 "2021-02-26T13:15:34Z")
The only thing that could have made Levine’s response better if she said: Well mr. Rand, we can schedule an appointment for me to come by your office right now. When would you like me to stop by? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3608 "2021-02-26T14:22:53Z")
From The Koz article,… > [@](#): > > “Genital mutilation has been nearly universally condemned,” the senator stated, and all transgender folks and allies collectively grimaced, knowing almost certainly where this was about to go. “Genital mutilation has been condemned by the WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Population Fund. According to the WHO, genital mutilation is recognized internationally as a violation of human rights. Genital mutilation is considered particularly egregious because as the WHO notes, it is nearly always carried out on minors. And is a violation of the rights of children.” Then the senator pauses, seemingly for dramatic effect. > > “Most genital mutilation is not typically performed by force,” he continues. “But, as the WHO notes, but by social convention, social norm. The social pressure to conform. To do what others and have been doing. As well as the need to be accepted socially. And the fear of being rejected by the community.” Do you have a sense of where we’re going? Currently, we’re tumbling into anti-trans rhetoric dressed up as false concern and precisely worried hysteria. > > Now for Paul’s big finish: “American culture is now normalizing the idea that minors can be given hormones to prevent their biological development of their biological secondary sexual characteristics.” After a deep breath, Paul then addresses Levine specifically, saying, “You have supported minors to be given hormone blockers to prevent them from going through puberty, as well as surgical destruction of a minor’s genitalia. I am dumbfounded. I am aghast. Is Rand Paul really saying that sexual reassignment is the same as female circumcision (aka clitorectomy)? Is he that $@&%ing stupid? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/3609 "2021-02-26T14:27:48Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > I am dumbfounded. I am aghast. Is Rand Paul really saying that sexual reassignment is the same as female circumcision (aka clitorectomy)? Is he that $@&%ing stupid? It’s not stupidity, it’s hatred. ETA: Not that he isn’t stupid, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=179) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=181)