# Politics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [February 20, 2009, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696 "2009-02-20T08:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheNilvarg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@TheNilvarg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNilvarg)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/1 "2009-02-20T08:11:19Z")
Regarding the latest column from February 20th, 2009: > [@](#): > > You think we’re stupid? Just because we let a smirking doofus steal our presidential election and lead us into a bogus war? Come on, that was years ago! Let bygones be bygones. Besides, didn’t we just elect the most fab president ever? Alright, the Straight Dope doesn’t need this inane political hogwash. I’ve been a loyal subscriber for six years, but I don’t see a reason to stick around if the column is just going to be a medium to spew political venom. The transformation into a political soapbox has been the downfall of a great many sources of entertainment in the last few years. I’m sure the mindless unwashed mob mentality is going to kick in, and half the replies to this thread will be “K DONT LET THE DOOR HIT U ON THE WAY OUT” or some clichéd bull like that. That’s fine. I know you don’t get money from this column, so losing a subscriber probably doesn’t mean a thing to you, but for God’s sake, keep this column neutral and objective and just answer peoples’ questions, Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/2 "2009-02-20T12:05:48Z")
[Are Americans dumber than Europeans?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2847/are-americans-dumber-than-europeans) is the relevant column. I think you mistake **Cecil** ’s tone a \*little \*here. There’s a sneer in that last sentence of the quote too. Also, being a little inflammatory is good for views in these broke Loafing times. In any case, if you’ve been reading **Cecil** for a while you shouldn’t expect “this column [to be] neutral and objective and just answer peoples’ questions”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/3 "2009-02-20T17:39:44Z")
“Doofus” is the more charitable of the two possible explanations. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/4 "2009-02-20T17:42:27Z")
You’re a six year subscribing guest? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/5 "2009-02-20T19:33:39Z")
While I don’t particularly care if Cecil makes fun of Bush or not, I would point out that nowhere in the question was a comment about Bush or the Presidency. In fact, the question refers to an “old stereotype”. That suggests it predates a few years of 1 presidency. Basically, that remark was out of left field for me. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/6 "2009-02-20T22:27:27Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > You’re a six year subscribing guest? I’ve been with the Dope since the AOL days and I’m a guest. Guest merely means we aren’t paying to not see ads. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/7 "2009-02-21T00:32:25Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I’ve been with the Dope since the AOL days and I’m a guest. Guest merely means we aren’t paying to not see ads. 😉 Your join date is Jul 1999. The OP’s is Feb 2009. I think that’s the distinction being made. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/8 "2009-02-21T11:42:32Z")
Presumably **TheNilvarg** has been a subscriber to the Straight Dope email for that time and has joined the message board recently. ---
**Author:** ![TheNilvarg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@TheNilvarg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNilvarg)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/9 "2009-02-23T20:33:32Z")
> [@hawthorne](#): > > Presumably **TheNilvarg** has been a subscriber to the Straight Dope email for that time and has joined the message board recently. This. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/10 "2009-02-24T18:40:54Z")
I agree with the OP. Whoever was writing the arti… I mean Cecil had a huge chip on his shoulder that was a bit over the top. The political commentary was the type of glib and heavy-handed commentary that I **don’t** want from something called The Straight Dope. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/11 "2009-02-24T21:49:26Z")
Like any good journalist, Cecil feels an obligation to report the truth. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politics/486696/12 "2009-02-24T22:04:08Z")
I think **Cecil** was just refering to the opinion Europeans have of us. He didn’t say Bush was a doofus, he wrote that Europeans think we are stupid for electing a doofus. From what I have seen, this is exactly the opinion many Europeans have of us. I don’t believe the canard that it’s just a few European elitists that believe this. The majority of Europeans think Bush is a doofus.