# 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:** 2044
**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:** [April 12, 2019, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40864 "2019-04-12T18:12:44Z")
There’s a bill before the Texas state legislature making it a crime to transport more than three people in the same vehicle to the voting polls unless the driver fills out an affidavit verifying that the people they’re transporting are physically disabled so that they can’t get to the polls on their own. > **[Local voting rights' activists question intent of Senate Bill 9](https://www.cbs19.tv/article/news/local-voting-rights-activists-question-intent-of-senate-bill-9/501-fe80b0b0-03b1-4d06-b12f-a5c19ddabbb9)** > > Senate Bill 9 is being called the "election integrity" bill. SB9 is expected to be voted on by the senate this week. Meanwhile, some East Texans are skeptical of the bill, saying it will likely cause more problems than bettering the voting process. I wonder if that applies to bus drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40865 "2019-04-12T20:07:53Z")
Hmmm… seems like that might disproportionately affect people with lower incomes. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40866 "2019-04-12T23:27:06Z")
Ya think ? ---
**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:** [April 12, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40867 "2019-04-12T23:30:38Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > There’s a bill before the Texas state legislature making it a crime to transport more than three people in the same vehicle to the voting polls unless they’re white and holding a bible Fixed it for you ---
**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:** [April 13, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40868 "2019-04-13T00:10:25Z")
They’re regulating movement of persons within their own voting precinct now? Is this a prison state? ---
**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:** [April 13, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40869 "2019-04-13T00:17:32Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > They’re regulating movement of persons within their own voting precinct now? Is this a prison state? It’s been obvious for a while now: this is the republican oligarch strategy, which is to discourage and harass the average person when they try to vote. Will it get struck down by the courts? Sure, but in the interim, it’s a law. It’s a law that can and will be enforced, and if you’re the unlucky SOB who gets prosecuted, you’ll have to spend a lot of money before having your case cleared, regardless of what the SCOTUS says if they even hear the case. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40870 "2019-04-13T00:25:33Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > [Texas legislators considering making abortion potentially punishable by death](https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/10/politics/texas-legislature-abortion-bill/index.html) > > Sounds like treason to me. Nope. Not treason at all; it’s oligarchy dressed up as white christian nationalism. Abortion morality will be used as a smokescreen to divert attention from the naked money grabbing from conservatives in government. Understand something: whether it’s voting the wrong way or making the wrong decision about your body or something else, understand that conservatives (plutocrats, oligarchs, kleptocrats) want to put you in jail. They want to enslave you. Yes, yes, I know, Asahi you’re rambling and blithering. But seriously, are you all not noticing the trends here? What else do you call what we’re experiencing? Normal? Do you think all of this is going to be reversed by ‘getting out the vote’ and calling up your senator? We live in different times. I’m sorry you don’t like what I’m telling you. But I don’t care. Reality doesn’t care about your feelings and it doesn’t respect your desire to be optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40871 "2019-04-13T01:14:39Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Meh. It’s the cross everybody in social sciences bear. “It’s not real science !”, the engineers and biochems tell us. “Oh honey, what you do isn’t \*really \*science either, bless your heart”, counters the physicist. Meanwhile the mathematician quietly chuckles at the antics of all these idiot non-scientists. My rather stunning, blonde niece is starting on her PhD track at MIT. 1. Hands off, losers. 2. It’s in Applied Mathematics, so I’m not sure how that would sit with Dr Cooper. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40872 "2019-04-13T02:00:46Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Meh. It’s the cross everybody in social sciences bear. “It’s not real science !”, the engineers and biochems tell us. “Oh honey, what you do isn’t \*really \*science either, bless your heart”, counters the physicist. Meanwhile the mathematician quietly chuckles at the antics of all these idiot non-scientists. Reminds me of the joke told by one of my psychology profs in college: The psychologist looks down on the psychiatrist. The biologist looks down on the psychologist. The chemist looks down on the biologist. The physicist looks down on the chemist. And the psychiatrist? He’s treating the physicist. