# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 4) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 22, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678 "2025-02-22T21:08:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 176
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3501 "2026-03-05T20:43:47Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Also, why on earth would he think you can use a nickname on a ballot? Believe it or not, there is precedent for this sort of thing in Texas. In 2006, we had Kinky Friedman on the ballot for governor with an independent campaign. The ballot actually listed him as Richard “Kinky” Friedman. A judge allowed this to happen because he noted that, while “Kinky” was a nickname, it was the name Friedman had been using professionally for over 30 years at that point, and indeed was the name most voters would recognize him by. In that same election, the state comptroller, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, was also running an independent campaign for governor. She tried to get herself listed on the ballot as Carole “Grandma” Strayhorn; this was a reference to the slogan “One Tough Grandma”, which Strayhorn had previously used in her campaigns for comptroller. The judge ruled against her, however. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3502 "2026-03-05T20:54:49Z")
A guy previously known as “Mike the Mover” has shown up on ballots here in Washington State for decades. > **[Uncle Mover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Mover)** > > Uncle Mover (born Michael Patrick Shanks, March 17, 1953), formerly known as Mike The Mover, is an American perennial candidate and business owner from Washington State. In 1990, Shanks legally changed his name to Mike the Mover to help promote his furniture moving business. > According to Mover, he has run for public office more than 17 times but has never been elected. > Though originally motivated to run for office in order to draw attention to Washington's complex regulations for movers, Mov... [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Mike_the_Mover_RV.jpg/1920px-Mike_the_Mover_RV.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Mike_the_Mover_RV.jpg/1920px-Mike_the_Mover_RV.jpg) We also have “Goodspaceguy”. > **[Goodspaceguy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodspaceguy)** > > Michael George Goodspaceguy Nelson (born Michael George Nelson), known mononymously as Goodspaceguy, is an American perennial candidate from Washington state. > Born Michael George Nelson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Goodspaceguy received a B.A. from the University of Maryland and a M.S. from the University of Minnesota. He legally added "Goodspaceguy" to his name in 2006, becoming Michael George Goodspaceguy Nelson. > Outside of politics, Goodspaceguy describes himself as "an amateur economist and... It has been so common for so long that I expect to see names like this. It’s nothing unusual and as far as I know, it doesn’t cause any problems. I forgot to add, both of these guys got their names legally changed, so I think they only started out as nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3503 "2026-03-05T20:58:36Z")
> [@SwissMan](#): > > Believe it or not, there is precedent for this sort of thing in Texas. And of course one of the current US Senators from Texas is Rafael Edward Cruz, but was listed on ballots as “Ted” Cruz, which he has been using professionally since before adulthood. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3504 "2026-03-05T20:59:53Z")
Legally speaking a nickname that someone has been using for years is one thing. And a made up catchy fake name for particular election is something else altogether. So far I see no inconsistency between all the various citations of candidates and court outcomes. YMMV, but if someone is expecting outrage over the differing court decisions, they’re expecting wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3505 "2026-03-05T21:06:35Z")
Indeed, I doubt there’s much outrage over the tribulations suffered by “ShamWow Guy” over the way his name appears on ballots ---
**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:** [March 5, 2026, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3506 "2026-03-05T21:15:25Z")
Tucker Carlson says the Iran war was engineered by Chabad in the hopes of triggering a missile strike that will destroy the Dome of the Rock and allow them to build the Third Temple. > **[COMPLETELY NUTS: Antisemite Tucker Carlson BLAMES CHABAD For Iran War! Says...](https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2520567/completely-nuts-antisemite-tucker-carlson-blames-chabad-for-iran-war-says-plan-to-build-bais-hamikdash.html)** > > Antisemitic media personality Tucker Carlson has unleashed what is arguably his most insane conspiracy theory yet, arguing that the war with Iran is tied to a supposed Chabad plan to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and rebuild the Bais Hamikdash (Third... ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3507 "2026-03-05T21:51:19Z")
When I posted this, what! only two weeks ago?!, I didn’t think they’d literally demonstrate it quite so soon or so emphatically > [@NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 4)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3362): > > Yes, accelerationalism isn’t just for politics. There’s a strain of evangelical Christian eschatology that actively supports global instability, particularly in the Middle East, in the hopes of bringing about the end of the world a la the Book of Revelation. Naturally, that type supports Israel but hates Jews. Weird bunch. We’ve always had end of the world nutters in this country. It’s in our DNA - literally many of the Puritans thought the end of the world was nigh and the kingdom of Heaven o… ---
