# 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:** 2121
**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:** [October 12, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42409 "2019-10-12T00:58:14Z")
The guy who Jacob Wohl claimed was Kamala Harris’s lover says [he was hired via Craigslist and paid $500 to read from a script, that he was told it was for a Spike TV show, and he had no idea Harris was a real person.](https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamalas-fake-lover-jacob-wohl-told-me-it-was-for-a-spike-tv-show) Wohl may just be the most incompetent troll in the history of trolling. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42410 "2019-10-12T01:38:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The guy who Jacob Wohl claimed was Kamala Harris’s lover says [he was hired via Craigslist and paid $500 to read from a script, that he was told it was for a Spike TV show, and he had no idea Harris was a real person.](https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamalas-fake-lover-jacob-wohl-told-me-it-was-for-a-spike-tv-show) > > Wohl may just be the most incompetent troll in the history of trolling. The thing I can’t figure out about people like Wohl is, are they actually stupid? Or have they just correctly identified how little effort it takes to grift conservatives? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42411 "2019-10-12T02:05:05Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > The thing I can’t figure out about people like Wohl is, are they actually stupid? Or have they just correctly identified how little effort it takes to grift conservatives? Does he make any money off of this? If I could easily make money posting ridiculous crap that people believe, I would. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42412 "2019-10-12T02:56:59Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Does he make any money off of this? If I could easily make money posting ridiculous crap that people believe, I would. Well, let’s do that then! We could call our site somewhat opposite of Straight Dope. Like Crooked Intellectual. That would attract a lot of the alt-truthers. I’m in! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42413 "2019-10-12T03:16:49Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Eh, Trump seems to think that his not accepting an impeachment enquiry makes a difference. Maybe that’s where the mentioned poster got that notion. Trump is now operating under the Unitary Sovereign Executive Citizen mindset. If there’s gold fringe on the flag, it doesn’t count. He can say the magic words and people have to let him go. He doesn’t want to create joinder with you, tho; let’s be clear about that. As President, everything he says is law, too. And, legally, because he’s President, he’s the best at everything so everyone has to do what he says. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2019, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42414 "2019-10-12T03:21:42Z")
On The View today, Rand Paul said that only people who earn more than $50,000 pay taxes. > **[Rand Paul Says Most People Earning Less Than $50,000 Don't Pay Income Tax](https://www.newsweek.com/rand-paul-shocks-view-audience-stating-most-americans-making-less-50000-dont-pay-any-1464724)** > > "The top one percent in our country pay 40 percent." Paul said he was citing IRS statistics when making the claim. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42415 "2019-10-12T03:23:25Z")
Rand Paul is an idiot with stupid hair. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2019, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42416 "2019-10-12T03:34:17Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > On The View today, Rand Paul said that only people who earn more than $50,000 pay taxes. I make $45,000 a year and I pay taxes. Rand Paul can lick my schwanz. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42417 "2019-10-12T03:56:31Z")
I gather that lots of people with incomes below $50K don’t pay “income tax” but do pay “payroll tax”, a distinction that’s fascinating and relevant to politicians and economists but not to people actually paying those taxes. I’d like Paul to explain to an hourly employee why that Social Security tax they pay isn’t really an income tax, but a totally different tax that doesn’t count. Also, of course, Paul doesn’t take into account state and local taxes and sales taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42418 "2019-10-12T06:34:21Z")
As far as I can tell, any actual official who’s tried that “skin the game” crap has been careful to specify that 47% (or whatever) of the people don’t pay federal income tax. This gets readily picked up by the glennbecks of the world who restate it as 47% of the population pay no taxes at all. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2019, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42419 "2019-10-12T08:38:51Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > I gather that lots of people with incomes below $50K don’t pay “income tax” but do pay “payroll tax”, a distinction that’s fascinating and relevant to politicians and economists but not to people actually paying those taxes. I’d like Paul to explain to an hourly employee why that Social Security tax they pay isn’t really an income tax, but a totally different tax that doesn’t count. > > Also, of course, Paul doesn’t take into account state and local taxes and sales taxes. Not only do lower- or middle-income people pay taxes, but _ **they very often pay taxes that are higher, as a percentage of their income, than the rich!** _ Contrary to confused and lying right-wingers, Buffett’s secretary really is taxed at a higher rate than Buffett is. SocSec funding and spending can _either_ be treated as part of the Federal Government, _or_ SocSec can be regarded as a financial entity distinct from the government. Either approach is legitimate. _What is NOT legitimate is to treat it as part when it suits your agenda, and not part in the very next paragraph when you want the opposite spin,_\* yet this is precisely what right-wingers love to do\*\*\*: Lament about SocSec spending in the context of the tax burden on Job Creators, yet then pretend that workers don’t pay taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42420 "2019-10-12T09:54:42Z")
There’s an excellent NYTimes article [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/opinion/sunday/wealth-income-tax-rate.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/opinion/sunday/wealth-income-tax-rate.html) which lays out the tax burden across income percentiles. Include Property tax, payroll and income. Eye opening, if you haven’t been paying attention. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2019, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42421 "2019-10-12T18:07:32Z")
Wohl and Burkman claim they’re going to produce the guy who provides drugs to Pelosi and Schiff. (Yeah, I know it’s Sputnik, but they’re just reporting Pelosi’s tweets) > **[US House Speaker Pelosi Pokes Fun at Alleged Drug Dealer Connection](https://sputniknews.com/20191012/house-speaker-pelosi-pokes-fun-at-alleged-drug-dealer-connection-1077031255.html)** > > Turns out, the US House Speaker may indeed be hooked on a substance, just not the kind she is accused of. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42422 "2019-10-12T18:39:07Z")
