# 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:** 1939
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38762 "2018-08-28T23:32:28Z")
Yeah, but gelding 30-40% of the population would be a _chore_. ---
**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:** [August 28, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38763 "2018-08-28T23:39:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Yeah, but gelding 30-40% of the population would be a _chore_. Only if you waste time with anesthesia. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38764 "2018-08-28T23:59:40Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It’s [stoopid](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/john-mccain-brings-out-the-loons/2018/08/27/6877c6e4-aa35-11e8-b1da-ff7faa680710_story.html) all the way down: “According to a conspiracy theory network popular among some Trump boosters, when McCain supposedly died on Saturday, he did not succumb to cancer but took his own life to avoid being hauled off to Guantanamo Bay and put before a military tribunal for his longtime work helping Islamic State terrorists and others. (And before he died, he concealed his criminal ankle bracelet by wearing a medical boot on his leg.) …” Remember the guy who shot Reagan? He used to be the benchmark, right there with Manson, for crazy. Now people at that level of crazy are taking pictures with the pres. in the oval office. Next Republican onvention they’ll be giving speeches. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38765 "2018-08-29T00:00:54Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > So this is becoming the new Republican courtroom strategy now: anytime the Department of Justice prosecutes a Republican for anything, they’re going to claim that federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents are Democrats and that their criminal investigations are politically motivated. So says Duncan Hunter (who apparently shows up to House meetings and other gatherings drunk but that’s another story) > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/08/28/gop-congressman-claims-democratic-prosecutors-are-out-get-him/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/08/28/gop-congressman-claims-democratic-prosecutors-are-out-get-him/) > > I would laugh if I knew that 30-40% of the population wouldn’t buy into this shit - but the reality is that 30-40% of the population just might buy it. That’s what seems to be happening now. We have 30-40% of people in this country who don’t need much persuasion to buy into conspiracy theories. > > Does anyone not see how fucking dangerous this is? Doesn’t EVERY politician that gets investigated claim it is a politically motivated witch hunt? Isn’t that a standard response? “They are trying to do through courts what they could not do at the polls!” That’s a line I remember from a Law and Order episode from 20 years ago, and it sounded really familiar at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38766 "2018-08-29T00:06:49Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Only if you waste time with anesthesia. Screw all of that. Get Q to post that Trump needs “real American balls” and they’ll cut them off themselves and send them in. I pity the FedEx drivers in red states if that actually comes true. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38767 "2018-08-29T00:07:12Z")
Hunter leads by 8% in the polls. I guess conservatives have gone all in on corruption and criminality. > **[Poll: Rep. Duncan Hunter leads by 8 points in reelection bid following...](https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/sd-me-hunter-poll-20180827-story.html)** > > Facing a federal indictment for misuse of campaign funds, Rep. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38768 "2018-08-29T00:50:34Z")
> **[C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application...](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/us/politics/cia-officer-house-election-super-pac.html)** > > A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress demanded the Congressional Leadership Fund destroy the highly sensitive security clearance application that she says it obtained. > [@](#): > > A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance application — a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information — and then using it for political purposes. There’s obviously some serious fucking oligarchal dark money - probably much of it Russian - influencing the Republican party now. It’s almost to the point where they’re not even trying to pretend to respect American democracy; they’re using the tactics of an authoritarian state to win elections. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2018, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38769 "2018-08-29T01:24:59Z")
David Frum was right-“If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.” And we’re seeing it live and in color. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38770 "2018-08-29T01:25:05Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Doesn’t EVERY politician that gets investigated claim it is a politically motivated witch hunt? Isn’t that a standard response? > > “They are trying to do through courts what they could not do at the polls!” That’s a line I remember from a Law and Order episode from 20 years ago, and it sounded really familiar at the time. No, sometimes they quietly resign after a simple and respectful speech apologizing for misdeeds. Or they resign with no apology, in order to ‘spend more time with the family’. Occasionally, they declare Jesus has forgiven them, and do their best to stay in office, often successfully. When some one goes off about a politically motivated witch-hunt, one of two things is true: [ol] [li]s/he is guilty as hell and has absolutely no defense, or[/li] [li]it’s a politically motivate witch hunt.[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38771 "2018-08-29T01:30:09Z")
