# Stupid Republican idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897 "2009-03-26T18:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1016
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20302 "2015-03-24T21:05:03Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Actually, that raises an amusing notion : Ted Cruz is technically not a natural born citizen since he was born abroad and his father only became a US citizen in 2005. Depending on which interpretation of “natural born citizen” one chooses to go by, he could well be ineligible . He’s indubitably slightly more ineligible than Obama ever was. > > Wanna bet the Birther contingent (some elements of which are \*still \*dogging Obama) lets that quietly slide 😉 ? [Discussing Ted Cruz,](http://samuel-warde.com/2013/08/geographically-challenged-tea-party-member-says-canada-is-not-really-foreign-soil-video/) birth in Canada to a Cuban father and an American mother. When asked if he qualifies to run for president one Tea Party genius replies she doesn’t consider Canada foreign soil, it just the way she feels. So Canada not foreign, Hawaii foreign. Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20303 "2015-03-24T21:14:44Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I had a friend that bought into the conservative gold-buying craze back in 2009. What I found crazy about the whole thing was it wasn’t about buying gold as an investment at the best market price. Rather, she was buying into the conservative myth that Obama was going to ban private ownership of gold and apparently, was going to personally come into her house, guns blazing, at some point and seize her gold. > Therefore she was buying certain collectible gold coins at a heavy premium because ( at the time at, at least ) the sale didn’t have to be reported to the government. And she bought from GoldLine which carries up to a 28% spread on it’s buy and sell prices but what the heck, Glenn Beck swears by them and she’ll be glad she spent the extra money when she has her gold while Obama has everyone else’s in a big treasure chest in the Lincoln Bedroom. > > [http://www.infowars.com/will-government-confiscate-all-gold-and-silver-under-national-defense-resourse-preparedness/](http://www.infowars.com/will-government-confiscate-all-gold-and-silver-under-national-defense-resourse-preparedness/) > > \*We can see a phony crisis being concocted to go after the American’s people gold, maybe even silver. He will order people like back when FDR was President to seize all safety deposit boxes and demand American to turn in their gold and silver coins, jewelry and would not surprise me if that be a couple’s wedding rings now required to be surrendered this time around. This is why people should by safes for their homes and bolt them to the floor and empty their safety deposit boxes over everything. > > My solution is empty my safety deposit box; take everything valuable out of the box. Even that classic Barbie doll you might collected.I would buy a cheap can of gold spray paint from the dollar store. I would get a bunch of rocks and spray paint them gold. Then I would fill the safety deposit box with these gold painted rocks. Our valuable stocks, bonds, gold and silver are not safe anymore in a bank’s safety deposit boxes. It safer in a safe in your home next to a Winchester 12 gauge shotgun placed nearby. \* But, if that happens, there is no longer any **market** in gold . . . you can’t spend it . . . you can’t sell it . . . you can’t take it to a jeweler to make into rings . . . you can’t eat it . . . so what’s the point of having any? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20304 "2015-03-24T21:35:40Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Not sure how crazy that is. FDR made everyone turn over their gold. Oh, it’s completely batshit crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20305 "2015-03-24T21:45:41Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Not sure how crazy that is. FDR made everyone turn over their gold. The irony there is, the only reason FDR needed to do that was because we were still on the gold standard, and there wasn’t enough gold in circulation to back the amount of currency we needed to print. The only way Obama would ever care about taking everyone’s gold is if the goldbugs got their way and we went back on the standard. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20306 "2015-03-24T22:25:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But, if that happens, there is no longer any **market** in gold . . . you can’t spend it . . . you can’t sell it . . . you can’t take it to a jeweler to make into rings . . . you can’t eat it . . . so what’s the point of having any? For buying things on the black market after the UN takes over the government. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20307 "2015-03-24T22:26:25Z")
[Missouri Rep legislator doesn’t want people on food stamps to be able to use them to buy fish.](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/anti-abortion-missouri-republican-criticized-for-new-bill-cutting-fish-out-of-food-stamp-plans/) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20308 "2015-03-24T22:29:47Z")
Acapulco Gold is subject to the deterioration of any vegetable matter, and is therefore a poor choice for the prudent investor. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20309 "2015-03-24T22:53:57Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Acapulco Gold is subject to the deterioration of any vegetable matter, and is therefore a poor choice for the prudent investor. Yeah, but I’m pretty sure I saw Obama come into my house and confiscate mine…or maybe Dave just looks like Obama sometimes…and maybe Dave took it with him when he left the room. Oh…Dave wasn’t here, so maybe I just forgot where I put it down. Or maybe I forgot to buy some. Damn you, Obama! ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20310 "2015-03-24T23:02:42Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Acapulco Gold is subject to the deterioration of any vegetable matter, and is therefore a poor choice for the prudent investor. Right, but if you can get seeds, you can make more of it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20311 "2015-03-24T23:14:35Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Acapulco Gold is subject to the deterioration of any vegetable matter, and is therefore a poor choice for the prudent investor. There’s also the problem of arson… ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20312 "2015-03-25T13:07:10Z")
