# 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:** 225
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4496 "2021-04-15T04:59:37Z")
> **[Women detail drug use, sex and payments after late-night parties with Gaetz...](https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/14/politics/gaetz-parties-women-drug-use-sex-payments/index.html)** > > The first thing some of the women were asked to do when they got to the house parties in the gated community in suburban Orlando was to put away their cellphones, according to two women in attendance who spoke to CNN in recent days. The men inside, a... He’s had no backing so far and the “sell down the river” continues. [No. 2 House Republican says GOP would act against Rep. Matt Gaetz | TribLIVE.com](https://triblive.com/news/politics-election/no-2-house-republican-says-gop-would-act-against-rep-matt-gaetz/) ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4497 "2021-04-15T05:11:58Z")
And just two weeks after DJT’s election, or two weeks before the 2020 election, or two weeks after Biden’s infrastructure proposal; the GQP has come up with something. > **[A bloc of Senate Republicans prepare their own infrastructure plan as Biden...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/04/14/republicans-infrastructure-biden/)** > > The GOP alternative is expected to total less than half the White House’s plan, according to party lawmakers, who have eyed $600 billion as a potential price tag. Republicans also plan to narrow their efforts to include only traditional... When closely questioned [rolleyes], the Republican bloc said, and ~~I’m sort of making this up~~ I quote: “We did nothing for four years and those pesky Democrats are making us look stupid, incompetent, and out-of-touch again. Who knew Americans would like actual roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure you could, you know, actually use?” ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4498 "2021-04-15T12:40:08Z")
> **[Getting vaccinated is how we beat Fauci and other lockdown-forever loons](https://nypost.com/2021/04/14/getting-vaccinated-is-how-we-beat-fauci-and-other-lockdown-forever-loons/)** > > The best kept secret of the pandemic — kept secret especially by our perma-doom-saying public-health authorities — is that the COVID-19 vaccines work. They work very, very well. Yes, even the Johns… Honestly, the idea of “let’s all get vaccinated” isn’t stupid, but the idea that doing so is how to “beat” Fauci is beyond stupid. The idea that the effectiveness of vaccines is a secret kept away from the pubic by our public-health authorities is perhaps even more stupid. No surprise that the end goal of this vaccination plan is to parade around without a mask in public to make the libs feel bad. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2021, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4499 "2021-04-15T12:48:41Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Honestly, the idea of “let’s all get vaccinated” isn’t stupid, but the idea that doing so is how to “beat” Fauci is **beyond stupid**. The idea that the effectiveness of vaccines is a secret kept away from the pubic by our public-health authorities is perhaps even more stupid.- My bold. Maybe the title of this thread should be changed to “NEW **BEYOND** Stupid Republican Idea of the Day,” since they do keep surpassing themselves. The hypothetical thing about the “effectiveness of vaccines is a secret” cracked me up, because I read somewhere recently (can’t remember where) that actually, it’s the INEFFECTIVENESS of the vaccines that’s the secret Biden’s gummint doesn’t want us to know about. Well, I guess that covers it either way. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2021, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4500 "2021-04-15T12:56:32Z")
I mean, maybe it’s their way of motivating idiots to do the right thing. “They _want_ us to get the vaccine? No way! It’s got tracking chips and autism juice!” “Oh, they don’t want us to get the vaccine? I’m going to go out of my way to make sure I get jabbed in the arm, just to show them!” ---
**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:** [April 15, 2021, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4501 "2021-04-15T12:59:47Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > “They _want_ us to get the vaccine? No way! It’s got tracking chips and autism juice!”- I thought it was tracking _juice_ and autism _chips_. Damn, I can’t keep up. 🥴 ---
**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:** [April 15, 2021, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4502 "2021-04-15T13:03:05Z")
That’s because you have/haven’t had the vaccine, and are therefore mind controlled/not freed from mind control. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4503 "2021-04-15T13:08:13Z")