I just used Google to look up a definition, therefore my legal opinion here is sound. Legal zoom sound, no less. It turns out that these 2 numb fucks are guilty of defamation of character. I’m going with slander. But in my newly expert opinion (from gancing at most of the paragrahs I saw.) Pelosi or Schiff, Harris, Warren and any of the others would have to file a civil suit. > **[Differences between defamation, slander, and libel](https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/differences-between-defamation-slander-and-libel)** > > Being wronged or misrepresented is never pleasant, but not all insults are created equally. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42423 "2019-10-12T19:03:02Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I just used Google to look up a definition, therefore my legal opinion here is sound. Legal zoom sound, no less. > It turns out that these 2 numb fucks are guilty of defamation of character. I’m going with slander. But in my newly expert opinion (from gancing at most of the paragrahs I saw.) Pelosi or Schiff, Harris, Warren and any of the others would have to file a civil suit. > [Differences Between Defamation, Slander, and Libel](https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/differences-between-defamation-slander-and-libel) As public figures, Pelosi, Schiff, _et al_ would need to show actual malice. What a reasonable person might think or believe isn’t sufficient in that case. To show actual malice, you need to show what the 2 numb fucks were actually thinking–that they knew or didn’t give a shit that their statements were both false and damaging. If they _did_ hire people to read a script, that would seem to meet that bar. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42424 "2019-10-13T00:28:16Z")
[GOP Senator afraid of being asked about Trump](https://lawandcrime.com/crazy/dont-do-that-again-gop-senator-snaps-at-reporter-when-asked-about-trump/): > [@](#): > > Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch doesn’t want to talk about President Donald Trump or the many controversies currently taking the place of the wallpaper at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. > > [snip] > > Sometime during that event on Thursday, Risch was approached by reporter Heath Druzin, who tried to ask him about the 45th president’s controversial request for a foreign investigation into potential 2020 rival Joe Biden. But Druzin didn’t get too far. > > **Druzin** : As the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, do you think it’s appropriate that the President asked a hostile foreign power– > > **Risch** : Oh, I’m not gonna do it. I’m not gonna an interview on that. [unintelligible] Let’s talk about business today. > > **Druzin** : Well, but, I think that’s a fair question to ask, Senator. > > **Risch** : Do you want to do an interview on the business or not? > > **Druzin** : Yes, I’d like to get to that, but first I have that question. > > **Risch** : I’m not going there. If you want to do an interview with me on the business center, please do so. > > **Druzin** : Senator, with all due respect, though. You are the chairman– > > With that, Risch’s staff whisked the “clearly agitated” senator away. Risch, too cowardly to face a few words, retreated into a safe space and barely avoided melting like the snowflake he is. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2019, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42425 "2019-10-14T02:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > **Republican Congressman Tweets Out Image Of Russian Warship To Wish US Navy Happy Birthday** > > Republican Florida Rep. Brian Mast wished the U.S. Navy a happy birthday using a picture of a warship Sunday in a since-deleted tweet, but the ship apparently was not American. It’s the Russian battlecruiser _Pyotr Velikiy_ (“Peter the Great”) > **[Republican Congressman Tweets Out Image Of Russian Warship To Wish US Navy...](https://dailycaller.com/2019/10/13/republican-happy-birthday-warship-navy-russia/)** > > Republican Florida Rep. Brian Mast wished the U.S. Navy a happy birthday using a picture of a Russian warship on Twitter Sunday in a since-deleted tweet. The deleted tweet in question: > **[Republican Congressman Tweets Out Image Of Russian Warship To Wish US Navy...](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/13/1892235/-Republican-Congressman-Tweets-Out-Image-Of-Russian-Warship-To-Wish-US-Navy-Happy-Birthday?utm_campaign=trending)** > > dailycaller.com/… You just can’t make this stuff up. I mean literally. Any editor would throw story elements like this out faster than week old shrimp. Sadly, it is true. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42426 "2019-10-14T04:07:37Z")
Posted here rather than the Clusterfuck thread because it currently appears a third party, rather than the administration, was responsible: > [@The Hill](#): > > A fake video of President Trump shooting, stabbing and brutally assaulting media personalities and political opponents was played at a conference for his supporters at his Miami resort last week, the New York Times reported Sunday. [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/465625-fake-video-of-trump-shooting-members-of-media-shown-at-miami-resort](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/465625-fake-video-of-trump-shooting-members-of-media-shown-at-miami-resort) The clip, which the article says appeared to have been lifted from the movie _Kingsman: the Secret Service_, apparently showed a figure with Trump’s head firing at representations of media members and political opponents including the late Sen. John McCain, Rep. Maxine Waters, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Mitt Romney, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and CNN. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42427 "2019-10-14T12:31:39Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Posted here rather than the Clusterfuck thread because it currently appears a third party, rather than the administration, was responsible: > > [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/465625-fake-video-of-trump-shooting-members-of-media-shown-at-miami-resort](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/465625-fake-video-of-trump-shooting-members-of-media-shown-at-miami-resort) > > The clip, which the article says appeared to have been lifted from the movie _Kingsman: the Secret Service_, apparently showed a figure with Trump’s head firing at representations of media members and political opponents including the late Sen. John McCain, Rep. Maxine Waters, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Mitt Romney, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and CNN. :rolleyes: It was bound to happen sooner or later. That will really help, eh? It just gives FPT\* more ammunition (as it were). His people will probably take that video and plaster the CNN logo across the bottom to “prove” they put out fake news. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/42428 "2019-10-14T12:49:49Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > :rolleyes: It was bound to happen sooner or later. That will really help, eh? It just gives FPT\* more ammunition (as it were). His people will probably take that video and plaster the CNN logo across the bottom to “prove” they put out fake news. My take was that it was made by FPT supporters for FPT supporters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2120) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2122)