# Politics Hits Another Low **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 4, 2004, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597 "2004-06-04T10:55:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/21 "2004-06-05T02:46:02Z")
> [@The Long Road](#): > > If this brings up the question, “Should Obama stoop to his level?”, my answer has to be yes. Someone throws a rock at you, you swing a sledge hammer at them. Damn fucking straight. To quote Sean Connery… > [@](#): > > He puts one of yours in the hospital…you put one of his in the morgue Sort of a ‘frontier justice’ school of political science. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/22 "2004-06-05T02:46:59Z")
So, you’re saying there _really is_ a Jack Ryan who’s a no-talent jingoistic spy-wannabee? Who uses extralegal methods to harass the un-American in the grand tradition of Uncle Joe McCarthy and Jedgar Hoover? And here I thought those were just really bad novels. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/23 "2004-06-05T03:18:22Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I never claimed they did, merely that they haven’t sunken as low as the Republicans … yet. Come now, my dear **rung**. Our guys have sunk _just_ as low as their guys have! Traficant! What a fucking card _that_ guy was! And from my home state! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/24 "2004-06-05T08:17:29Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Come now, my dear **rung**. Our guys have sunk _just_ as low as their guys have! I’m hard-pressed to think of a Democratic politician in the last 20 years or so who lied to the world in order to start a war, or worked various mechanations to steal a freakin’ Presidential election. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/25 "2004-06-05T12:24:11Z")
Unless Obama really IS Osama, Ryan’s not going to win this election. Even then, it’d be an uphill battle. Sounds like this guy richly deserves a blowout loss. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/26 "2004-06-05T15:03:58Z")
> [@The Long Road](#): > > If this brings up the question, “Should Obama stoop to his level?”, my answer has to be yes. Someone throws a rock at you, you swing a sledge hammer at them. What a lovely fucking idea. 'Cause this whole “civilization” thing is getting kinda old…let’s give barbarism another chance. Can I note (as there seem to be a few tattered remenants of civil socitey left) that throwing that rock was incredibly _bad_ for Ryan and it would have been unbelievably self defeating for Obama to sink to his level? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/27 "2004-06-05T16:12:10Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I’m hard-pressed to think of a Democratic politician in the last 20 years or so who lied to the world in order to start a war, or worked various mechanations to steal a freakin’ Presidential election. Interesting that you put that 20 year cutoff in there, **rjung**. Otherwise, the Gulf of Tonkin resolution and the 1960 presidential election would be fair game for debate. But no, Democrats can do no harm in your eyes. Tell me, what color is the sky, in your world? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/28 "2004-06-06T22:37:45Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > Interesting that you put that 20 year cutoff in there, **rjung**. Otherwise, the Gulf of Tonkin resolution and the 1960 presidential election would be fair game for debate. Unlike God, I don’t believe in holding children accountable for the sins of their fathers. 20 years is roughly long enough for a generation to grow up and screw things up on their own. > [@Mr. Moto](#): > > But no, Democrats can do no harm in your eyes. Oh, sure they can. I’ve repeatedly railed against Clinton for some of his “liberal” policies, and will do that again when the situation arises. But again, looking at the shitstorms we’ve been getting from the Right, he’s amateur hour by comparison. (And where are _your_ criticisms of the GOP for Florida 2000 or Iraq 2003? Or are you just another right-wing hypocrite?) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/29 "2004-06-06T22:57:10Z")
> [@wmulax93](#): > > My WAG: The dude is described as bald. > > At 5’11", I can’t stretch that far, personally. IIRC, he has a full head of hair. I’m not a fan of fighting fire with fire. During the primary, one of the Democratic candidates - IIRC - was sent the records of Ryan’s divorce but decried the tactic and did not reveal the information. Apparently they’d been sealed, which is not common in Illinois, but it was not revealed why this was done. Fun fact: Jack Ryan’s ex-wife is actress Jeri Ryan of Star Trek fame. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/30 "2004-06-06T23:09:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Sure it may be called a stretch, that’s fair, but I believe that if you are a young white conservative who shaves his head clean and volunteers to run aggressive dirty tricks against a black candidate, then it is possible your motives may be other than partisan. Possible, like 5-1. Possible, hence my use of the word “possibly”. But if you have a full head of hair it’s impossible? ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/31 "2004-06-06T23:39:02Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Fun fact: Jack Ryan’s ex-wife is actress Jeri Ryan of Star Trek fame. Good Lord & butter! Wonder if he stalks her as well? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/32 "2004-06-07T00:01:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Or maybe Georgia state Rep. Billy McKinney, who, when his daughter, Rep. Cynthia McKinney lost reelection, blamed it on the Jews? To be fair, Republican pundits often have a similarly strange habit of reffering to minorities as if they weren’t real people. Sure, that Democrat one the state, but only because all the _blacks_ voted for him. [http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/25/ip.00.html](http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0204/25/ip.00.html) The implication being that the Democrats are too wussy to win over REAL Americans, and have to make do with relying on black people. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/33 "2004-06-07T02:53:37Z")
I’m no hypocrite. On the subject at hand, I’ve already said I’m not on board with the stalking. Lots of other Republicans have said likewise, **rjung**. I just don’t see how you can paint the Democratic Party as paragons of virtue, when there are plenty of examples proving that this is not so. There are but two major parties, and plenty of dirt on both sides. The smart thing to do is to vote for a party that closely matches your political views. Looking for a party that matches your political virtues is likely to be a fruitless task. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/34 "2004-06-07T06:26:15Z")
> [@RTA](#): > > Sure it may be called a stretch, that’s fair, but I believe that **if** you are a young white conservative who shaves his head clean … How difficult is it to look at his website? > **[jackryan2004.com](http://www.jackryan2004.com/)** > > You Deserve Justice ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/35 "2004-06-07T10:17:33Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > How difficult is it to look at his website? > > [http://www.jackryan2004.com/](http://www.jackryan2004.com/) I believe **RTA** was referring to Justin Warfel, the guy actually doing the following and recording. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/36 "2004-06-07T10:20:21Z")
Here’s a photo of him. [http://homepage.mac.com/akitzmil/iblog/C119883728/E835602703/](http://homepage.mac.com/akitzmil/iblog/C119883728/E835602703/) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/37 "2004-06-07T12:48:27Z")
Can’t we just stipulate that bald head does not necessarily imply skinhead? C’mon, this is a huge trend in hair styling (or lack thereof), for crying out loud. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/38 "2004-06-07T12:54:06Z")
I’m willing to stipulate that. It makes sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597/39 "2004-06-07T13:00:08Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > I believe **RTA** was referring to Justin Warfel, the guy actually doing the following and recording. My apologies then. Everyone on this thread kept talking about his shaved head and the possibility of him being a skinhead and I just couldn’t understand what the heck they were talking about. I’m still withholding judgment on the possibility of being a skinhead, but yeah, the guy has no hair. Sorry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics-hits-another-low/248597.md?page=1)