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40873 "2019-04-13T02:03:13Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > They’re regulating movement of persons within their own voting precinct now? Is this a prison state? Jesus, don’t be so dramatic. Just poor people, not actual _persons_. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40874 "2019-04-13T02:08:24Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Hmmm… seems like that might disproportionately affect people with lower incomes. Interesting… I worked as an election judge last November. The polling place’s precincts included a fairly large senior citizen housing complex that ran several buses to the polling place. I suspect many if not most of the voters who took the bus voted Republican. I know that the only person who asked how to vote a straight Republican ticket (not possible in my county and I suspect the entire state of Illinois) came by bus from that senior housing complex. If I didn’t know they’d figure out a way to exempt buses from senior housing places, it’d be pretty funny that they may be preventing their own staunchest supporters from getting to the polls. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40875 "2019-04-13T02:59:58Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > The Wizard of Oz to Scarecrow: “I can’t give you any brains but I _can_ give you a diploma.” I don’t doubt that Massie has a top tier level of smarts within maths and sciences, but I’d bet dollars to donuts that his emotional intelligence is grade school level. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2019, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40876 "2019-04-13T08:53:31Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Hmmm… seems like that might disproportionately affect people with lower incomes. As I’ve mentioned before, even the stupid is bigger in Texas. > [@asahi](#): > > Fixed it for you You forgot about the football. > [@Anny\_Middon](#): > > Reminds me of the joke told by one of my psychology profs in college: > > The psychologist looks down on the psychiatrist. > The biologist looks down on the psychologist. > The chemist looks down on the biologist. > The physicist looks down on the chemist. > And the psychiatrist? He’s treating the physicist. What about us linguists? Where would linguistics fit there? ---
**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:** [April 13, 2019, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40877 "2019-04-13T11:56:43Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > What about us linguists? Where would linguistics fit there? Are you cunning? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40878 "2019-04-14T02:43:39Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Fixed it for you [Moderating] Altering the text in a quote box attributed to another poster is against board rules. Please avoid doing this in the future. No warning issued. [/Moderating] ---
**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:** [April 15, 2019, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40879 "2019-04-15T05:36:42Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Holy Mary mother of Christ! Republicans are barely even hiding the fact that they have pure and utter contempt for democracy these days: > > [Tennessee Lawmakers Consider Fines And Criminal Penalties For Voter Registration Drives | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tennessee-voter-registration-applications_n_5cafa525e4b098b9a2d0f707) > > From the article in HuffPo: Difficult to see this surviving a challenge, or an end run (“Registration Collectors, Inc. provides trained volunteers for all of your voter registration drive needs. Ask about our low contract rates!”). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40880 "2019-04-15T13:38:04Z")
[Meet Randy Fine](https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-randy-fine-facebook-comments-20190412-story.html), a state rep from Florida (naturally): > [@](#): > > Republican state Rep. Randy Fine twice called a Jewish Facebook commenter a “Judenrat,” a term used to describe Jewish Nazi collaborators, for his supporting an event to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian situation. > … > > In an April 4 post on his Facebook page, Fine called that night’s event in Melbourne, the ‘Palestine/Israel, Opening the Dialogue’ panel discussion sponsored by the Space Coast Progressive Alliance, an “anti-Semitic rally targeting Jews sponsored by a Democrat club.” > … > > Alliance board member Paul Halpern responded, “I was at the event. I am Jewish. There was nothing anti-Semitic said. Questioning the policies of the Israeli government is not anti-Semitic. Many people from various organizations were invited to speak and chose not to. Three of the five panelists were Jewish. [By the way], YOU, Rep. Fine, were not there.” > > Fine responded by questioning Halpern’s Jewish identity, writing, “What congregation do you belong to? Don’t remember meeting you before.” > Fine then added, “#JudenratDontCount.” > > The term has been used to refer either to Jews who collaborated with Nazis in concentration camps or were at the very least leaders of Nazi-mandated councils in Jewish ghettos during World War II. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40881 "2019-04-15T23:44:49Z")
