# 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:** 196
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3901 "2011-12-05T11:53:53Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > If there’s anything in the world that might make me look more kindly upon a clueless jagoff like Gingrich, it’s a Maureen Dowd column. I find her to be one of the most insufferably annoying of all the political pundits, and her writing isn’t anywhere near as witty and clever as she thinks it is. I used to read her, back in the dark ages when I read newspapers. What I recall of her is that she’s a smart-alec and she did about 30 columns on how she wasn’t covering the Lewinsky mess. Which of course she was. In all she was critical of Clinton for exactly the same reasons the conservatives were. Fast-forward a few years and she has the audacity to be snarky about HRH GWB. The clamor of indignant readers got her run out of the Tulsa World for being too liberal. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3902 "2011-12-05T13:25:10Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Nice uncredited allusion to Oscar Wilde, \*Guardian \*writer. I suspect the Grauniad assumes its readers are familiar with the Wilde quote, as would likely the other UK broadsheets. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3903 "2011-12-05T15:51:40Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I suspect the Grauniad assumes its readers are familiar with the Wilde quote, as would likely the other UK broadsheets. American papers, on the other hand, can only safely assume that their readers are familiar with Girls Gone Wilde. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3904 "2011-12-05T16:55:05Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > American papers, on the other hand, can only safely assume that their readers are familiar with Girls Gone Wilde. [http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Girls\_Gone\_Wilde](http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Girls_Gone_Wilde) ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3905 "2011-12-05T17:42:44Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > [http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Girls\_Gone\_Wilde](http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Girls_Gone_Wilde) Well, crap, i thought i was being all original and punny, but i guess it shouldn’t surprise me that someone else got there first. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3906 "2011-12-05T21:54:10Z")
Not too surprising, considering the exalted station Oscar Wilde has long enjoyed at the content-free encyclopædia. ---
**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:** [December 6, 2011, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3907 "2011-12-06T11:15:37Z")
[Oh Rick Perry…](“Those who are going to be over 21 on November 12th, I ask for your support,” Perry said, eliciting a few chuckles from the crowd.” Those who won’t be, just work hard. Because you’re… counting on us.”) > [@](#): > > “Those who are going to be over 21 on November 12th, I ask for your support,” Perry said, eliciting a few chuckles from the crowd.” Those who won’t be, just work hard. Because you’re… counting on us.” So to sum up: wrong on the voting age, wrong on the voting date. And the last sentence has a ring of “Work hard because you’re counting on us and _that’s_ not going to do you any good” about it. I’m starting to wonder whether this is an actual strategy amongst the Republican candidates to commit gaffes that get them extra press coverage on the grounds that those who support them won’t care and those that care would never support them anyway. ---
**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:** [December 6, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3908 "2011-12-06T11:52:49Z")
What I got from that sentence is, “If you’re old enough, please get drunk enough to vote for me.” ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3909 "2011-12-06T16:10:37Z")
[Here’s an excellent NY Times article](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/us/politics/gop-strategists-fret-over-trump-debate-circus.html?_r=1&ref=politics) about The Donald Debate Circus. Quote Karl the Rove: > [@NYTimes](#): > > “What the heck are the Republican candidates doing showing up at a debate with a guy who says, ‘I may run for president next year as an independent’…I think the Republican national chairman ought to step in and say we strongly discourage every candidate from appearing.” > … > In an interview, Ari Fleischer, a former press secretary for Mr. Bush, called Mr. Trump’s debate “an invitation to a circus” and urged the candidates to refuse to attend. They’re both probably right, of course. Hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3910 "2011-12-06T16:20:12Z")
I don’t know what I’m looking forward to more: when Trump looks into the camera and says, “Newt. You’re Not Fired” as an endorsement or when the first question he asks is “Do you believe Obama was born in Kenya?” This is better than sit-coms if you ask me. I think we should start laying out the drinking game ground rules now. First up – a shot for every mention of _The Apprentice._ ---
**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:** [December 6, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3911 "2011-12-06T17:13:36Z")
Will Donald Jr. and Ivanka be Trump’s co-moderators? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3912 "2011-12-06T17:15:07Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I don’t know what I’m looking forward to more: when Trump looks into the camera and says, “Newt. You’re Not Fired” as an endorsement or when the first question he asks is “Do you believe Obama was born in Kenya?” > > This is better than sit-coms if you ask me. > > I think we should start laying out the drinking game ground rules now. First up – a shot for every mention of _The Apprentice._ I don’t drink, but I’ll go for a bong hit every time he says “Huge!”. ---
**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:** [December 6, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3913 "2011-12-06T17:18:37Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I don’t drink, but I’ll go for a bong hit every time he says “Huge!”. Or when Newt says, “Profound” ---
**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:** [December 6, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3914 "2011-12-06T22:11:33Z")
Between the two of you, you’ll probably be bogarting the region’s supply for the next three months… ---
**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:** [December 7, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3915 "2011-12-07T00:37:08Z")
[Rick Santorum takes questions from conservative Christian students and gets a mite testy](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/06/santorum-gets-testy-as-students-raise-social-issues/) I’m not sure I can do justice to that in summary form, except to say that Santorum once again demonstrates why he richly deserves his Google bombing. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3916 "2011-12-07T00:43:43Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > [Rick Santorum takes questions from conservative Christian students and gets a mite testy](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/06/santorum-gets-testy-as-students-raise-social-issues/) > > I’m not sure I can do justice to that in summary form, except to say that Santorum once again demonstrates why he richly deserves his Google bombing. “How dare you so-called Christians ask me questions that weren’t approved by Pope Pius X!” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3917 "2011-12-08T23:21:52Z")
The best and brightest the 2nd District of Texas has to offer is apparently [Rep. Ted Poe](http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/214514.html): > [@](#): > > “Who do the regulators answer to? No one,” said Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) in debate on the House floor. “When the regulators go to work every day, like most people go to work, their work assignment’s a little different,” Poe said. “In my opinion, they sit around a big oak table, sipping their lattes. They have out their iPads and their computers, and they decide, ‘Who shall we regulate today?’ And they write a regulation and send it out to the masses and make us deal with the cost to that.” ---
**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:** [December 8, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3918 "2011-12-08T23:51:22Z")
See, now that’s just ignorant, and as a Texan he damned well ought to know better. The Regulators answered to Charles Jackson and Charles Moorman and, eventually, to Sam Houston. And they bloody well didn’t sip lattes or fiddle about with iPads. What kind of revisionist history is this, anyways? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3919 "2011-12-12T08:04:14Z")
The [Associated Press](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gCThTRxLUFo1RYai3eQs6c1ysisw?docId=9d589588eaa64578b1590d5d1f95e211) has published a list of misstatements from a recent GOP debate. I realize “false” is not the same as “stupid” but I hope fellow Dopers can peruse the list and discuss the more amusing falsehoods. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/3920 "2011-12-12T14:57:18Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > The [Associated Press](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gCThTRxLUFo1RYai3eQs6c1ysisw?docId=9d589588eaa64578b1590d5d1f95e211) has published a list of misstatements from a recent GOP debate. > > I realize “false” is not the same as “stupid” but I hope fellow Dopers can peruse the list and discuss the more amusing falsehoods. Stupid Republican Link of the Day. Goes nowhere. Any help? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=195) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=197)