I don’t believe any of that nonsense and I am quite enjoying all of the Microsoft software I just bought, as well as the twenty x-boxes and several zunes. ``` //i\\ ``` ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4504 "2021-04-15T13:24:49Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Honestly, the idea of “let’s all get vaccinated” isn’t stupid, but the idea that doing so is how to “beat” Fauci is beyond stupid. The idea that the effectiveness of vaccines is a secret kept away from the pubic by our public-health authorities is perhaps even more stupid. If this idea was presented as an honestly-held argument, it’s beyond stupid, but I’ve heard a few people suggest that we should weaponize their conspiracy theory tendencies by promoting just such nonsense, under the theory that they won’t listen to reality, but they might just buy into some bullshit. The sad part is, there’s no way to tell if they’re sincere or not. A properly weaponized CT would, of necessity, be indistinguishable from the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4505 "2021-04-15T13:29:11Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > If this idea was presented as an honestly-held argument, it’s beyond stupid, but I’ve heard a few people suggest that we should weaponize their conspiracy theory tendencies by promoting just such nonsense, under the theory that they won’t listen to reality, but they might just buy into some bullshit. > > The sad part is, there’s no way to tell if they’re sincere or not. A properly weaponized CT would, of necessity, be indistinguishable from the real thing. That’s what I was thinking - that it’s a deliberate ploy to use the “own the libtards” vibe to get people to accept the vaccine. It also reminds me of when the UK started imposing a tax on plastic bags used at shops and supermarkets (5p each) in order to address the litter problem, and various media outlets similar to the Post went with a “We’ll show those evil government bureaucrats! We’ll start bringing our **own** bags to the shops to use!” narrative. Well, yeah - the entire point of the exercise in the first place was to encourage people to use reusable bags. But you all sure showed them… ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4506 "2021-04-15T14:04:36Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > **Despite Book Condemning Trump And GOP, John Boehner Says He Voted For Trump In 2020** > > > > “I thought that his policies, by and large, mirrored the policies that I believed in,” the former House speaker said. > > > > … > > > > “I thought the choices for the Supreme Court were top notch. **At the end of the day, who gets nominated to the federal courts is really the most important thing a president does** ,” he added. > > Well, I guess the rest of that chaos made it all worth it, then. > > [Despite Book Condemning Trump And GOP, John Boehner Says He Voted For Trump In 2020 | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-boehner-condemn-vote-for-trump-2020_n_6075e343e4b01e3042376877) (My bolding) I have to assume that what he meant was it’s the most important thing a _Republican_ president does. Otherwise we would have heard him complaining about all of Obama’s nominees that were blocked by Mitch. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4507 "2021-04-15T15:15:35Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > It also reminds me of when the UK started imposing a tax on plastic bags used at shops and supermarkets (5p each) in order to address the litter problem, and various media outlets similar to the Post went with a “We’ll show those evil government bureaucrats! We’ll start bringing our **own** bags to the shops to use!” narrative. Well, yeah - the entire point of the exercise in the first place was to encourage people to use reusable bags. But you all sure showed them… Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around. I posted this on Facebook last week: > Company: We require a vaccine passport in order to participate in our services. > > Anti-Vaxxers: Well, if you require a “vaccine passport”, we won’t be using your “services” because “Freedumb!” > > Company: Well, yes, that’s kind of the point. Thank you for your cooperation. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4508 "2021-04-15T16:47:06Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I have to assume that what he meant was it’s the most important thing a _Republican_ president does. Democrats are not “Presidents”, they are just placeholders who stumble into office due to defective elections. That is why there were 267 measures introduced in various statehouses to fix these troublesome defects. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4509 "2021-04-15T16:57:15Z")
Also note that this was just one OPed in one paper, it probably doesn’t represent a broader movement, or even a GOP/Fox authorized talking point. My take is that Karol Markowicz happens to be one of the few Republicans who will occasionally listen to scientists and personally believes that the vaccine is effective, and so wants to encourage their use with conventionally good intentions (If there aren’t any conflicting motivations even Republicans can decide to do the right thing). However, she is also part of the Freedumb caucus, thinking that masks, shutdowns and social distancing is for pussies, and so is peppering her actual decent thought with a right wing screed. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4510 "2021-04-15T20:29:48Z")
