# 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:** 1460
**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:** [May 19, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29182 "2016-05-19T04:06:09Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > And here’s Fox with a compilation of nine times the President was caught by surprise by his own administration’s actions… Each story brought the President’s approval rating to new lows. Perhaps. But those seem to have been spiky lows from which the ratings have rebounded. The overall trend looks fairly level. At least compared to some other guy. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29183 "2016-05-19T04:43:49Z")
Please be true! please be true! [Trump taps Sarah Palin’s vetter for VP search](http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/trump-taps-sarah-palins-vetter-for-vp-search/). ---
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29184 "2016-05-19T05:42:41Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [John McCain has a campaign ad attacking his Republican primary opponent for taking chemtrails seriously. Until the likely Democratic opponent in the general election dug up that McCain himself passed on a letter from a concerned constituent about chemtrails.](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/john-mccain-letter-chemtrails) It was forwarded by his office with a form letter along with tens of thousands of similar letters, so I’m not really seeing the issue here. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2016, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29185 "2016-05-19T06:07:38Z")
[Louisiana legislator introduces a bill to limit strippers to under 28 and under 160 pounds. He withdrew it after derision.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stripper-weight-limit_us_573cecf5e4b0646cbeec1315?section=politics) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29186 "2016-05-19T06:23:39Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > He won’t say that, because that’s a stupid, ignorant thing to say. He’ll say, “The problem has been dealt with. It won’t happen again.” And he’d probably be lying, as usual. I have plenty of problems with Obama’s record and policies, but it’s absurd to think that he’s significantly less aware of what’s going on in the executive branch than previous Presidents have been. FFS, [Bush didn’t know in 2006 that a controversial deal to sell shipping rights](http://www.foxnews.com/story/2006/02/22/bush-wasnt-aware-port-deal.html) at six major US seaports to a UAE-based firm had even been proposed until after his administration approved it. Reagan famously denied knowledge of the Iran-contra machinations. Etc. By any standards, and especially in comparison to those examples, the “ignorance” that Obama is being accused of is pretty weaksauce. Most of **adaher** ’s examples are overhyped non-issues that the President wouldn’t normally be in the loop for anyway: e.g., the alleged “targeting” of groups by the IRS where lengthy investigations by the FBI and the Justice Department found no evidence of wrongdoing. You can’t expect Obama to know in advance about all the fake “scandals” and “controversies” Republican obstructionists and right-wing media decide to make up to discredit him. The “stimulus-bill” issue is another red herring, being more in the nature of “unknown territory” than ignorance _per se_. You have to remember that it had been many decades since the entire US economic system had come so near to total catastrophe as it did in the autumn of 2008, and there were many differing opinions on what to do about it. Obama was wrong about many unknown factors concerning the recession and recovery, but so were many other people, including most of the anti-stimulus conservatives. Being wrong isn’t the same as being “ignorant” or clueless. > [@adaher](#): > > Find me an example of something going on in Trump’s large empire that he claimed to have no idea about. Well, for one thing, he claims to be unaware that he himself used to call media outlets under pretense of being his own publicist in order to brag about himself. :dubious: The idea that this narcissistic assclown could possibly be imagined as more candid and/or competent than a reasonably knowledgeable and effective (although fairly run-of-the-mill) career politician like Obama simply strains credulity to the breaking-point. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29187 "2016-05-19T07:10:23Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > {…} Most of **adaher** ’s examples are overhyped non-issues that the President wouldn’t normally be in the loop for anyway: e.g., the alleged “targeting” of groups by the IRS where lengthy investigations by the FBI and the Justice Department found no evidence of wrongdoing. You can’t expect Obama to know in advance about all the fake “scandals” and “controversies” Republican obstructionists and right-wing media decide to make up to discredit him. {…} And we can’t expect Republicans (or adaher) to remember what happened the last time the President had the FBI, the Justice Department, and the IRS on speed-dial and occasionally involved himself in their operations or why we insisted on there being a firewall between them and the Oval Office :cough: Nixon :cough:. CMC fnord! ---