Fox News shuts down not [one](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/cardinal-dolan-tells-fox-news-he-is-suspicious-over-notre-dame-fire/), but [two](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/foxs-shep-smith-quickly-shuts-down-right-wing-gadfly-for-suggesting-notre-dame-fire-was-intentional/) pundits shouting nonsensical conspiracy theories about the Notre Dame fire being some sort of attack on Christianity. > [@](#): > > “It’s a monumental tragedy. Forgive me for being suspicious. Last month, a 17th-century church was set on fire in Paris. We’ve seen tabernacles knocked down, crosses torn down, and statues,” Donohue said. > > “We don’t know that. If we can avoid what your suspicions are. Now I’m wondering how much more the Catholic Church commits to this or do you think they first want to get to the bottom of it?” Cavuto said. > > “First, they have to get to the bottom of it. They will rebuild it. There’s no question. I’m sorry. The Eucharist is being destroyed and excrement smeared on crosses,” Donohue said. > > “We cannot make conjectures about this. I’m sorry. Thanks very much. I do want to let people know, we’re not trying to be rude to our guests. There’s so much we don’t know,” Cavuto said. > [@](#): > > “Everybody’s really under shock now in France. I would tell you something, even if nobody died, it’s like a 9/11, a French 9/11,” Karsenty said of the centuries-old cathedral. “You need to know that for the past years, we’ve had churches desecrated each and every week all over France. Of course, you will hear the story of the political correctness, which will tell you it’s probably an accident.” > > “Sir, sir, sir, we’re not going to speculate here of the cause of something that we don’t know,” replied an audibly angry Smith. “If you have observations or you know something, we would love to hear it.” > > “I’m just telling you something, what we need to be ready — ” Karsenty protested, but Smith shut him down completely, hung up the phone, and proceeded to publicly call out his guest as a liar. > > “No, sir, we’re not doing that here. Not now, not on my watch,” Smith said. “The man on the phone with us has absolutely no information of any kind about the origin of this fire, and neither do I.” ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40882 "2019-04-16T00:23:08Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Fox News shuts down not [one](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/cardinal-dolan-tells-fox-news-he-is-suspicious-over-notre-dame-fire/), but [two](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/foxs-shep-smith-quickly-shuts-down-right-wing-gadfly-for-suggesting-notre-dame-fire-was-intentional/) pundits shouting nonsensical conspiracy theories about the Notre Dame fire being some sort of attack on Christianity. Interesting—thanks. I expect James Murdoch is pleased, while Lachlan and Rupert are not: > [@](#): > > … Despite his last name, James Murdoch is known as the more liberal of Rupert’s sons. His older and more conservative brother Lachlan took the reins this year of Fox News parent Fox Corporation — the new company left behind after the family’s sale of 21st Century Fox to Disney. James, meanwhile, left the media business in order to manage the family’s growing fortune. … [https://www.mediaite.com/politics/rupert-murdochs-son-makes-maximum-donation-to-mayor-pete-buttigieg/](https://www.mediaite.com/politics/rupert-murdochs-son-makes-maximum-donation-to-mayor-pete-buttigieg/) ---
**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:** [April 16, 2019, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40883 "2019-04-16T00:48:44Z")
I thought it was great that Trump deigned to tell the professional firefighters how to put out the fire in the cathedral (“Drop water from helicopters”). Uh, no. As the pros responded, doing that would likely destroy what’s left of the building. So, why do I think it’s great the moron-in-chief pulled that stunt? It’s simple, really. It truly shows why he loves Kim Jong-un so much. Look at what Kim’s actual labor is: he goes all over his country, conducting “inspection and advice” tours for anything and everything. Of course he doesn’t know everything about what he’s “giving advice” on. The only difference between Kim’s and Trump’s advice is that Kim’s people think he knows everything, while in Trump’s case it’s Trump who think he knows everything. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2043) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2045)