# 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:** 1705
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34082 "2017-06-01T20:51:15Z")
Oklahoma Republicans go full derplahoman on Veteran’s Day. > **[OK GOP shares patriotic pic of Russian plane for Memorial Day... - The Lost Ogle](https://thelostogle.com/2017/05/31/ok-gop-shares-patriotic-pic-of-russian-plane-for-memorial-day)** > > I hope everyone had a happy Memorial Day. It’s a great holiday. Where else in the world can you honor fallen soldiers by getting drunk at the lake and eating meat with family and friends? We thank all members of the military for their service to this... First off as a tribute, the **Oklahoma Republican Party** shares a post of a misidentified plane doing a counter-measure flare photo shoot. The plane gets called a C-130 [no props and the tail section is wrong] and the event an Angel Flight returning Americans who have died in combat. Note: If you do a google image search - the plane and purpose is wrong there too. The plane may be an IL-76 [or possibly a C-141 but the wheel sponsons aren’t quite right for the C-141]. The returning servicemen are most always on C-5As or C-17s or a commercial flight. Any idea on the actual plane? Next up is the official **Oklahoma Republican Party** promulgating the tired meme equating free and reduced cost government food assistance to the National Park Service warning to not feed animals because they become dependent on handouts. [just fuck these people] Not to be outdone; the **OK Federation of Republican Women** share the reminder that the Democratic party of 150 years ago founded the KKK and the democrats are responsible for the lynching and oppressing of Black Americans. #nevermissanopportunitytoshowablackhanging ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34083 "2017-06-01T22:46:46Z")
They’ve done it, by God! Oklahoma is _more_ politically ass-backwards than Texas! Thank you, Jesus! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34084 "2017-06-01T23:31:29Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > They’ve done it, by God! Oklahoma is _more_ politically ass-backwards than Texas! Thank you, Jesus! Praise the Lord! We’ll probably catch up soon, so enjoy our moment in the shade. ---
**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:** [June 1, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34085 "2017-06-01T23:39:03Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > They’ve done it, by God! Oklahoma is _more_ politically ass-backwards than Texas! Thank you, Jesus! Well, you know what they say: “The only reason why Texas doesn’t fall off into the ocean is because Oklahoma sucks” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34086 "2017-06-02T01:46:25Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > They’ve done it, by God! Oklahoma is _more_ politically ass-backwards than Texas! Thank you, Jesus! They’ve still got some work to do to catch up (or down) with Alabama… ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34087 "2017-06-02T01:54:07Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Next up is the official **Oklahoma Republican Party** promulgating the tired meme equating free and reduced cost government food assistance to the National Park Service warning to not feed animals because they become dependent on handouts. [just fuck these people] It’s not a meme, it’s a plain old LIE. The reason Park Services don’t want people feeding animals is because when they do, animals equate “human” with “large bags of snacks” and may attack if no snacks are provided. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34088 "2017-06-02T02:44:16Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Jerry DeLemus (who just happens to have been a New Hampshire Trump campaign chair) has been sentenced to seven years (including 16 months time served) for his part in the Bundy standoff in Nevada. > [Bundy standoff supporter sentenced to more than 7 years in prison - CBS News](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bundy-standoff-supporter-gerald-jerry-delemus-sentenced-7-years-in-prison/) > [@Kobal2](#): > > It’s not a meme, it’s a plain old LIE. The reason Park Services don’t want people feeding animals is because when they do, animals equate “human” with “large bags of snacks” and may attack if no snacks are provided. But I think that mirrors what some Republicans actually fear will happen. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34089 "2017-06-02T08:05:00Z")
Then they should keep providing the snacks 😉 ---
**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:** [June 2, 2017, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34090 "2017-06-02T12:29:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) unveiled his plan to fight crime in the city of Louisville on Thursday: Volunteer patrols that will not report or stop criminal activity, but pray it away. > Bevin suggested at a community meeting that volunteer groups of between three and 10 people would adopt specific blocks and walk around them while praying, according to WHAS, the Louisville ABC station. > “You know, you walk to a corner, pray for the people, talk to people along the way,” Bevin said, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. “No songs, no singing, no bullhorn, no T-shirts, no chanting. Be pleasant, talk to the people, that’s it.” > Bevin said participants would make year-long commitments, and even suggested specific zip codes for the roving bands of prayer police to patrol. > “Prayer WILL change things,” Bevin wrote on Twitter. > “Prayer is powerful, and a people united in prayer will make a difference in their communities,” he wrote in another tweet. > The meeting was held amid growing violence in Louisville, including a 7-year-old who was killed by a stray bullet last month. However, the plan drew mixed reviews from those living in the communities most affected by violence. > **[Kentucky Gov Says Louisville Can Pray Away Its Crime](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kentucky-prayer-patrols_n_5930d0e0e4b0c242ca229321?