# 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:** 1978
**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:** [November 6, 2018, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39542 "2018-11-06T12:41:43Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Not sure if this has already been posted–went back to yesterday and didn’t see it, so: > > [Robocall in Georgia governor’s race claims to be from ‘Magical Negro’ Oprah Winfrey.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/04/racist-magical-negro-robo-call-oprah-targets-stacey-abrams-georgia-governors-race/?utm_term=.b3d919602e09) > > Nice. > > Another line: Understand that this is now ‘normal’. Anyone who believes that Republicans are going to be knocked into a healthier reality by tonight’s election results are not getting it. This is the Republican party now. They are a party that campaigns on tribalism and their model is to build the biggest tribe, and destroy smaller ones. This is where we’re going. I keep reading pundits talking about Trump’s historically low approval rating and it’s clear that they don’t get it - they don’t see what’s happening. Yes, his approval numbers are historically low, but it doesn’t matter. They can win with pluralities. They can win by just being the biggest tribe, and dismantling the system. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39543 "2018-11-06T15:43:31Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Gateway Pundit is going to do live election night coverage with Steve Bannon. > I hope he has apoplexy. I’ve heard that he has a special technique for soothing himself. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39544 "2018-11-06T16:31:42Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Not sure if this has already been posted–went back to yesterday and didn’t see it, so: > > [Robocall in Georgia governor’s race claims to be from ‘Magical Negro’ Oprah Winfrey.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/04/racist-magical-negro-robo-call-oprah-targets-stacey-abrams-georgia-governors-race/?utm_term=.b3d919602e09) How much does a robocall campaign cost anyway? It seems like a lot of money just to carry out some minor dickery. And I would think this is the sort of thing that would be more likely to get Democrats out while lulling Republicans into a sense of security, so potentially counterproductive. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39545 "2018-11-06T16:46:35Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > How much does a robocall campaign cost anyway? It seems like a lot of money just to carry out some minor dickery. And I would think this is the sort of thing that would be more likely to get Democrats out while lulling Republicans into a sense of security, so potentially counterproductive. I can’t imagine it would be much, frankly. An autodialer looks to be a couple hundred bucks, a recorded message, and off you go. Back in my youth when my PC had a modem, I probably could have coded something up in a day or so, so I can’t imagine it would be a problem today either. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39546 "2018-11-06T16:53:51Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > I can’t imagine it would be much, frankly. An autodialer looks to be a couple hundred bucks, a recorded message, and off you go. > > Back in my youth when my PC had a modem, I probably could have coded something up in a day or so, so I can’t imagine it would be a problem today either. So anyone can just robocall the entire state? Or do you need a permit? Because you’d think there’d be more pranksters doing it otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39547 "2018-11-06T17:00:12Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > So anyone can just robocall the entire state? Or do you need a permit? Because you’d think there’d be more pranksters doing it otherwise. I don’t know how you would permit it - there are no laws that I know about that prevent me from dialing your phone number. Back in the day, long distance charges would get you down, but now I imagine you could do it off a burner cell phone or 2 (depending on how long you wanted your campaign to take). If I were interested in learning IOS or Android coding, that would actually make interesting app - let’s hope the merry pranksters don’t get on it. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39548 "2018-11-06T17:07:48Z")
If you’re running a robo-call center, you’re probably going to be using a SIP or VoIP Trunk Group with a couple of dozen call paths. In my company at least, that would come bundled with 1000 minutes of Long Distance. LDD is relatively cheap now. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39549 "2018-11-06T17:14:33Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Steve Bannon. Look at that guy, see what too much money will do to you? I think it was the whiskey, not the money. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39550 "2018-11-06T20:15:06Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > the same podcast studio… They just enjoy the feeling of being able to mock black people (and Jews) with racist stereotypes and get away with it. I know the US has (very) strong free speech laws, but how are these not fraud, or slander, or (given it’s Oprah) trademark infringement? ---
