# Republicans: candidate who assaulted reporter is fine with us! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 25, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443 "2017-05-25T21:36:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/21 "2017-05-26T04:37:32Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > 20% of ANY nation is made up of bully-worshipping pro-authoritarians who believe freedom of the press is just a plot by The Other to undermine Daddy’s righteous rule. … that is the most beautiful sentence I’ve read today. I really want to cut and paste it onto Facebook just to make steam come out of my mother’s ears. But I’ll try to confine myself to open admiration here. DAMN. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/22 "2017-05-26T05:02:01Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > With 58% precincts reporting, Greg “The Hammer” Gianforte is leading with just over 51% of the vote. Interesting to note, there are 9 counties who have yet to report election results. Given over 300,000 voters voted early, I’m wondering if they are purposely holding back reporting. Race over, Gianforte wins. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/23 "2017-05-26T05:15:25Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Race over, Gianforte wins. You must be very proud of your party right now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/24 "2017-05-26T05:16:07Z")
With 84% of precincts reporting, “The Hammer” leads with 7.2% of the vote. The Liberal candidate, Mark Wicks, has receive 5.8% of the vote. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/25 "2017-05-26T05:32:59Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > You must be very proud of your party right now. 🙂 I think Gianforte’s a better choice for Congress than Quist. But no, “proud,” is not really an accurate description. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/26 "2017-05-26T05:46:04Z")
Wow, if Quist is worse than a short tempered white supremacist on Russia’s payroll, what is he, some kind of interdimensional horror in human form? ---
**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:** [May 26, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/27 "2017-05-26T05:54:21Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Wow, if Quist is worse than a short tempered white supremacist on Russia’s payroll, what is he, some kind of interdimensional horror in human form? Worse. Much worse. He’s some kind of banjo playing hippie. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/28 "2017-05-26T05:55:49Z")
My relatives would feel at home in that state and I can see how beating up a reporter would actually be a positive for them. The latest far left wing conspiracy theory: > [@unnamed sources](#): > > This was a planned attack. Trump needed to find out if his boast about being able to shoot someone and still not lose support would actually play out. > [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Again…Trump didn’t win the election…the Dems lost it. Damn. I thought I was a fairly informed voter and I completely missed how the Dems allowed him to get the Republican nomination. Learn something new each day. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/29 "2017-05-26T05:55:52Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > With 84% of precincts reporting, “The Hammer” leads with 7.2% of the vote. The Liberal candidate, Mark Wicks, has receive 5.8% of the vote. Huh? What about the other 87% of the vote? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/30 "2017-05-26T06:17:35Z")
Not really surprising. The state has a large absentee ballot population. They already mailed in their votes before this happened. Now we see what the Legislature does about it, if anything. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/31 "2017-05-26T06:31:14Z")
Turn out for the Montana election was at 51 percent. Some [good wrap up](http://billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/greg-gianforte-elected-next-u-s-congressman-for-montana/article_56de0d4f-e44a-5cb5-8d63-5ce554455529.html) by the Billings Gazette. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/32 "2017-05-26T07:33:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Addressing supporters, Gianforte apologized to the reporter he had an altercation with, as well as other journalists who witnessed the event. He also apologized to Montanans, saying “When you make a mistake you have to own up to it. That’s the Montana way.” A “mistake” is forgetting to carry the two on your budget calculation, or drinking one beer more than you ought to. Body-slamming a reporter for asking you questions you don’t want to answer is not a _mistake_. :mad: It’s _especially_ not a mistake when the statement from your candidate _blames the person you assaulted_. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/33 "2017-05-26T07:34:28Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > My relatives would feel at home in that state and I can see how beating up a reporter would actually be a positive for them. > > The latest far left wing conspiracy theory: > Damn. I thought I was a fairly informed voter and I completely missed how the Dems allowed him to get the Republican nomination. Learn something new each day. You do dont you! Not that I was talking about it, but since you brought it up. [http://observer.com/2016/10/wikileaks-reveals-dnc-elevated-trump-to-help-clinton/](http://observer.com/2016/10/wikileaks-reveals-dnc-elevated-trump-to-help-clinton/) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/34 "2017-05-26T10:49:58Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I think Gianforte’s a better choice for Congress than Quist. Why? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/35 "2017-05-26T11:14:19Z")
Looked at it from a Machiavellian perspective it’s better for the Dems. One seat in the house really won’t make that much difference(And I just doomed impeachment to fail by one vote ;)) But the show of incompetence, depravity, the Pubs are putting on the last 4 months is staggering in breadth. And now they have voluntarily added the “Strong on violent crime[sub]unless it’s a white guy[/sub]” hypocrisy bullet to the chamber. As long as the Dems can avoid doing something as disgusting as nominating a Clinton again, with the demographic changes, old people dying,and new voters aging into the picture in this environment, they have a hell of an opportunity over the next couple decades. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/36 "2017-05-26T11:14:32Z")
The press, as a group, needs to hound this asshole 24/7 with tape recorders in his face every time he steps out in public. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2017, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/37 "2017-05-26T11:17:04Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I keep coming back to the ‘bad 20%’ theory—20% of ANY nation is made up of bully-worshipping pro-authoritarians who believe freedom of the press is just a plot by The Other to undermine Daddy’s righteous rule. I’ve got some bad news for you - in most countries (including the US) it’s higher than 20%. In some cases, [a lot higher, and getting worse](http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2017/05/daily-chart-17). Apologies if the link is firewalled; it’s a recent Economist graph showing the “Share of respondents saying that having a strong leader, who does not have to bother with parliament and elections, is a good way to run their country”, comparing 1995-97 data with 2010-14 data. In virtually every country shown the percentage of people in favor of a strongman leader has increased (notable exceptions being Australia, Sweden, Pakistan and - weirdly - the Philippines). The US has gone from roughly 24% to roughly 32%, although it’s still way behind the undisputed leader Russia at around 75% (up from 50%). There’s also a graph showing that the view is most prevalent in younger people, which is not a good sign. > [@marshmallow](#): > > If a Democrat assaulted a reporter would you vote for the Republican? I don’t know if I would vote for the Republican but I wouldn’t vote for the Democrat. And I would support prosecution for the assault rather than dismissing it as a “mistake” or “Montana Justice”. Ah well. Maybe we could send Jeremy Clarkson to Montana to run for office next time. He’d be a shoo-in with his background. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/38 "2017-05-26T11:33:21Z")
Montanans deserve to lose their health insurance if they voted for this galoot. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/39 "2017-05-26T11:49:28Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Montanans deserve to lose their health insurance if they voted for this galoot. This is both an unjust and counterproductive sentiment. Lots of Montanans voted for Quist – do they deserve to lose their health insurance? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443/40 "2017-05-26T12:04:37Z")
If you watch a clip of it, when he apologized some hick in the audience yelled out “and we forgive you.” Really easy for a third party to forgive the attacker for the victim. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republicans-candidate-who-assaulted-reporter-is-fine-with-us/787443.md?page=3)