# 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:** 2010
**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:** [January 23, 2019, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40182 "2019-01-23T05:05:10Z")
> [@Shagunathor](#): > > My understanding is that not only was the aircraft carrier amendment dropped from the bill, it was proposed by an opponent of the bill to highlight the idiocy of the bill. Regardless, the full bill failed to pass, but the news stories live on. Careful what you say, for others may forget, but the internet is forever. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40183 "2019-01-23T15:01:51Z")
[So this happened](https://www.cpr.org/news/story/weld-rep-lori-saine-criticized-for-equating-black-white-lynchings-after-civil-war): > [@](#): > > Remarks about lynching from a Colorado state lawmaker drew criticism Monday after she posted a video of them on Facebook. Republican Rep. Lori Saine of Firestone made the comments on the House floor last Friday after a dust-up over sponsorship of the annual resolution commemorating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. > > “We have come a long way on that arc since the Reconstruction,” Saine told her colleagues in the legislature, “when whites and blacks alike were in nearly equal numbers lynched for the crime of being Republican.” Yeah, that’s why all those blacks were lynched - because they were Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40184 "2019-01-24T00:25:40Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > [So this happened](https://www.cpr.org/news/story/weld-rep-lori-saine-criticized-for-equating-black-white-lynchings-after-civil-war):Yeah, that’s why all those blacks were lynched - because they were Republican. Well, he did say blacks and whites in equal numbers were lynched for being Republican. The numbers in question being zero and zero. Now, the total of blacks who were lynched for other reasons is a whole different number. That one’s not equal to the number of whites lynched for other things. It’s a lot bigger. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40185 "2019-01-24T02:14:00Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > A landlocked nation-state can in theory have a navy. The bigger problem is that Wyoming doesn’t have the economic base to maintain a carrier, and they may not have the population to staff one. Indeed, at least one land-locked nation-state has a Navy: [Bolivian Navy - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivian_Navy) > [@Gyrate](#): > > [So this happened](https://www.cpr.org/news/story/weld-rep-lori-saine-criticized-for-equating-black-white-lynchings-after-civil-war):Yeah, that’s why all those blacks were lynched - because they were Republican. While she did not back her comment with any evidence, there is this (Tuskeegee Institute via Wikipedia): > [@](#): > > According to the Tuskegee Institute, of the 4,743 people lynched between 1882 and 1968, 1,297 were listed as “white”. The Tuskegee Institute, which kept the most complete records, documented victims internally as “Negro”, “white”, “Chinese”, and occasionally as “Mexican” or “Indian”, but merged these into only two categories of black or white in the tallies it published. Mexican, Chinese, and Native American lynching victims were tallied as white. So given that whites were lynched (albeit in much smaller numbers per capita) and Republicans (white or black) were not well-received in the Post-War South, it is _barely_ possible there is some evidence for this. But I doubt (1) there is any and (2) she’s going to bother to show any evidence. IMHO as always. YMMV. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40186 "2019-01-24T02:39:39Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > While she did not back her comment with any evidence, there is this (Tuskeegee Institute via Wikipedia): > > > [@](#): > > > > According to the Tuskegee Institute, of the 4,743 people lynched between 1882 and 1968, 1,297 were listed as “white”. The Tuskegee Institute, which kept the most complete records, documented victims internally as “Negro”, “white”, “Chinese”, and occasionally as “Mexican” or “Indian”, but merged these into only two categories of black or white in the tallies it published. Mexican, Chinese, and Native American lynching victims were tallied as white. > > So given that whites were lynched (albeit in much smaller numbers per capita) and Republicans (white or black) were not well-received in the Post-War South, \*\*it is _barely_ possible there is some evidence for this. \*\* > > But I doubt (1) there is any and (2) she’s going to bother to show any evidence. > > IMHO as always. YMMV. Sorry, I don’t think it’s even _barely_ possible that the number 1297 is “roughly equal” to 3446… ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40187 "2019-01-24T04:15:54Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Sorry, I don’t think it’s even _barely_ possible that the number 1297 is “roughly equal” to 3446… No argument here, but she did state a particular time (‘Reconstruction’ is usually considered to be from 1865-1876) for said lynchings. Again, I seriously doubt she has any facts to back it up. Just adding information for future reference. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40188 "2019-01-24T08:43:09Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Hmm. Now let’s see here. $5 billion divided by $20 is, whoa, Arizona is full of perverts. Who burn through computers at a prodigious rate (that’s 35 computers for every person in the state). ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40189 "2019-01-24T12:57:43Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > A landlocked nation-state can in theory have a navy. The bigger problem is that Wyoming doesn’t have the economic base to maintain a carrier, and they may not have the population to staff one. Yes. Let us not forget that Captain Von Trapp in _The Sound of Music_ was an Austrian Naval captain, a matter upon which The Learned Master discoursed: [https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1205/in-em-the-sound-of-music-em-how-can-capt-von-trapp-be-a-veteran-of-landlocked-austrias-navy/](https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1205/in-em-the-sound-of-music-em-how-can-capt-von-trapp-be-a-veteran-of-landlocked-austrias-navy/) ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40190 "2019-01-24T13:20:51Z")
Switzerland doesn’t have a proper navy but it does have a Lakes Flotilla (and a Merchant Marine service). But they don’t have fun knives like the Swiss Army does. Or aircraft carriers. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40191 "2019-01-24T14:06:59Z")
[Bolivia has a navy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivian_Navy), partly for lake/river patrol and partly because they’re still butthurt over losing their coastline a century ago. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40192 "2019-01-24T14:31:04Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Switzerland doesn’t have a proper navy but it does have a Lakes Flotilla (and a Merchant Marine service). They actually won the America’s Cup once, too. They had to borrow a port in Spain to defend it, though - there’s not enough room to lay out a course on Lake Geneva, apparently. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40193 "2019-01-24T17:00:11Z")
Reason #731 why these people should be damn grateful if they end up jailed rather than guillotined like their kind were back in the day: > [@](#): > > [Wilbur Ross doesn’t ‘quite understand’ why furloughed workers are going to homeless shelters to get food](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/24/business/wilbur-ross-loans-food-assistance-government-shutdown/index.html) > > Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says he doesn’t “really quite understand why” federal workers who have missed paychecks due to the partial government shutdown don’t just take out loans to cover the gap. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40194 "2019-01-24T21:10:21Z")
Florida’s newly appointed Secretary of State abruptly resigned after photos of him in blackface making fun of hurricane victims emerged. > **[Florida Secretary of State Mike Ertel resigns after Halloween blackface...](https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/01/24/new-secretary-state-ertel-dressed-blackface-halloween-2005/2649161002/)** > > Secretary of State Mike Ertel was captured in a photo wearing blackface at a private party 14 years ago. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40195 "2019-01-24T21:26:29Z")
Remember one single thing about the Wilbur Ross thing…Wilbur Ross is a banker. He’s touting for his industry here. He’s basically complaining that furloughed fed workers are going to food banks instead of taking out high-interest emergency loans to pay for food and shelter. This is, at its base, Wilbur Ross complaining that furloughed fed workers aren’t helping to make him and his industry richer. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was also a partial reason for the shutdown, period. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40196 "2019-01-24T21:32:19Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Switzerland doesn’t have a proper navy but it does have a Lakes Flotilla (and a Merchant Marine service). But they don’t have fun knives like the Swiss Army does. Or aircraft carriers. You mean that country that won and successfully defended the America’s Cup sea racing trophy? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40197 "2019-01-24T23:01:04Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > You mean that country that won and successfully defended the America’s Cup sea racing trophy? Yep. [They won it in 2003, defeating New Zealand, and successfully defended it against New Zealand in 2007.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alinghi) ---
**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:** [January 25, 2019, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40198 "2019-01-25T04:36:49Z")
Which is embarrassing for the Kiwis, as NZ is the opposite of a landlocked country. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40199 "2019-01-25T05:03:02Z")
You don’t need a navy or even a coastline to win the America’s Cup; you need people with free time and shitloads of money. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2019, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40200 "2019-01-25T05:42:16Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > You don’t need a navy or even a coastline to win the America’s Cup; you need people with free time and shitloads of money. That’s shitloads and shitloads. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2019, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40201 "2019-01-25T07:05:22Z")
Senator Michael Bennett of Colorado goes OFF on Ted Cruz on the Senate floor. > [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2009) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2011)