# So when exactly did the Republican party start becoming "insane"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 7, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747 "2015-12-07T22:36:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747/141 "2015-12-11T18:26:51Z")
All I know is that compared to modern Republicans, Nixon was a progressive. ---
**Author:** ![Kiber](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiber/32/317_2.png) [@Kiber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiber)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747/142 "2015-12-11T18:58:24Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > All I know is that compared to modern Republicans, Nixon was a progressive. Shoot - compared to modern Democrats, Nixon was a progressive. [/hyperbole] ---
**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:** [December 11, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747/143 "2015-12-11T20:01:58Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > You forgot to mention their overriding fear. Pants-wetting irrational fear of things that have only a very, very tiny chance of happening to them. It may come from their ignorance of knowledge, learning and science; they simply cannot understand risk from the perspective of numbers. The average American has more to fear from lightning (90 deaths/year in the US), bees (54 deaths/year) or influenza (20,000 deaths/year). Not to mention choking to death (2,500), Killed by smoke/fire, (2,700) etc. Irrational fear. That is a Republican staple. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747/144 "2015-12-11T20:57:28Z")
Or fear of inconsequential things that have a reasonably high chance of happening to them, such as encountering a Muslim. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747/145 "2015-12-11T23:29:25Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > You work at a university? Or do you work in the real world and produce something? What an obnoxious thing to say. If only this were the pit. I work in pharmaceutical development. An awful lot of what we bring to market comes from universities. If that’s the level of understanding of how science works we’re in deep trouble. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747/146 "2015-12-11T23:44:45Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > If that’s the level of understanding of how science works we’re in deep trouble. Didn’t you know that Conservatives **hate** and **fear** science? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747/147 "2015-12-12T00:14:08Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > What an obnoxious thing to say. If only this were the pit. > I work in pharmaceutical development. An awful lot of what we bring to market comes from universities. > > If that’s the level of understanding of how science works we’re in deep trouble. Welcome to the Pit! You want to go for a rewrite? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-exactly-did-the-republican-party-start-becoming-insane/739747.md?page=7)