**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:** [November 6, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39551 "2018-11-06T21:22:36Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > I know the US has (very) strong free speech laws, but how are these not fraud, or slander, or (given it’s Oprah) trademark infringement? Fraud lies on the far side of indictment and prosecution. The behavior might violate the law or someone’s rights, but the effect is immediate while the consequences are very much neither immediate nor even certain. Seems like a fairly low-risk gamble. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39552 "2018-11-06T21:28:13Z")
IANAL but I think those robocalls are considered obvious parodies of the people purported to be speaking in them. There are exemptions for parody/satire in libel and defamation laws. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39553 "2018-11-06T23:40:31Z")
The head of an LBGT advocacy group caught a prominent gay-conversion “therapist” trolling for action on a gay hookup app - [so he successfully catfished him.](https://www.rawstory.com/2018/11/gay-conversion-therapist-busted-soliciting-hookups-lgbt-dating-apps-report/) > [@](#): > > Besen tells NBC News that he recognized Goldwasser — who went by the screen name “hotnhairy72” — through his photos and decided to create a fake profile to determine if the profile really belonged to the notorious “ex-gay” therapist. > > After Goldwasser agreed to meet Besen at a hotel room, Besen called him and revealed that he’d created a fake profile and confronted him about his work “converting” LGBT people. > > Besen says the doctor initially denied he was really behind the profile — but then he sent him a series of saved screen shots. > > “I promptly texted the Manhunt screenshot,” Besen tells NBC. “He then called me and confessed, begging for mercy.” The kicker? The newly-outed doctor (funny how all these people who think gayness is curable turn out to be closet cases) intends to right his wrongs by _undergoing gay-conversion therapy himself_.) ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39554 "2018-11-06T23:49:12Z")
Holy shit, is this funny. Brian Kemp apparently got a little too aggressive in his campaign to block people from voting. [His own vote was invalidated.](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/415346-kemps-voter-card-said-invalid-when-he-tried-to-vote?fbclid=IwAR1SjAyKcBYpuaQxK_kJWC76uteovkruSEFK8SFkBQ_WiqIUXIqXgzCpcwU) ---
**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:** [November 7, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39555 "2018-11-07T01:04:36Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Holy shit, is this funny. Brian Kemp apparently got a little too aggressive in his campaign to block people from voting. [His own vote was invalidated.](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/415346-kemps-voter-card-said-invalid-when-he-tried-to-vote?fbclid=IwAR1SjAyKcBYpuaQxK_kJWC76uteovkruSEFK8SFkBQ_WiqIUXIqXgzCpcwU) That is not exactly accurate. He received an invalid ticket and had to go get another one, but it sounds like he still voted. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39556 "2018-11-07T01:54:51Z")
EPILOGUE: Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to obey the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage because Jesus, [has been voted out of office.](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/415366-anti-gay-marriage-country-clerk-kim-davis-loses-reelection-in-kentucky) womp womp ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39557 "2018-11-07T02:05:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > EPILOGUE: Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to obey the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage because Jesus, [has been voted out of office.](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/415366-anti-gay-marriage-country-clerk-kim-davis-loses-reelection-in-kentucky) > > womp womp Woohoo! Now I’m wondering if those who voted for her will refuse to get a marriage license or any other type of license from her successor because said successor “is not my county clerk”. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2018, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39558 "2018-11-08T04:55:15Z")
Denver Riggleman, the author of _The Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him_, is now a Republican Congressman from Virginia. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2018, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39559 "2018-11-08T10:11:18Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Denver Riggleman, the author of _The Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him_, is now a Republican Congressman from Virginia. I can’t decide whether that’s stupid or awesome. Who knew that Bigfoot erotica was a thing? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39560 "2018-11-08T13:47:02Z")
Rep-elect Riggleman did. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/39561 "2018-11-08T15:04:55Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Rep-elect Riggleman did. Nominative determinism strikes again. A perfect name for a porn author. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1977) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1979)