# 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:** 2211
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44209 "2020-04-29T02:44:26Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Ted Cruz has his thumb on the major issue of the day. Preventing the Pentagon from working with movie studios which censor content for China. > [https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/28/cruz-bill-pentagon-china-film-215942](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/28/cruz-bill-pentagon-china-film-215942) So Ted Cruz will allow Trump to insult his wife and slander his father, but he won’t stand for the gay parts of _Bohemian Rhapsody_ to be cut. A very complex man. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44210 "2020-04-29T02:55:03Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > So Ted Cruz will allow Trump to insult his wife and slander his father, but he won’t stand for the gay parts of _Bohemian Rhapsody_ to be cut. A very complex man. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44211 "2020-04-29T04:00:08Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > _I am cross-posting this in this thread and in the Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - Breaking News thread in The Quarantine Zone._ > > [Republican leader wants anti-lockdown protesteros to wear medical scrubs](https://www.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-covid-19-kelli-ward-just-wear-scrubs-stay-at-home-protests-183731319.html). > > > [@](#): > > > > …“Planning protest to #ReOpenAmerica?” Ward tweeted on Friday. “EVERYONE wear scrubs and masks — the media doesn’t care if you are really in healthcare or not — it’s the ‘message’ that matters!”… > > More nuttery at the link. So, she planned a protest involving fake medical personnel … and then publicly tweeted that she was planning on doing this, adding convenient tags to make it that much easier to find out about it. Okay, folks, we’ve finally found someone even more incompetent at arranging hoaxes than [Jacob Wohl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Wohl). Maybe she could hire him as an expert for next time? ---
**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 29, 2020, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44212 "2020-04-29T06:19:44Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I knew nothing of this controversy until I read this thread and then clicked on the letter. I"m disappointed that it appears to be a well written letter with a legitimate complaint. (In fairness, I would like to see the “other side” before finalizing my opinion) > > I hate Hannity as much as the next guy, but it seems that the NYT implied the dead guy took a cruise on March first, and quoted things Hannity said later in March and April, to create an impression he went on a cruise due to Hannity’s idiotic downplaying of the risk. Based on the response that the NYT felt comfortable giving, I’m leaning toward the hypothesis that the timeline put forth by Mr. Harder is a bit less than comprehensive. ---
**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 29, 2020, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44213 "2020-04-29T07:33:00Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > “Talkies”? 😕 Who the fuck calls movies “talkies” these days? Never underestimate Congress’ inordinate fondness for silly acronym in laws. Or, [to put it another way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPOl2WJyzlY)… ---
**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 29, 2020, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44214 "2020-04-29T07:34:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > She is asking them to impersonate medical personnel? Something something stolen valor. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2020, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44215 "2020-04-29T08:33:05Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Ted Cruz has his thumb on the major issue of the day. Preventing the Pentagon from working with movie studios which censor content for China. > [https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/28/cruz-bill-pentagon-china-film-215942](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/28/cruz-bill-pentagon-china-film-215942) Of course, the positive effect of this isn’t going to be fewer films censored for China, it’s going to be fewer films that are American military propaganda. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44216 "2020-04-29T09:58:47Z")
Oklahoma and Utah Criticized Over Spending Millions on Malaria Drugs Touted by President Trump [https://time.com/5828910/oklahoma-utah-hydroxychloroquine-trump-coronavirus/](https://time.com/5828910/oklahoma-utah-hydroxychloroquine-trump-coronavirus/) "…While governments in at least 20 other states obtained more than 30 million doses of the drug through donations from the federal reserve or private companies, Oklahoma and Utah instead bought them from private pharmaceutical companies. … Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday defended the state’s $2 million purchase, saying the drug was showing some promise. His health secretary attributed buying the 1.2 million hydroxychloroquine pills to something that happens in the “fog of war.” The high cost of sucking up. ---
**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 29, 2020, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44217 "2020-04-29T12:09:41Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday defended the state’s $2 million purchase, saying the drug was showing some promise. Showing some promise according to whom? And that is still no reason to be throwing around millions of tax dollars on it yet. > [@](#): > > His health secretary attributed buying the 1.2 million hydroxychloroquine pills to something that happens in the “fog of war.” Fog of war. Yeah, right. And he calls it that because, of course, his hero is calling himself a wartime president. > [@](#): > > The high cost of sucking up. Yep. Not only is the Republican party going to get us all killed, they’re going to make sure we’re broke before we die off. ---
**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 29, 2020, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44218 "2020-04-29T12:24:34Z")
I missed this tidbit in **smithsb** ’s link: > [@](#): > > Oklahoma’s Secretary of Health Jerome Loughridge said several physicians, including some in Oklahoma, were previously optimistic about the drug’s promise in treating COVID-19. He added that the drug is also useful for treating lupus and some other auto-immune diseases, so the state’s supply “will not have gone to waste.” So, does Okalahoma have an inordinate number of lupus patients? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44219 "2020-04-29T15:20:33Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Not only is the Republican party going to get us all killed, they’re going to make sure we’re broke before we die off. To be fair, dead people don’t need money. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44220 "2020-04-29T15:32:40Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Yes, I know they’re not real health care workers. I’m just pointing out that the ruse that’s being proposed makes absolutely no sense. Let’s not overlook the possibility that Ward just invested in a company that makes medical scrubs and she’s trying to drive up the demand. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44221 "2020-04-29T17:42:01Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Let’s not overlook the possibility that Ward just invested in a company that makes medical scrubs and she’s trying to drive up the demand. How did we get to the point where thinking that maybe she was just profiteering actually makes her look better? ---
**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:** [April 29, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44222 "2020-04-29T18:09:36Z")
Okay, [this](https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/clerk/forms/2020_Primary_Absentee_Request_Fillable.pdf) seems a little odd. It is the Idaho state primary election absentee ballot request form. On the right-hand side, you see where you mark your party affiliation (Constitution, Democratic, Libertarian, Republican, or unaffiliated) for the state primary and select the ballot you want sent to you. Observe that every row offers you the choice of the ballot for the party you identify as, or a Democratic ballot, or a non-partisan ballot. Hence, a person who marks Republican has the option of either a Republican primary ballot or a Democratic primary ballot, but if you mark Democrat, you have only the choice of a Democratic ballot (or non-partisan, which is almost useless). Which means that we (the Rs) can fuck with your (the Ds) primary, but ours is locked up for you. ---
**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 29, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44223 "2020-04-29T18:17:08Z")
It looks like the Democratic Party has consented to have an open primary (for non-presidential races), and the Republican Party hasn’t. ---
**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 29, 2020, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44224 "2020-04-29T18:24:19Z")
[Support for the above hypothesis.](https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/primary_elections_in_idaho.html) ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44225 "2020-04-29T19:20:27Z")
Why you people let politicians run your elections is beyond me. ---
**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 29, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44226 "2020-04-29T20:04:31Z")
**Grey** : In case you haven’t noticed, elections are a political process, legislated by legislation enacted by politicians. Kind of hard to not have them involved. The real question is why we let scum run it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44227 "2020-04-29T20:07:19Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Something something stolen valor. Close. Prestige fraud. ---
**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 29, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44228 "2020-04-29T20:36:22Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Close. Prestige fraud. Prestige posers? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2210) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2212)