In a House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee meeting, Jim Jordan kept asking Dr. Fauci stupid questions like, “Give me a date when the pandemic will be over”, and “when will public health mandates be lifted”, and wouldn’t stop asking questions and demanding answers, even after his speaking time was up. So committee chairwoman Maxine Waters told him, “You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth!” > **[Jim Jordan Told to ‘Shut Your Mouth’ After Ranting Endlessly at Fauci](https://www.thedailybeast.com/jim-jordan-told-to-shut-your-mouth-after-ranting-endlessly-at-dr-fauci)** > > Jordan screamed at Fauci for so long that Rep. Maxine Waters had to intervene and tell him to “respect the chair and shut your mouth!” ---
**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:** [April 15, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4511 "2021-04-15T20:43:39Z")
James O’Keefe and Project Veritas’s Twitter accounts have both finally been suspended. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4512 "2021-04-15T21:42:38Z")
Is he truly that stupid, or is he just posing for his electorate? Did Fauci get fed up enough to say something like “It would be over sooner if idiots like you would promote mask wearing and vaccines instead of mocking them!” ---
**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:** [April 15, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4513 "2021-04-15T22:30:09Z")
Yes, it would have been nice if Fauci had said something like this. Or at the very least: “Unfortunately, we can’t give a specific answer to when the pandemic will be declared over or when we can lift public health mandates. This is because there are far, far too many people like yourself, who are not doing their part, and are helping to spread not only this disease, but also foolish and wrong notions that are actually prolonging this crisis. So YOU, Mister Jordan, have it in your power to make this go away sooner. It’s a shame that you’re doing the opposite.” ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4514 "2021-04-16T00:11:21Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > Is he truly that stupid, or is he just posing for his electorate? Did Fauci get fed up enough to say something like “It would be over sooner if idiots like you would promote mask wearing and vaccines instead of mocking them!” He didn’t go that far, or give Euphonious\_Polemic’s entirely sensible speech. The furthest Fauci went today was to asset ‘Yes, you ARE making this personal’ (not an exact quote but close) when Gym continued to harangue him in his inimitable brain-dead fashion. Fauci can’t really win in these situations because he doesn’t feel he can say ‘you and your irresponsible messaging are the main problem here’ or anything close. Intelligent onlookers, of course, realize that Gym and his opportunistic fellow-deplorables ARE the problem. \ > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > [Getting vaccinated is how we beat Fauci and other lockdown-forever loons](https://nypost.com/2021/04/14/getting-vaccinated-is-how-we-beat-fauci-and-other-lockdown-forever-loons/) > > Honestly, the idea of “let’s all get vaccinated” isn’t stupid, but the idea that doing so is how to “beat” Fauci is beyond stupid. The idea that the effectiveness of vaccines is a secret kept away from the pubic by our public-health authorities is perhaps even more stupid. I agree with those who’ve suggested that this is aimed at the know-nothings, with the cynical intent of getting them vaccinated. The Murdochs are making a lot of money off the ‘own the libs/masks are useless/vaccinations are de Debil’ morons…but at the same time, they recognize that if enough of the morons die off, they (the Murdochs) stand to lose revenues. They need the readers for the Post and the viewers for FoxNews. Hence the compromise: undermine the ‘avoid the vaccine at all costs’ messaging of their side via a **new** message: ‘_the Gubment is keeping this a secret but we know the Gubmint can’t fool YOU, and we know you are SMART, and SMART people are getting the vaccine because it pisses off the LIBRULS_,’ etc. Rather clever in a satanic (i.e. Murdochian) way, really. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2021, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/4515 "2021-04-16T00:31:51Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Fauci can’t really win in these situations… The only way he can win is not to take the bait. He’s really good at that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=224) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=226)