# 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:** 1501
**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 13, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30002 "2016-07-13T18:50:24Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Dopey OD’d? No, he was on McCarthy’s list, he changed his name to Alan Smithee. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30003 "2016-07-14T03:14:26Z")
Wow, page 600 already. Just thought I’d mention. ---
**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 14, 2016, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30004 "2016-07-14T03:24:02Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Wow, page 600 already. > > Just thought I’d mention. It’s been running for a little over 7 years, averaging a little under 4,300 posts a year, or about 11 a day. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30005 "2016-07-14T03:38:31Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Dopey OD’d? > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > No, he was on McCarthy’s list, he changed his name to Alan Smithee. Did he, now? Despite the wonderous art we might have seen had he continued his career as an actor, he really did a bang-up job directing Blade Runner. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30006 "2016-07-14T03:59:44Z")
…I’ve seen troop ships burning off the shoulders of Orion. I heard Orion screaming “Hey, fucking asshole troop ships! Quite burning my goddam shoulders off! Shit!”… ---
**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:** [July 14, 2016, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30007 "2016-07-14T05:04:31Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > There are some forms of stupidity and/or intentional dishonesty that take on a life of their own and simply refuse to die no matter how obvious they are. The idiotic claim that to acknowledge anything good about pre-counterculture America belies a desire for the return of racist policies is foremost among them. Nobody minds acknowledging the good things about the past. The issue people have with you in particular is your insistence on downplaying or outright denying the bad things about the past, usually with no more support than, “I happened to be alive at that time, and that’s not how I remember it.” And often in direct contradiction of the testimonies of people who were also alive at the time, but didn’t have your advantages of being white, male, and about ten years old. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30008 "2016-07-14T06:23:00Z")
Even some of us white male ten-year-olds grew up and realized that not everyone had the LeaveItToBeaver lifestyle we did. Worse yet, some people were sidelined because they happened to be born with the “wrong” ethnicity or skin color. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30009 "2016-07-14T06:28:26Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Nobody minds acknowledging the good things about the past. The issue people have with you in particular is your insistence on downplaying or outright denying the bad things about the past, usually with no more support than, “I happened to be alive at that time, and that’s not how I remember it.” And often in direct contradiction of the testimonies of people who were also alive at the time, but didn’t have your advantages of being white, male, and about ten years old. If they don’t mind acknowledging the good things of the past then why don’t they say that, instead of always accusing me of wanting a return to racism? My opinion is that people like **digs** have no good argument for the bad and irresponsible practices that grew out of the social upheaval of the late sixties (by which time I was in my early twenties, btw) so their only defense is to accuse me of wanting a return to racism. Racism has become the catch-all defense for all the ills of society today, whether they be drugs, substandard and harmful educational practices, increased crime and revolving door prison systems, the breakdown of family values and the resulting number of kids raised in fatherless homes by mothers ill-equipped by their own broken upbringing to properly raise children, etc., etc., etc. More people have died or had their lives ruined by liberal policies and practices over the last 50 years by far than was ever the case during the preceding decades, but ‘handwaving away’ doesn’t begin to describe the apathy these issues are met with whenever I or anyone else dares to bring them up. I don’t recall ever denying that racism existed back then, nor have I ever been a defender of it. And is it really a surprise that the board’s liberals who were alive back then disagree with me about that time? They’re members of the group whose ideology instigated all this. Believe me, I know plenty of people who were alive back then who agree with me entirely and are just as disgusted by the turn of events since those days as I am, if not moreso. And guess what, they’re all conservatives. So the contrary testimony of liberals who were alive then is indicative of nothing more than the fact that they were liberals back then too. And now a question for you. If nobody minds acknowledging the good things about the past, why aren’t they open to taking steps to bring those good things back? I’m pretty sure I know the answer, and it has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with liberal ideology in the main and the fact that much of what liberals consider to be ‘progress’ would have to be rolled back. But they don’t want to have that argument. It’s far easier just to accuse everyone who objects to the problems of today of longing for a return to racism. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30010 "2016-07-14T06:34:37Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > …So the contrary testimony of liberals who were alive then is indicative of nothing more than the fact that they were liberals back then too… A lot of it is pretty recent, really. Once you go Barack, you never go back. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30011 "2016-07-14T06:42:47Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > Even some of us white male ten-year-olds grew up and realized that not everyone had the LeaveItToBeaver lifestyle we did. Worse yet, some people were sidelined because they happened to be born with the “wrong” ethnicity or skin color. Sure, I can understand that. What I don’t understand is how creating screwed up educational practices, greatly increased rates of crime, eager adoption of drug use, the practice of setting criminals loose over and over and over again despite lengthy rap sheets, encouraging practices that result in kids being born to young mothers with no father had home to provide love, financial support and to serve as role models has somehow made life peachy for those who never had the ‘LeaveItToBeaver’ lifestyle growing up (which, hard as it may be to believe, no one had. _LITB_ was a _tv show_ and about as similar to real life as _I Love Lucy_ or _Route 66_), or for those who were born with the ‘wrong’ ethnicity or skin color. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2016, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30012 "2016-07-14T07:04:45Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Sure, I can understand that. What I don’t understand is how creating screwed up educational practices, greatly increased rates of crime, eager adoption of drug use, the practice of setting criminals loose over and over and over again despite lengthy rap sheets, encouraging practices that result in kids being born to young mothers with no father had home to provide love, financial support and to serve as role models has somehow made life peachy for those who never had the ‘LeaveItToBeaver’ lifestyle growing up (which, hard as it may be to believe, no one had. _LITB_ was a _tv show_ and about as similar to real life as _I Love Lucy_ or _Route 66_), or for those who were born with the ‘wrong’ ethnicity or skin color. What a lovely gish gallop of half-truths and bullshit you’ve got there. By all means - what does liberalism have to do with “eager adoption of drug use”, exactly? Particularly when it comes to the drugs that really destroyed lives at the time? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30013 "2016-07-14T09:05:26Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Sure, I can understand that. What I don’t understand is how creating screwed up educational practices, greatly increased rates of crime, eager adoption of drug use, the practice of setting criminals loose over and over and over again despite lengthy rap sheets, encouraging practices that result in kids being born to young mothers with no father had home to provide love, financial support and to serve as role models has somehow made life peachy for those who never had the ‘LeaveItToBeaver’ lifestyle growing up (which, hard as it may be to believe, no one had. _LITB_ was a _tv show_ and about as similar to real life as _I Love Lucy_ or _Route 66_), or for those who were born with the ‘wrong’ ethnicity or skin color. Both crime and teen pregnancy rates have gone way down over the last few decades. Why do you think that is? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30014 "2016-07-14T13:23:47Z")
Yes, yes, it’s always that things were perfect in the old days and we’re steadily deteriorating. Crime is worse (no it isn’t, it’s much much better) Drug use is up (no it isn’t) Out of wedlock children are more common (no they aren’t) People were more respectful (no they weren’t) Politics were more polite (oh hell no they weren’t!) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30015 "2016-07-14T13:47:01Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Both crime and teen pregnancy rates have gone way down over the last few decades. Why do you think that is? He just knows in his heart that it was better then. Even if crime, drug use, and teen pregnancy are down now, back in the old days all the “undesirables” were out of sight and out of mind. Separate as it were. Right SA? ---
**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 14, 2016, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30016 "2016-07-14T13:53:32Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Yes, yes, it’s always that things were perfect in the old days and we’re steadily deteriorating. > > Crime is worse (no it isn’t, it’s much much better) > Drug use is up (no it isn’t) > Out of wedlock children are more common (no they aren’t) > People were more respectful (no they weren’t) > Politics were more polite (oh hell no they weren’t!) But hoodlums didn’t walk around with their dungarees hanging down below their keisters, I tell you what. You can’t deny that one now, can you sonny? ---
**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:** [July 14, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30017 "2016-07-14T13:57:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > But hoodlums didn’t walk around with their dungarees hanging down below their keisters, I tell you what. You can’t deny that one now, can you sonny? Yeah, what about ducktails and leather jackets, uh? Those were real hoodlums, sonny. _shakes cane_ ---
**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:** [July 14, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30018 "2016-07-14T14:13:17Z")
> [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](#): > > He just knows in his heart that it was better then. Even if crime, drug use, and teen pregnancy are down now, back in the old days all the “undesirables” were out of sight and out of mind. Separate as it were. Right SA? But equal. In theory. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30019 "2016-07-14T14:38:49Z")
> [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](#): > > He just knows in his heart that it was better then. Even if crime, drug use, and teen pregnancy are down now, back in the old days all the “undesirables” were out of sight and out of mind. Separate as it were. Right SA? He wasn’t pregnant when he was a teen, ergo . . . ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30020 "2016-07-14T15:13:44Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The funny part about his quote is that if you took a conservative from say, 1890-ish, they’d blast SA and his lot for _not learning Latin_ and for dressing poorly. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > But _hoodlums_ didn’t walk around with their dungarees hanging down below their keisters, I tell you what. You can’t deny that one now, can you sonny? Well, there ya go! Back in the day, people knew the proper pluralization “hoodla”. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/30021 "2016-07-14T15:14:27Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Politics were more polite (oh hell no they weren’t!) But don’t you pine for the good old days of McCarthyism? Back when your neighbors were polite because they knew if they weren’t you could have them blacklisted? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1500) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1502)