**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 19, 2016, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29188 "2016-05-19T08:48:39Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [Congressional Republicans are refusing to pass funding to fight the Zika virus unless the administration agrees to cuts to Obamacare.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-cornyn-zika-funding_us_573cb65ae4b0646cbeebd2b3?section=politics) > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > What’s next? > > Republicans bringing citizens into the Senate chambers and threatening to execute them one by one until their demands to destroy Obamacare are met? Could be the same thing, depending how serious this Zika thing turns out to be. > [@Kimstu](#): > > FFS, [Bush didn’t know in 2006 that a controversial deal to sell shipping rights](http://www.foxnews.com/story/2006/02/22/bush-wasnt-aware-port-deal.html) at six major US seaports to a UAE-based firm had even been proposed until after his administration approved it. Reagan famously denied knowledge of the Iran-contra machinations. Etc. You’re forgetting that these things don’t count when Republicans do them. Obama not knowing what a mid-level IRS manager in Ohio was doing is apparently evidence of his incompetence, but Ben Carson spouting idiocies is only indicative of a failing on the part of his staff who should have managed him better. **adaher** likes a level playing field as long as it’s a vertical one. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29189 "2016-05-19T13:11:53Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > All you’re arguing is that if someone doesn’t know everything, he’s not ignorant since it’s impossible to know everything. > > Find me an example of something going on in Trump’s large empire that he claimed to have no idea about. Well, of course it hasn’t happened yet, but I strongly suspect that later this year, should Mr. Trump have to go testify in the ‘Trump University’ fraud lawsuit, he’s going to plead ignorance of all sorts of things. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2016, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29190 "2016-05-19T13:17:28Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > **adaher** likes a level playing field as long as it’s a vertical one. _stealing_ ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29191 "2016-05-19T13:30:45Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Well, of course it hasn’t happened yet, but I strongly suspect that later this year, should Mr. Trump have to go testify in the ‘Trump University’ fraud lawsuit, he’s going to plead ignorance of all sorts of things. Moriarty made [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19341513&postcount=522) in response to a similar line of argument in the Elections forum. It quotes from Trump’s deposition in the Trump University lawsuit, and it’s pretty much what you described. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29192 "2016-05-19T15:28:54Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > **adaher** likes a level playing field as long as it’s a vertical one. Well that’s just plumb crazy. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29193 "2016-05-19T15:43:44Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > You picked a bad century to be a Republican. Only the 19th would have been a good one, actually. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29194 "2016-05-19T15:46:00Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Yep. Most Texans are gay. Yippie-ki-yo-ki-yay, big boy! ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29195 "2016-05-19T15:47:18Z")
You guys ever notice that every few weeks, addy pops up here to derail the topic? The asylum must be letting patients out for holidays or something ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29196 "2016-05-19T15:47:32Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [Louisiana legislator introduces a bill to limit strippers to under 28 and under 160 pounds. He withdrew it after derision.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stripper-weight-limit_us_573cecf5e4b0646cbeec1315?section=politics) It’s just a matter of basic quality control! Won’t somebody think of the consumer?! ---
**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:** [May 19, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29197 "2016-05-19T16:31:29Z")
> [@Reyemile](#): > > It was forwarded by his office with a form letter along with tens of thousands of similar letters, so I’m not really seeing the issue here. Yeah, the worst that McCaine could be accused of here is legitimately passing the buck. “I don’t want to deal with this crazy person, you do it.” ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29198 "2016-05-19T16:57:24Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Only the 19th would have been a good one, actually. Not necessarily - The first half of the twentieth was pretty good, too. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29199 "2016-05-19T17:06:26Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Not necessarily - The first half of the twentieth was pretty good, too. I was going to say, through Eisenhower is acceptable. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29200 "2016-05-19T17:14:49Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > I was going to say, through Eisenhower is acceptable. Yeah, and Teddy Roosevelt was OK. Even I remember when Republicans were old guys with too much money–not nutcases. The Late Great Molly Ivins wrote movingly of that extinct species, the Liberal Republican. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/29201 "2016-05-19T20:29:06Z")
[Republicans want to impeach the IRS Commissioner.](http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/republicans-get-serious-about-impeachment-not-obamas?cid=sm_fb_maddow) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1459) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1461)