# 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:** 1314
**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:** [December 18, 2015, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26262 "2015-12-18T06:54:41Z")
Sheesh, I was just looking for the debate transcript and as I was typing in the search term, I glanced up to see that autocorrect had filled in for me with “Republiopaths”. Damn thing. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26263 "2015-12-18T08:46:23Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Um, not hungry, thanks anyway. Ignorance is _bris_. ---
**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:** [December 18, 2015, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26264 "2015-12-18T09:05:07Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Ignorance is _bris_. That’s lacist. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26265 "2015-12-18T12:14:12Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > …Black Friday (in liturgical terms it begins at sundown on Thanksgiving)… That’s sounds kinda Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26266 "2015-12-18T13:55:01Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I know that Texas Protestants only count three holidays this time of year… I think a few important football games fall within The Season. (Depending on how well your team did.) To be somewhat serious–“Happy Holidays” has been used for years. Long before the War on Christmas ™. So, how well is Sid Miller doing his job? [From the _Houston Chronicle_](http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Ag-commissioner-doled-out-410k-in-bonuses-in-6703743.php): > [@](#): > > Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a first-term Republican who campaigned as an uncompromising conservative, gave out more bonuses to agency employees in his first nine months in office than his predecessor awarded in his first two and a half years on the job, according to an analysis of personnel data… > > Most of Miller’s bonuses were handed out in September - the same month he announced he was sharply raising fees on farmers, grocery stores and others, sparking surprise and anger among some state lawmakers. The fees are set to take effect Jan. 1. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26267 "2015-12-18T14:41:49Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I know that Texas Protestants only count three holidays this time of year, Black Friday (in liturgical terms it begins at sundown on Thanksgiving), Christmas, and New Years Day ;), but as a piss-poor Lutheran but a one-time very good Catholic I did a quick run-through of the holiday season. Advent began 11/29, St Nicholas’s feast day was 12/6, the feast of the Immaculate Conception was 12/8, Christmas is 12/25, St Stephen’s Day is 12/26, the Feast of the Circumcision (I lapsed a long time ago) is 1/1, and Epiphany is 1/6. Then Eastern Rite has some of the dates wrong but because my brother went Russian I have to be aware of them, Jews have Hanukkah, Muslims can’t agree on a day to–or whether to–celebrate the birth of the Prophet but it’s in there somewhere, and then there’s Kwanzaa, if anybody but white elementary schoolteachers still celebrate it. > > I think that’s a full plate of Holiday Season, better than a month, to hope people enjoy, and I’m not even including the Wiccansm, Buddhists, Hindus, and everybody else. By limiting it to Merry Christmas, “merry” being an inappropriate emotional response to the birth of our Lord, I feel some people give me a theological poke in they eye, and I don’t like it. :mad: I could use a meme image to post on all my social media sites every time a Friend posts a “Be Politically Incorrect - Say Merry Christmas!” one, before I permanently unfriend them. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26268 "2015-12-18T15:06:32Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > The latest from Ted Cruz. > > ['Undocumented Democrats' Is Ted Cruz's 'New, Politically Correct' Term : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2015/12/17/460149169/undocumented-democrats-is-ted-cruzs-new-politically-correct-term) > > For the record, I first heard the term from “even bigger Texas Whackjob” Louis Gohmert. It just makes it sound like their only objection is a political one. Which I doubt wins them any converts. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26269 "2015-12-18T16:00:02Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [Texas Agriculture Commissioner wants to slap the next person who wishes him Happy Holidays (I tweeted Happy Holidays to him as well as posting it on his Facebook page)](http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Texas-Ag-Commish-Sid-Miller-threatens-a-slap-to-6702932.php) What can you say about adults who throw a hissy fit over not being greeted the way _they_ want to be greeted? It’s like they’re 5 years old. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26270 "2015-12-18T16:24:58Z")
And anyway, Mr Cruz, Democrats don’t rely on undocumented immigrants to expand their voter base. We rely on Republicans to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26271 "2015-12-18T17:44:31Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > A twofer: > > [Texas Agriculture Commissioner wants to slap the next person who wishes him Happy Holidays (I tweeted Happy Holidays to him as well as posting it on his Facebook page)](http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Texas-Ag-Commish-Sid-Miller-threatens-a-slap-to-6702932.php) > > [Representative Mike Pompeo urges the military to disobey Obama orders.](http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rep-mike-pompeo-urges-military-defy-obama-gitmo-closure) Hey, if “Happy Holiday(s)” was good enough for Irving Berlin and Bing Crosby, it’s good enough for me! ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26272 "2015-12-18T17:53:38Z")
Hey, I’ll admit that if Latino immigrants voted overwhelmingly Republican, that wall would start looking a whole lot more appealing! ---
