# 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:** 192
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3821 "2011-11-22T19:59:44Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > The world still owes the French a debt of gratitude for the invention of oral sex. Not America! We gave them their country back from the Germans. We pretty much had to destroy it to free it, but that’s the way we roll. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3822 "2011-11-22T20:00:57Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Ah! So “capitialism” then refers to the anal equivalent, i.e., “getting buggered”? I think you’re getting the hang of it. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3823 "2011-11-22T20:04:56Z")
[Here’s a raft of stupid ideas](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-candidates-court-conservative-christians-in-iowa/2011/11/19/gIQAbN7VcN_story.html) coming from the GOP contenders now, as they addressed extremist religious groups in Iowa: Newt Gingrich supports an idea that was literally _too conservative_ even for Mississippi. Genius.: “To limit abortion, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, one of the leading candidates in polls here, proposed a federal law defining ‘personhood’ as starting at conception, similar to a provision backed by abortion opponents that was rejected earlier this month by voters in Mississippi.” More Gingrich hyper-extremism: “The degree to which the left is prepared to impose intolerance and to drive out of existence traditional religion is a mortal threat to our civilization and deserves to be taken head-on and described as what it is, which is abuse of government to oppress the American people against their own values,” Gingrich said. If this were the SDMB, I’d like to see a cite on that. It is pure demonizing wacko. Rick Perry took the low road on prejudicial discrimination: “Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he supported provisions that would limit the ability of gay couples to adopt children…” One more, from Cain: “Herman Cain called for changing provisions in the tax code that restrict churches’ involvement in politics if they want to keep their tax-exempt status.” Mitt Romney, to his credit, skipped all that crap. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3824 "2011-11-22T20:08:29Z")
Christ, what a mess. Their main selling point is that they are not him, and his only virtue is he is not them. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3825 "2011-11-22T20:14:28Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Mitt Romney, to his credit, skipped all that crap. Meh. He recognized that, as a Mormon, he had absolutely no chance of scoring points with the almost-uniquely rabid religious wackos of the Iowa pre-Caucus run-up. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3826 "2011-11-22T20:25:39Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Meh. He recognized that, as a Mormon, he had absolutely no chance of scoring points with the almost-uniquely rabid religious wackos of the Iowa pre-Caucus run-up. That may not be true. With the recent revolving door hitting all the Not-Romney candidates in the ass, he may be able to win Iowa with only 23% of the vote, if all the others split the remaining 77%. I think that is the logic in his recent increase in advertising in Iowa. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3827 "2011-11-22T20:46:48Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Meh. He recognized that, as a Mormon, he had absolutely no chance of scoring points with the almost-uniquely rabid religious wackos of the Iowa pre-Caucus run-up. This is also the reason why Huntsman skipped it. the Christian Right are not known to be Mormon-friendly. They’re pretty Catholic-lukewarm too. I think this may be because they have a very loose understanding what what it means to be Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3828 "2011-11-22T20:48:42Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > This is also the reason why Huntsman skipped it. the Christian Right are not known to be Mormon-friendly. They’re pretty Catholic-lukewarm too. I think this may be because they have a very loose understanding what what it means to be Christian. Actually, it’s very tight, very restrictive. It’s just asinine as well. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3829 "2011-11-22T22:20:18Z")
Speaking of personhood, language has been submitted for a third try at a Personhood Amendment here in Colorado. In 2008, it lost 73-27, in 2010, 71-29. That has not seem to provided its proponents a clue. > [@](#): > > “Our language is very clear this time,” said Kristi Burton Brown, amendment co-author and Personhood Colorado founder. “No one can doubt our intentions or the effects this time.” Like they doubted your intentions before? Look, the people are very clear on what you are trying to do, and they keep shooting you down. There’s a word to describe doing the same thing and expecting different results. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3830 "2011-11-22T22:53:40Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > This is also the reason why Huntsman skipped it. the Christian Right are not known to be Mormon-friendly. They’re pretty Catholic-lukewarm too. I think this may be because they have a very loose understanding what what it means to be Christian. They didn’t skip it. _They weren’t invited to it_. Those are the two who Bob VanderPlaats will not support. Not Wacko enough. He will spopport Gingrich, though, since Newt backed up a truck load of money to his group in 2010. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3831 "2011-11-22T23:14:49Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > They didn’t skip it. _They weren’t invited to it_. Those are the two who Bob VanderPlaats will not support. Not Wacko enough. He will spopport Gingrich, though, since Newt backed up a truck load of money to his group in 2010. According to the article I linked above: “Romney opted against attending the forum, instead campaigning in New Hampshire. Organizers bristled at Romney’s absence, and Bob Vander Platts, head of the _Family Leader_, predicted before the forum ‘the next president of the United States will be presenting to you tonight.’” Cite that they weren’t invited? ---