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009)** > > “Prayer WILL change things,” Matt Bevin vows. > [@](#): > > Rev. Clay Calloway of the West Louisville Ministers Coalition was so disgusted by the governor’s comments that he walked out of the meeting. > “The only thing I wish was present was a barf bag in front of my seat so I could throw up,” Calloway told local Fox affiliate WDRB. “Otherwise, I might have stayed a little bit longer.” ---
**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:** [June 2, 2017, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34091 "2017-06-02T13:26:33Z")
God is nothing more than an amplifier of inanity. Argumentum ad auctoritas used to gather a following which then leads to argumentum ad populum. It is a self-perpetuating problem that gets more and more people believing utter bullshit. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34092 "2017-06-02T14:11:39Z")
More on this story: > **[Republican governor hopes to fight crime with 'prayer patrols'](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/republican-governor-hopes-fight-crime-prayer-patrols-msna993181)** > > Louisville has a growing crime problem. Kentucky's Republican governor wants to combat the problem with "prayer patrols," not increased community investments. > [@](#): > > On Twitter, the far-right governor added, “Prayer WILL change things…. Prayer is powerful, and a people united in prayer will make a difference in their communities.” > > It’s worth clarifying, Bevin isn’t talking about supplementing new investments in housing, education, and health care with faith-based community activism. By all appearances, the governor wants Louisville residents to effectively create “prayer patrols” – in lieu of increased spending on housing, education, and health care. > > It’s probably best to put aside questions about whether prayer is an effective tool in combating urban violence. Instead, let’s deal with the substantive problems with Bevin’s recommended approach. > > Right off the bat, there are constitutional principles to consider. In our system, the government is supposed to be neutral on matters of religion. Bevin generally champions the idea of limited government, but when a governor uses the power of his office to encourage constituents to worship, that’s evidence of a pretty big government. > > … > … > … > In Louisville, Rev. Joe Phelps of the Highland Baptist Church told a local station that prayer patrols backed by the governor are “not the answer” the city needs. Phelps added, “For him to reduce the problems of violence to getting people to go pray for a block is an embarrassment to Christianity. I feel embarrassed for the Christian faith if the governor of Kentucky is saying these things as a solution to violence in our community.” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34093 "2017-06-02T14:54:21Z")
So, the idea being that God _could_ fix the problem, and _would_ fix the problem, but only if enough people hector Him? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34094 "2017-06-02T15:39:03Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > So, the idea being that God _could_ fix the problem, and _would_ fix the problem, but only if enough people hector Him? Nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34095 "2017-06-02T18:05:50Z")
So I just wrote this, modifying the old story about the man on the rooftop; Man had some problems and was praying for help from God. First came Language, so that Man could work together to solve his problems. But man used Language to bicker and divide. Then came a man with Reason, who said, “I can help you!” Man said “No thanks, God will help me” and killed Reason. Lastly came a man with Science, who said “I can help!” Man said “Science is malarkey. God will solve this!” and ignored Science. Then the disaster struck and Man cried out “Oh Lord, why didn’t you help me?” And God said “I gave you language, reason and science, so that you could explore the universe I gave you and find your own solutions. Was this not enough?” And so Man killed God, and raised up another in its place, saying “God will solve all of our problems, so that we don’t have to.” ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34096 "2017-06-02T18:18:06Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > So, the idea being that God _could_ fix the problem, and _would_ fix the problem, but only if enough people hector Him? Gotta tithe, too. The big guy needs his percentage, you feel me ? And hey, not for nothing but it’s a real nice planet you got there, real nice. Be a shame if something happened to it. ---
**Author:** ![SaneBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SaneBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaneBill)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34097 "2017-06-02T18:44:03Z")
But if prayer works, how is Trump still a president ? ---
**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:** [June 2, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34098 "2017-06-02T18:50:07Z")
So in the wake of the pretend outrage over the Kathy Griffin video, Ted Nugent, White House dinner guest, continues to call for the murder of Hillary Clinton. > **[NRA board member Ted Nugent stands by call for Hillary Clinton to be...](https://www.mediamatters.org/national-rifle-association/nra-board-member-ted-nugent-stands-call-hillary-clinton-be-hanged)** ---