For personal finances, buying gold looks like an extremely foolish idea to me, but, I admit, I am not a financial adviser. First off, don’t think of gold as a commodity. Think of it as just another foreign currency, That’s what most of the world does. If you do that you might consider buying, say, Swiss common stocks. Such stocks would serve the same inflation hedge against the US dollar as gold and are better to own, IMO. Second, gold does not pay dividends or interest. In fact, storing it can cost the investor. Historically, it just does not compare well to common stocks. Investing in solid, boring, companies like MMM, PG, or JNJ would have made you 50 or a 100 times more over the last 35+ years. MMM: The adjusted closing price Feb 28, 1980 was $2.59. Price Feb 27, 2015 was $168.65. JNJ: The adjusted closing price Feb 28, 1980 was $0.67. Price Feb 27, 2015 was $102.51. PG: The adjusted closing price Feb 28, 1980 was $0.86. Price Feb 27, 2015 was $85.13. Those increases ignore the very substantial benefits of dividends for those stocks. MMM paid $3.42 / share in 2014. JNJ paid $2.64, and P&G paid $2.57. Gold paid zero, nada, ziltch. And if you stored it somewhere safe, you had to pay extra for that too. Gold was left in the dust by those stodgy stocks. From Feb 28, 1980 to today gold is only up about 3X. Gold finished Feb 27 at 1,213.70. And those aren’t sexy stocks, they’re steady, good companies, but they’re not Apple. I’m not saying to avoid gold. I am saying keep it to a minimum. Maybe buy some nice pretty gold coins from the US Mint, if you must. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20313 "2015-03-25T16:07:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Maine Governor Paul LePage wants to put fresh water from Maine on barges and [sell it to drought states](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oriZunEbDe0) (video): > [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Hey, maybe we could, I dunno, build a _pipeline_! The rain in Maine is piped mainly through the plains. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20314 "2015-03-25T16:50:42Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > The rain in Maine is piped mainly through the plains. _clap_ _clap_ _clap_ Well done! ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20315 "2015-03-25T16:51:01Z")
…as a sociopath. > **[Ben Carson calls Obama a 'psychopath' | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/ben-carson-obama-psychopath-gq/index.html)** > > Ben Carson says President Barack Obama is a psychopath. Ben Carson, MD is amongst the very stupidest sacks of shit the current GOP can offer. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20316 "2015-03-25T16:55:47Z")
[Roy Moore hopes he doesn’t have to sacrifice his life to stop gay marriage.](http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/roy-moore-hopes-he-doesnt-have-sacrifice-his-life-stop-gay-marriage) ---
**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:** [March 25, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20317 "2015-03-25T17:02:16Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > [Roy Moore hopes he doesn’t have to sacrifice his life to stop gay marriage.](http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/roy-moore-hopes-he-doesnt-have-sacrifice-his-life-stop-gay-marriage) I was trying to envision a scenario in which Roy Moore is forced to give his life to stop gay marriage and now I’m trying not to. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20318 "2015-03-25T17:12:25Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Maine Governor Paul LePage wants to put fresh water from Maine on barges and [sell it to drought states](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oriZunEbDe0) (video): I’m going to give a pass to any idea, no matter how hare-brained, that involves taking the metric shit-ton of precipitation that’s fallen on the Eastern seaboard and get it to California, where it hasn’t rained in 5 years. (Slight exaggeration, but things are indeed dire here.) ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20319 "2015-03-25T17:12:49Z")
California attorney proposes a ballot initiative to make sodomy a [capital offence](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/02/lawyer-killing-gays-sodomite-suppression_n_6786776.html). There have been some pretty silly initiatives but this is a new low. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20320 "2015-03-25T18:19:04Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > …as a sociopath. > [http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/ben-carson-obama-psychopath-gq/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/ben-carson-obama-psychopath-gq/index.html) > > Ben Carson, MD is amongst the very stupidest sacks of shit the current GOP can offer. I hope he runs. If I say his name three times will he run? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/20321 "2015-03-25T18:23:47Z")
So, Cruz says the world is on fire (in the bad way, I guess), and one of his likely sparring partners is a guy whose name ends in “-arson”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1015) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1017)