# 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:** 425
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8516 "2021-11-22T16:37:53Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > There are over [330-million people](https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/) in the US. The current death rate is [1.4%](https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality). 4.6-million dead is a statistic unpalatable to them. That says 1.6% for the US. Which is even worse. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8517 "2021-11-22T16:44:52Z")
I did not know (or maybe forgot) that black plague was not viral. But my response was more sarcasm than anything else. There are numerous diseases that we have developed vaccines for which are generally considered more effective and beneficial than catching the disease itself to acquire immunity. I just don’t understand why Republicans have (literally!) picked this particular hill to die on. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8518 "2021-11-22T16:46:05Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I just don’t understand why Republicans have (literally!) picked this particular hill to die on. - Trump. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8519 "2021-11-22T17:04:56Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Yersinia Pestis is a bacterium. We do not develop immunity to bacteria. The Black Plague was brought under control by figuring out the nature of the plague vector and changing our habits to reduce the spread. Right, so a better analogy would be the Republicans insisting on keeping their homes rat infested in order to pwn the libs. > [@DesertDog](#): > > There are over [330-million people](https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/) in the US. The current death rate is [1.4%](https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality). 4.6-million dead is a statistic unpalatable to them. Eh, but they are all old and sick, so who cares? /s ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8520 "2021-11-22T17:10:35Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > There are over [330-million people](https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/) in the US. The current death rate is [1.4%](https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality). 4.6-million dead is a statistic unpalatable to them. > [@Gyrate](#): > > That says 1.6% for the US. Which is even worse. And it gets even worse when you consider what the effects of that many people getting sick will be on the health care system. Even with everything we’ve done to try to limit the spread of COVID, we’ve had cases where other, non-COVID patients die simply because there weren’t enough resources left over to help them. If the US were to let COVID run rampant as some would seem to like to do, this would get even worse. **Any** serious health problem could be a death sentence in that situation. So other deaths would skyrocket as well. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8521 "2021-11-22T17:16:35Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Eh, but they are all old and sick, so who cares? > > /s This sums it up. They figure that “other people” will die, not them or anyone they care about. (Which really is the same thing- they don’t care about anyone but themselves) ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8522 "2021-11-22T17:22:33Z")
Hence the repeated stories of, “Geeze, I got COVID! Gimmie the vaccine _now_!” ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8523 "2021-11-22T17:23:13Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > We do not develop immunity to bacteria. Huh? What does tetanus vaccine do, if people don’t develop immunity to tetanus bacteria? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8524 "2021-11-22T17:28:39Z")
IIUC it ‘primes’ the immune system ‘pump’ so it can react to the tetanus antigen quickly. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8525 "2021-11-22T17:36:06Z")
Yes the idea of reaching herd immunity naturally is so utterly nonsensical that it boggles the mind. The best way to protect outselves from the bad thing is to have the bad thing happen to us. It makes a much sense as confronting an active shooter by standing up and waving your arms with the idea that the more people he shoots the sooner he’ll run out of bullets. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8526 "2021-11-22T17:37:30Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > They figure that “other people” will die, not them or anyone they care about. We have a surprisingly large (especially for a STEM company) contingent of vaccine-refusenicks at work. I got another email notice today\* for the funeral for an employee that died of covid (one could assume unvaccinated, but you can’t be sure). Pretty soon, you’d think, they’d have to realize that “we have met the other guy, and he is us.” \* not the first one this week ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8527 "2021-11-22T17:57:48Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Pretty soon, you’d think, they’d have to realize that “we have met the other guy, and he is us.” Nope. The dude who died at your company is still “other” to them. They could even convince themselves that he never actually existed - it’s amazing how far they will go in their delusions. They’ll only change their minds when _they themselves_ are about to be put on a ventilator - and for some, not even then. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8528 "2021-11-22T18:12:41Z")