**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:** [June 2, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34099 "2017-06-02T18:53:44Z")
During a debate over gun control legislation (which surprisingly passed), a Republican member of the state legislature thought it appropriate to remind a fellow (female) Republican that he was carrying. > **[Kansas State legislator reminds fellow legislator he's carrying a gun before...](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/6/2/1668139/-Kansas-State-legislator-reminds-fellow-legislator-he-s-carrying-a-gun-before-she-casts-her-vote)** > > Representative John Whitmer (R-Wichita), is many things, but hardened conservative is certainly a term that fits. The Kansas house debated a measure to limit gun access inside of facilities, specifically hospitals and mental health facilities... ---
**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:** [June 2, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34100 "2017-06-02T19:01:35Z")
Well, here’s a kick in the teeth: > [@](#): > > **Democrats face an unprecedented silent treatment from Trump World** > > Two months ago, congressional Democrats first went public with concerns that the Trump administration had ordered executive-branch officials to withhold information from Democratic offices. The Washington Post reported in April that leading lawmakers said “their staff members were told directly by workers in agencies that they could no longer speak with them.” > > A month later, Senate Democrats raised the same concerns, accusing Donald Trump’s White House of “purposely ignoring requests for information” sent by Democratic offices. > > Politico reports today that Dems aren’t paranoid; the administration’s partisan silent treatment is real. > The White House is telling federal agencies to blow off Democratic lawmakers’ oversight requests, as Republicans fear the information could be weaponized against President Donald Trump. > > At meetings with top officials for various government departments this spring, Uttam Dhillon, a White House lawyer, told agencies not to cooperate with such requests from Democrats, according to Republican sources inside and outside the administration…. The declaration amounts to a new level of partisanship in Washington, where the president and his administration already feels besieged by media reports and attacks from Democrats. The idea, Republicans said, is to choke off the Democratic congressional minorities from gaining new information that could be used to attack the president. > > The White House didn’t exactly deny this. On the contrary, a spokesperson said the administration’s policy is to “accommodate” oversight requests from committee chairs, “regardless of their political party.” A specific case: > [@](#): > > One month ago, Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats sent a letter to the Office of Personnel Management asking for cybersecurity information after it was revealed that millions of people had their identities compromised. The letter asked questions about how cybersecurity officials were hired, and in Rice’s view, it “was not a political letter at all.” > > “The answer we got back is, ‘We only speak to the chair people of committees.’ We said, ‘That’s absurd, what are you talking about?’” Rice said in an interview. “I was dumbfounded at their response. I had never gotten anything like that…. The administration has installed loyalists at every agency to keep tabs on what information people can get.” proving that this administration does not know the meaning of “irony”. Or maybe “hypocrisy” > [@](#): > > Circling back to a report from April, during Obama’s presidency, Trump whined incessantly about transparency, calling the Democrat, among other things, “the least transparent president ever.” Trump asked in 2012, “Why does Obama believe he shouldn’t comply with record releases that his predecessors did of their own volition? Hiding something?” > **[Democrats face an unprecedented silent treatment from Trump World](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/democrats-face-unprecedented-silent-treatment-trump-world-msna993266)** > > When it comes to congressional oversight, Donald Trump has adopted an approach to transparency one wouldn't expect to see in a modern democracy. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/34101 "2017-06-02T20:36:18Z")
Final version; **Man and God** Man had some problems and was praying to God for help. First came Language, so that Man could work together to solve his problems. But Man used Language to bicker and divide. Then came Reason, who said, “I can help you!” Man said “No thanks, God will help me” and killed Reason. Last came Science, who said “I can solve this!” But Man said “Science is malarkey. God will solve this!” and ignored Science. Then the disaster struck and Man cried out “Oh Lord, why didn’t you help me?” God said “I gave you Language, Reason and Science, so that you might explore the universe I gave you and find your own solutions. Was this not enough?” And so Man slew God and raised up another in his place, proclaiming “Our God will solve all of our problems, so that we don’t have to.” © 2017 by (Chimera’s real name redacted) Permission granted for all non-monetized use. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1704) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1706)