**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:** [November 23, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3832 "2011-11-23T04:06:33Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Rick Perry took the low road on prejudicial discrimination: “Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he supported provisions that would limit the ability of gay couples to adopt children…” Pretty standard republican fare… > [@Knorf](#): > > One more, from Cain: “Herman Cain called for changing provisions in the tax code that restrict churches’ involvement in politics if they want to keep their tax-exempt status.” Wait, how is this a bad thing? This seems like a very anti-religious idea to me… I’d stand behind this, honestly. > [@Knorf](#): > > Newt Gingrich supports an idea that was literally _too conservative_ even for Mississippi. Genius.: “To limit abortion, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, one of the leading candidates in polls here, proposed a federal law defining ‘personhood’ as starting at conception, similar to a provision backed by abortion opponents that was rejected earlier this month by voters in Mississippi.” > > More Gingrich hyper-extremism: “The degree to which the left is prepared to impose intolerance and to drive out of existence traditional religion is a mortal threat to our civilization and deserves to be taken head-on and described as what it is, which is abuse of government to oppress the American people against their own values,” Gingrich said. If this were the SDMB, I’d like to see a cite on that. It is pure demonizing wacko. Okay, _this_ is nuts. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3833 "2011-11-23T04:14:34Z")
Not to fear. Gingrich dug his own grave in tonight’s debate by being insufficiently punitive toward illegal aliens. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3834 "2011-11-23T04:20:09Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Not to fear. Gingrich dug his own grave in tonight’s debate by being insufficiently punitive toward illegal aliens. So he took summary executions off the table then? Pussy. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3835 "2011-11-23T04:30:08Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > > [@Knorf](#): > > > > “Herman Cain called for changing provisions in the tax code that restrict churches’ involvement in politics if they want to keep their tax-exempt status.” > > Wait, how is this a bad thing? This seems like a very anti-religious idea to me… I’d stand behind this, honestly. 😕 The current provisions of the tax code allow specifically religious organizations to be tax-exempt while specifically political ones are not. So churches have to abide by certain restrictions on political activity (e.g., they can oppose abortion in general but can’t officially campaign for specific anti-abortion candidates) in order to retain their tax-exempt status. I don’t see anything particularly anti-religious in that. What Cain is after, AFAICT, is loosening those regulations so that churches **can** be directly involved in political contests in the same way that political groups are, while still remaining tax-exempt. Personally, I think that’s an inappropriate entanglement of government with religion, and I’m against it. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3836 "2011-11-23T06:44:24Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > [Here’s a raft of stupid ideas](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-candidates-court-conservative-christians-in-iowa/2011/11/19/gIQAbN7VcN_story.html) coming from the GOP contenders now, as they addressed extremist religious groups in Iowa: > > \ > > One more, from Cain: “Herman Cain called for changing provisions in the tax code that restrict churches’ involvement in politics if they want to keep their tax-exempt status.” Theoretically, if Cain can convince the Congress to do it, they could change the rules. The tax-exemption rule is not Constitutionally protected nor sanctioned. The rational for rule was explained to me this way: When Congress agreed to tax exemption, it was thus limiting its ability to intrude upon that religious organizations First Amendment rights (i. e., religion clause). Conversely, the religious organization agreed not involve themselves directly or explicitly in politics via endorsements and funding (an explicit example of the separation church and state, if you will). OTOH, historically speaking, I’m at a loss to know if churches and other religious organizations were involved in politics before this law was implemented. I would guess that most of them would have been loathed to engage in this because… you’ve got ask yourself these questions: Do I want my religious clergyman and/or assembly endorsing politician(s)? What if disagree? What if I disagree strongly? What if I think that the Pastor/Assembly is now a heretical and evil? This stuff happens to one degree or another all the time in churches (oh what fun it was when my parents church allowed a gay couple to join). But to mix politics as part of the church’s mission–schisms, rifts, and mass departures are sure to follow like ants to a picnic basket. Cain might as well be the Antichrist… ETA: Hmm…maybe [Cain is the Antichrist](http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread765321/pg1) > [@](#): > > In Greek and Jewish translations, “Cain” refers to the Son of Satan Yup, y’all can’t get all more antichristie then that… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3837 "2011-11-23T06:59:10Z")
> [@](#): > > …Cain’s speaking ability is touted by many to have a ‘miraculous’ capability to turn people to his way of thinking… Oy. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3838 "2011-11-23T08:02:38Z")
> [@user\_hostile](#): > > Theoretically, if Cain can convince the Congress to do it, they could change the rules. The tax-exemption rule is not Constitutionally protected nor sanctioned. Perhaps, but it _is_ stupid, which is what this thread is about. If religion can be tax-exempt yet remain politically active, that would surely at some point rub against the establishment clause. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3839 "2011-11-23T13:32:40Z")
[QUOTE=user\_hostile] OTOH, historically speaking, I’m at a loss to know if churches and other religious organizations were involved in politics before this law was implemented. I would guess that most of them would have been loathed to engage in this because… [/QUOTE] Really? I don’t know when that rule was implemented in the U.S., but churches have been involved in politics since churches have been churches. Churches are still (heavily) involved in politics, they just have some guidelines they have to follow in the U.S. if they want to be tax exempt. See - LDS involvement in the Prop 8 fight, conservative churches involved in the abortion debate, liberal churches involved in the immigration debate, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3840 "2011-11-23T14:36:57Z")
> [@user\_hostile](#): > > …OTOH, historically speaking, I’m at a loss to know if churches and other religious organizations were involved in politics before this law was implemented. I would guess that most of them would have been loathed to engage in this because… I would guess just the opposite. Church people are full of self-righteousness, moral certainty, and a willingness to tell everyone in the world exactly how to behave. Telling people how to vote would be a no brainer for them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=191) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=193)