# 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:** 1155
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23082 "2015-07-18T19:56:31Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > But it’s certainly okay to attack veterans in the vilest ways if it’s an incumbent Democrat you’re trying to defeat. Let’s remember the various attacks against [Max Cleland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Cleland) (D-Ga, formerly) – a Viet Vet who lost three limbs there – at various times over the years. Saxby Chambliss defeated him with an attack ad in 2002 that questioned his patriotism. Later, [Ann Coulter attacked his patriotism](http://observer.com/2004/02/vile-ann-coulter-smears-a-war-hero/) for criticizing George W. Bush. Don’t forget the swiftboating of John Kerry, ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23083 "2015-07-18T20:00:49Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Don’t forget the swiftboating of John Kerry, Yes, definitely that too! ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23084 "2015-07-18T20:30:05Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > So while it’s true that Trump received deferments that’s one thing we can’t criticize him for. I’m not sure that’s the hill you want to die on (to coin a war-hero/anti-draft-dodger phrase). I’m the one who brought up Trump’s deferments. I wasn’t calling him a draft dodger - I was drawing a line directly between “McCain’s a war hero because he got captured/I like people who don’t get captured” to “Guess who never has to worry about being captured because he’s not even going to Vietnam?” Deferments were part of the process, and lots of guys got them. Doesn’t mean you can’t call one of them out on it when they start ragging on a guy who 1) went to fight in Vietnam and 2) spent five years as a POW. > [@rsa](#): > > But hey, he denied having said that thing about Mccain. Apparently the tape was doctored. :rolleyes: Doctored? Yeah, right. I heard the clip. You can hear the audience react in disbelief. He said it, all right. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23085 "2015-07-18T20:33:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Don’t forget the swiftboating of John Kerry, Wasn’t Tammy Duckworth another example? Helicopter pilot, lost limbs in Iraq, comes home to run for Congress and the Republicans paint her as soft and somehow less than patriotic. Or am I not remembering that right? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23086 "2015-07-18T20:59:50Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Yes, definitely that too! And let’s add the dissing of Tammy Duckworth, a double amputee from her service in Iraq, by her Republican opponent Joe Walsh, [for an Illinois congressional seat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammy_Duckworth#2006): > [@](#): > > Walsh generated controversy when in July 2012, at a campaign event, he accused Duckworth of politicizing her military service and injuries, saying “my God, that’s all she talks about. Our true heroes, the men and women who served us, it’s the last thing in the world they talk about,” and faced significant backlash for the comments Definitely a pattern of disrespect for veterans by Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23087 "2015-07-18T21:03:45Z")
All the claims of vets being unpatriotic, cowards, whatever are vile. But at least they’re understandable, when they’re attacking one of their opponents. Where is Trump’s shit-talking McCain even _coming from_? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23088 "2015-07-18T21:13:30Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Where is Trump’s shit-talking McCain even _coming from_? Sheboygan? ---
**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:** [July 18, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23089 "2015-07-18T21:21:19Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > All the claims of vets being unpatriotic, cowards, whatever are vile. > > But at least they’re understandable, when they’re attacking one of their opponents. Where is Trump’s shit-talking McCain even _coming from_? AIUI, Trump was in Arizona to spout some crazy crap, and McCain made statements to distance himself from Trump and his crazy crap. TheDonald hates that. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23090 "2015-07-18T21:29:35Z")
Ah, that makes a vague sort of sense, in a very Trumpish over-reacting way. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23091 "2015-07-18T21:55:16Z")
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: [Trump now has his very own personal on-going Pit thread!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=762685) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23092 "2015-07-18T22:03:20Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > All the claims of vets being unpatriotic, cowards, whatever are vile. > > But at least they’re understandable, when they’re attacking one of their opponents. Where is Trump’s shit-talking McCain even _coming from_? What do you mean, “Understandable.” If you understand that the person making the attack is a vile piece of crap, maybe. There are all sorts of grounds to attack McCain, Kerry, Cleland and Duckworth on: their courage and patriotism are NOT grounds they can or should be attacked on. You could, for instance, attack the policies they support/propose. Doesn’t anybody address policies any more? At all? Well, given the record of Republican voters, I guess I can understand why not … sigh. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23093 "2015-07-18T23:07:39Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > But hey, he denied having said that thing about Mccain. Apparently the tape was doctored. :rolleyes: > [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > Doctored? Yeah, right. I heard the clip. You can hear the audience react in disbelief. He said it, all right. You didn’t notice the :rolleyes:? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23094 "2015-07-18T23:21:57Z")
As I sorta posted in the other thread-- You thought Trump was a racist piece of shit? Well, remove ‘racist’ and you are still left with ‘piece of shit’. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23095 "2015-07-19T00:55:25Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > What do you mean, “Understandable.” If you understand that the person making the attack is a vile piece of crap, maybe. There are all sorts of grounds to attack McCain, Kerry, Cleland and Duckworth on: their courage and patriotism are NOT grounds they can or should be attacked on. > > You could, for instance, attack the policies they support/propose. Doesn’t anybody address policies any more? At all? > > Well, given the record of Republican voters, I guess I can understand why not … sigh. I think he meant that it was understandable because the GOP tend to say shit about their opponents. Trump’s attack on McCain came out of nowhere, I couldn’t understand either why he suddenly picked him as a target but **kaylasdad99** explained it ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23096 "2015-07-19T02:12:50Z")
Yeah, it’s like kicking someone in the groin during a fight…not cool, but it at least goes toward an understandable goal, and totally different than wandering up to someone and kicking them in the balls just because they’re there. Or in this case because they called you on fighting dirty. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23097 "2015-07-19T03:33:40Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > You didn’t notice the :rolleyes:? Oh, yeah, I did. I wasn’t trying to go after you personally about the “doctored tape,” just any other doofus (cough_Trump_cough) who was actually making that ridiculous claim. I know you weren’t. Sorry if I was less than clear. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23098 "2015-07-19T12:11:43Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > [Texas Governor vetoes bill that would have given mental health professionals more power to deal with dangerous individuals – because Scientologists hate psychiatrists (Xenu used them for evil)](http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/dont-mess-with-xenu-scientologists-convince-texas-governor-to-veto-mental-health-bill/). No one here has commented on this story yet, but I personally don’t believe, as the article suggests, that Abbott caved to pressure from Scientology. The reason he vetoed a bill that would have allowed doctors to detain dangerous crazy people is obvious: dangerous crazy people are his core constituency! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23099 "2015-07-19T12:45:38Z")
You can’t just blame the Scientologists for this one. The others behind the campaign were a home school group, an anti-vac group and an anti-fluoridation group. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23100 "2015-07-19T14:42:50Z")
In other words, people mental health professionals _should_ be locking up! ---
**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:** [July 19, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/23101 "2015-07-19T15:01:45Z")
Or perhaps he had an appointment with his shrink that very day? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1154) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1156)