> [@j666](#): > > No, sometimes they quietly resign after a simple and respectful speech apologizing for misdeeds. > > Or they resign with no apology, in order to ‘spend more time with the family’. > > Occasionally, they declare Jesus has forgiven them, and do their best to stay in office, often successfully. > > When some one goes off about a politically motivated witch-hunt, one of two things is true: > > [ol] > [li]s/he is guilty as hell and has absolutely no defense, or[/li] > [li]it’s a politically motivate witch hunt.[/li][/ol] Here’s where I was going with this: I fully expect someone like Duncan ‘shitfaced’ Hunter to claim the government’s out to get him. Hell, even Democrats like Blago can play that game. But what I don’t expect is for a criminal congressman in an increasingly criminal political party to be winning by 8 points in polls. The last check on Democracy - the voters - are not doing their fucking job. They’re buying into the culture war, the conspiracy theories. And this might be the last legitimate election we ever have. And I’m not entirely convinced it will , in fact, be legitimate. There has never been a better time for Russia to fuck with American elections. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38772 "2018-08-29T01:30:12Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > David Frum was right-“If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.” > > And we’re seeing it live and in color. That is one helluva quote. True fuckin shit. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38773 "2018-08-29T01:32:11Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > David Frum was right-“If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.” > > And we’re seeing it live and in color. It’s been this way for a while; what’s different is that they have fewer obstacles to block them. Now that they’re in power of essentially all three branches, they’re going all in on authoritarianism. We’re witnessing the death of American democracy in real time. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2018, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38774 "2018-08-29T02:01:05Z")
There is no real line of demarcation between [the crackpots and the GOP leadership](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/secret-message-board-drives-pizzagate-style-harassment-campaign-small-businesses-n903696): > [@](#): > > The harassment comes from a group of fervent online conspiracists who have been targeting private businesses and individuals with harassment campaigns and accusations of being involved with child-sex trafficking rings. > > Sparked by a video posted on a popular YouTube conspiracy channel, the group, whose members are also largely followers of the Qanon conspiracy theory, has flooded Voodoo’s Instagram and Facebook posts and left Yelp reviews accusing the owners of child sex trafficking. Last week, the chain’s original Portland outpost received more calls from conspiracy theorists than customers ordering doughnuts, Monaghan said. > > The group is fueled in part by a website called Big League Politics, a far-right media outlet that often publishes conspiracy content and has been used to raise funds for prominent Republican politicians. Some of the website’s stories appear to be sourced from a secret message board created by a Big League Politics staffer, in which members concoct elaborate, pedophilia-based conspiracy theories they hope will be published to a wider audience. > > Among the groups and GOP politicians that have used the Big League Politics email list to fundraise this year are the National Republican Congressional Committee; House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana; Rep. Devin Nunes of California; and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas… ---
**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:** [August 29, 2018, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38775 "2018-08-29T03:02:10Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Doesn’t EVERY politician that gets investigated claim it is a politically motivated witch hunt? Isn’t that a standard response? No. As I recall: William J Clinton may have called the investigation (that began with Whitewater and ended with WhiteStainedBlueDress) a witch hunt once or twice, but he just got on with his job and did not obsess about it. Other people, like pundits and Democrats, probably tossed the word around, but the WH was all, “_Hey, whatever, we got work to do over 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:** [August 29, 2018, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38776 "2018-08-29T03:05:15Z")
Rush Limbaugh claims that the shooter at the Jacksonville Madden tournament was a Trump resister. He wasn’t. > **[PolitiFact hits Limbaugh for claim Jacksonville shooter was part of Trump...](https://thehill.com/homenews/media/404067-politfact-hits-limbaugh-for-claim-jacksonville-shooter-was-part-of-trump/)** > > PolitiFact hit Rush Limbaugh with a “false” ruling after the conservative radio talk-show host claimed that the person officials say was behind Sunday’s mass shooting at a video g… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38777 "2018-08-29T04:59:42Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > David Frum was right-“If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.” > > And we’re seeing it live and in color. I watched that guy for years as the guy who’s awful smart for someone who’s totally wrong. What happened, did he take the left turn at Albuquerque and fall off his donkey? Had a vision of Eleanor Roosevelt? Told his grandson he wanted some mushrooms, and the kid misunderstood? Still ugly as a horned toad, but, man, can he whip those words! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38778 "2018-08-29T05:04:29Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > David Frum was right-“If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.” Arguably, they’ve done both. You’ll never catch ME calling those _ **RADICAL** _ reactionaries “conservative.” ---
**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:** [August 29, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38779 "2018-08-29T15:22:28Z")
The [latest macaca moment](https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/desantis-says-florida-voters-would-monkey-this-up-if-they-elect-gillum-as-governor/2018/08/29/e4cbc5c6-ab96-11e8-8a0c-70b618c98d3c_story.html): > [@](#): > > Rep. Ron DeSantis, the newly christened Republican gubernatorial candidate in Florida, said Wednesday that voters would “monkey this up” if they elect his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, who would be the state’s first African American governor… ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38780 "2018-08-29T15:31:57Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > The [latest macaca moment](https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/desantis-says-florida-voters-would-monkey-this-up-if-they-elect-gillum-as-governor/2018/08/29/e4cbc5c6-ab96-11e8-8a0c-70b618c98d3c_story.html): In a state with a history of racial animus and legalized segregation, no less. But this is what the Republican party is from here on out. There’s no going back now. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/38781 "2018-08-29T15:49:52Z")
I don’t suppose he’s even bothering to paper it over with “Well, what I meant to say was ‘muck this up’, but…” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1938) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1940)