**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 18, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26273 "2015-12-18T18:37:41Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Um, not hungry, thanks anyway. Try a little of the spotted Dick. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26274 "2015-12-18T18:39:01Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Can we define the “desired result”? Is it equality of outcome, or just equality of opportunity? Equality of opportunity WILL lead to equality of outcome. That is, unless you think there is something inherent about non-whites that will hamper their ability to compete with their white counterparts. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26275 "2015-12-18T18:41:35Z")
I think that cannot be ruled out. Is there equality of opportunity for sprinters? Marathoners? Long jumpers? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26276 "2015-12-18T18:52:09Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > A twofer: > > [Texas Agriculture Commissioner wants to slap the next person who wishes him Happy Holidays (I tweeted Happy Holidays to him as well as posting it on his Facebook page)](http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Texas-Ag-Commish-Sid-Miller-threatens-a-slap-to-6702932.php) This guy is a twit, but he was clearly engaging in hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26277 "2015-12-18T19:00:01Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > Equality of opportunity WILL lead to equality of outcome. That is, unless you think there is something inherent about non-whites that will hamper their ability to compete with their white counterparts. I should hasten to add, the issue is not “nonwhites”. I would be shocked if Asian Americans are included in the UT program, since they actually face reverse affirmative action at most elite universities. > **[Freakonomics](https://freakonomics.com/)** > > The hidden side of everything > [@](#): > > LIST: So, a first thing to note is we have huge differences across kids. Now, what I mean by that is that our program really, really helps Hispanic and white students and it doesn’t help blacks at all. > > DUBNER: How disappointing was it to see that Hispanics and whites moved a lot and blacks didn’t? > > LIST: Yeah, I think it’s a mixed bag. I think that when we started down this research agenda, part of our mission was, first of all, to learn about the racial achievement gap and learn about how we can lower that gap. Most of the time we lump Hispanic and African-American kids together, and we say, “What is the solution for minorities in public education?” And I think this particular result teaches us that the education production function across these two groups is very different and the solution will not be the same across African-American and Hispanic families. > > DUBNER: Do you have any ideas for African-American families? > > LIST: We have a few things boiling, but nothing that has popped up that moves African-American families. > > LEVITT: And to be honest, we have no real theory for why that is. The two sets of parents were equally engaged in the program and we can control for all sorts of background characteristics and nothing really explains it. So to me that’s really a puzzle, and a puzzle that I don’t have an answer for. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26278 "2015-12-18T19:07:19Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I think that cannot be ruled out. Is there equality of opportunity for sprinters? Marathoners? Long jumpers? I’m not sure what your point is here. Do you think blacks have an inherent advantage at these sports? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26279 "2015-12-18T19:07:28Z")
[30% of Republicans are in favor of bombing Agrabah - the (fictional) city from the movie _Aladdin_](http://www.mediaite.com/online/30-of-republicans-would-support-bombing-aladdins-homeland-of-agrabah/). ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26280 "2015-12-18T19:18:37Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > I’m not sure what your point is here. Do you think blacks have an inherent advantage at these sports? More that whites have an inherent disadvantage, and very specific populations within sub-Saharan Africa have an advantage. Do you dispute this? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/26281 "2015-12-18T19:34:00Z")
> [@bup](#): > > [30% of Republicans are in favor of bombing Agrabah - the (fictional) city from the movie _Aladdin_](http://www.mediaite.com/online/30-of-republicans-would-support-bombing-aladdins-homeland-of-agrabah/). I don’t see the point. Don’t they have an extremely effective defense shield? [https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;\_ylt=A0LEVzEeYHRWETgAxdNXNyoA;\_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Aladdin+Genie+Disney&fr=yfp-t-901#id=4&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcartoon-excellence.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F06%2FGenie-Aladdin\_wallpaper.png&action=click](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVzEeYHRWETgAxdNXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Aladdin+Genie+Disney&fr=yfp-t-901#id=4&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcartoon-excellence.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F06%2FGenie-Aladdin_wallpaper.png&action=click) [https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;\_ylt=A0LEVzEeYHRWETgAxdNXNyoA;\_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Aladdin+Genie+Disney&fr=yfp-t-901#id=19&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Flesplumesasthmatiques.net%2Ffr%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F07%2Fdisney-aladdin-prequel-movie-genie.jpg&action=click](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVzEeYHRWETgAxdNXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Aladdin+Genie+Disney&fr=yfp-t-901#id=19&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Flesplumesasthmatiques.net%2Ffr%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F07%2Fdisney-aladdin-prequel-movie-genie.jpg&action=click) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1313) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1315)