Brannigan: " **You see, Killbots have a preset kill limit.** **Knowing their weakness, I sent wave after wave of my own men at them until they reached their limit and shut down.** **Kif, show them the medal I won.**" ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8529 "2021-11-22T18:22:32Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > They’ll only change their minds when _they themselves_ are about to be put on a ventilator - and for some, not even then. To wit: > **[An ER nurse describes patients denying they have COVID—even while they're...](https://www.upworthy.com/nurses-covid)** > > "They call you names and ask why you have to wear all that 'stuff' because they don't have COViD because it's not real. Yes. This really happens." > … > An ER nurse in South Dakota shared her experience treating COVID patients—some of whom refuse to believe they have COVID—and it’s really shocking. One might think that the virus would become real to people if they were directly affected by it, but apparently that’s just not true for some. As Jodi Doering wrote [on Twitter](https://twitter.com/JodiDoering/status/1327771329555292162): > > _“I have a night off from the hospital. As I’m on my couch with my dog I can’t help but think of the Covid patients the last few days. The ones that stick out are those who still don’t believe the virus is real. The ones who scream at you for a magic medicine and that Joe Biden is going to ruin the USA. All while gasping for breath on 100% Vapotherm. They tell you there must be another reason they are sick. They call you names and ask why you have to wear all that ‘stuff’ because they don’t have COViD because it’s not real. Yes. This really happens. And I can’t stop thinking about it. These people really think this isn’t going to happen to them. And then they stop yelling at you when they get intubated. It’s like a fucking horror movie that never ends. There’s no credits that roll. You just go back and do it all over again.”_ > … ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8530 "2021-11-22T19:12:35Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > We do not develop immunity to bacteria. Cite? As far as I know this is not true. There are multiple vaccines against bacteria. Some of them specifically target bacterial toxins, like whooping cough and tetanus, but there’s also the vaccine against diphtheria, there is a cholera vaccine as well, and there’s BCG against Tuberculosis. At least that’s what I learned in med school. So I’m really curious to know where you got this information. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8531 "2021-11-22T19:29:33Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Nope. The dude who died at your company is still “other” to them. They could even convince themselves that he never actually existed - it’s amazing how far they will go in their delusions. > > They’ll only change their minds when _they themselves_ are about to be put on a ventilator - and for some, not even then. Yep, this is the point of the discussion where they trot out the “preexisting comorbidities” line. As long as they can find some reason to blame the death on some aspect of the other person’s life, they can hold on to the “holier than thou” attitude that lets them believe _they_ are too virtuous to be at risk themselves. It’s particularly annoying when it’s clear that a hell of a lot of them have the same comorbidities, too. Obesity, hypertension, diabetes, you name it. ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8532 "2021-11-22T19:32:24Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > We do not develop immunity to bacteria. ETA (post already too old) Cite? As far as I know this is not true. The main reason we don’t vaccinate against most bacterial infections is because we have antibiotics, and they work. However, there are multiple vaccines against bacteria. Most of them are used against toxin-producing bacteria, like pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria. The reason for this is that treatment with antibiotics in toxin-producing bacteria can worsen the illness and even cause death because the killing of the infecting agent leads to massive toxin release. In Holland we also vaccinate against Haemophilus Influenzae and Meningococcus, both bacterial infections. So I’m really curious where you got this. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8533 "2021-11-22T20:45:58Z")
It’s working. Next step is the rumor that Bill Gates/Hillary/Soros have altered the flu vaccine to rob you of your guns [how exactly that would work exists in their minds only]. The only “natural” way to deal with the flu is cough on each other, share saliva, and dehydrate yourself. Pass it on. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2021, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8534 "2021-11-22T21:56:25Z")
Sean Parnell, Individual 1-endorsed candidate for Senate from Pennsylvania, has suspended his campaign after losing his children during a custody hearing after his estranged wife accused him of abuse. > **[Trump-endorsed GOP Senate candidate suspends campaign after losing custody...](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-republican-senate-candidate-sean-parnell-abuse-custody-battle/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a)** > > Parnell and Laurie Snell had each sought primary custody of their children in court. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/8535 "2021-11-22T21:59:49Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Sean Parnell, Individual 1-endorsed candidate for Senate from Pennsylvania, has suspended his campaign … Wrong thread? Sounds like a smart idea. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=424) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=426)