**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:** [March 5, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3508 "2026-03-05T22:23:10Z")
Tucker isn’t an End Times nut, though. He’s just a paid stooge for the Russians whose job at this point is to spout anti-Israel propaganda. Not sure where he got the idea that the “Excuse me, are you Jewish? Have you wrapped tefillin today?” guys are trying to engage in Messianic eschatology, though - my understanding of Judaism is that the Messiah will show up on God’s schedule, not anyone else’s. Frankly I’m surprised he hasn’t started quoting the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3509 "2026-03-05T22:37:50Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Legally speaking a nickname that someone has been using for years is one thing. And a made up catchy fake name for particular election is something else altogether. And depending on the state there may be also restrictions upon using a business trademark unless your name IS the trademark. Here in PR there were in 2000/2004 two candidates who entered their respective races as just “Miguel NewFace” and “Calvin2000” ( but he was NOT legally named Calvin), nothing else on the ballot. Both lost, and I suppose it did not help that voters and poll workers all went “Who?” This greatly peeved some of the elections staff of even their own party and a few years later as amendments to the election code were legislated, language was added that nicknames (NOT campaign or commercial slogans) were ok but the ballot line _must_ include at least one each of your legal given and family names. So you can have _Benito “Bad Bunny” Martínez_ on the ballot but not _The Superbowl Halftime Guy_. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3510 "2026-03-05T22:58:27Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Hell, I recall the republicans getting all worked up about Jill Biden wanting to be referred to as Dr Biden, and she wasn’t even on a ballot. IIRC they called it fraudulent because she’s a PhD not an MD. I’d bet a hundred bucks if she was an MD, they’d still have a problem with it, they’d just find a different reason. As a woman, her proper title would be “Drs.” A woman can’t be a “Dr.”, just like she can’t be a “Mr.”. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3511 "2026-03-05T23:20:31Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-TX) carried on an affair with a married campaign staffer and sent her lewd texts late at night badgering her for sexy pictures, right up until the affair caused her marriage to fall apart and she committed suicide > [@JoePockets](#): > > Yes Sir ! He says that he made a mistake and informed his wife! …All is good on the home front at the Gonzales ! I believe he and Mike Johnson would like to more on ! It’s the christian thing to do! Well, he now goes on to a primary runoff, as YouTube Gun Bro Brandon Herrera (in his seco d go-around challenging for the seat) got more votes than Gonzales but not enough to advance directly. So expect a huge “Jesus forgives” push. Last time around the same two went to the runoff and Gonzales just barely scraped by. So I would think that Herrera is the favorite today if he keeps up his turnout. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3512 "2026-03-05T23:20:59Z")
Um, what? This is a whoosh, right? Cuz I have never heard this…. Dr. Toxgoddess, going on 20 yrs now… ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3513 "2026-03-05T23:24:33Z")
I read it as the stupid, inane excuse right wing blow hard idiots would come up with, not as a serious take But I did have to think about it for a minute ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3514 "2026-03-05T23:27:18Z")
Yeah, I was trying to figure out if there was a term “doctress” or something… Dr. Karen ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3515 "2026-03-05T23:32:50Z")
Sorry, I forgot about Poe’s Law. Yes, of course it was a satirical take on what right wingers would have come up with. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3516 "2026-03-05T23:39:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > As a woman, her proper title would be “Drs.” A woman can’t be a “Dr.”, just like she can’t be a “Mr.”. Pronounced “Doctuss”. Also, I’ll skip the rant about how a PhD was long before the MD, and PhDs are the real doctors, because a discussion about Republicans isn’t worth that level of discourse. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3517 "2026-03-05T23:47:57Z")
These days we sorta have inverted Poe’s law. If it’s sane or just ordinarily crazy, it’s parody. Conversely if it’s batshit insane, it’s real. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3518 "2026-03-06T01:32:27Z")
Doctrix, surely. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2026, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3519 "2026-03-06T05:52:15Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Well, he now goes on to a primary runoff, as YouTube Gun Bro Brandon Herrera (in his seco d go-around challenging for the seat) got more votes than Gonzales but not enough to advance directly. So expect a huge “Jesus forgives” push. …and Gonzales is out. [https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5770802-tony-gonzales-drops-reelection-bid/](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5770802-tony-gonzales-drops-reelection-bid/) > “After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had in my district,” Gonzales said in the [late Thursday statement](https://x.com/RepTonyGonzales/status/2029772094481842245). “Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful.” > > Gonzales did not mention the affair in a statement announcing his withdrawal from the race. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3520 "2026-03-06T07:16:41Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I recall the republicans getting all worked up about Jill Biden wanting to be referred to as Dr Biden, and she wasn’t even on a ballot. IIRC they called it fraudulent because she’s a PhD not an MD. She’s got an EdD, which according to some (and like the MD and the JD) isn’t a “proper” doctorate like the PhD [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678.md?page=175) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678.md?page=177)