# 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:** 23
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/441 "2009-07-08T19:51:30Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > This is completely and utterly not correct. In Spanish, negrita/o is an endearment. If it’s interpreted as ‘little nigger’ than it’s the interpreter who is at fault. No offense, but there wasn’t anything endearing about how the person in Honduras was referring to the President of the United States in that statement. Even _I_ can figure that much out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/442 "2009-07-08T20:05:17Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > This is completely and utterly not correct. In Spanish, negrita/o is an endearment. If it’s interpreted as ‘little nigger’ than it’s the interpreter who is at fault. Maybe you should check **Frodo’s** location. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/443 "2009-07-08T20:10:27Z")
Maybe you should check **Biggirl** ’s. 😉 Maybe that’s one of many words that have different connotations and usages in different countries that use nominally the same language? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/444 "2009-07-08T20:14:31Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Maybe you should check **Biggirl** ’s. 😉 > > Maybe that’s one of many words that have different connotations and usages in different countries that use nominally the same language? Cant check her location, it does not show in “guest” users. And of course words have different connotations and usages in different countries, but she said “In Spanish, negrita/o is an endearment.”. Since I speak Spanish, I know thats not true :), perhaps she meant to said “In Honduran Spanish”? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/445 "2009-07-08T20:14:49Z")
I must confess I’m at a loss as to how you might refer to somebody you didn’t know as “a little black man” and mean it nicely. I mean, “cute little darkie” may nominally be a term of endearment, but… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/446 "2009-07-08T20:33:56Z")
I once conducted a halting, present-tense only discussion in Spanish with a man from Columbia. “You learned your Spanish in Mexico, yes?” with the faintest hint of disdain. Not only is it likely that any given Spanish word will mean different things in different locales, we would be stupid to expect otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/447 "2009-07-08T20:45:14Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > “You learned your Spanish in Mexico, yes?” with the faintest hint of disdain. Not quite the disdain with which he would have said “Texas”, I’ll bet. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/448 "2009-07-08T22:00:58Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > I suppose i dont speak spanish then. > > Una lastima, la verdad, me pregunto que lenguaje he estado hablando por los ultimos 29 años… > “negrito” can be interpreted as a term of endearment when one is speaking to a friend, or family member, it is most emphatically NOT used to refer to someone outside those circles, and even more so when referring to someone who is black. This. It’s all in the context. “Mi negrito(a)” is a common term of endearment, used even with people who are not black, but unless the Honduran in question was in bed with Obama at the time he said it I doubt it was said in a complimentary tone. > [@elucidator](#): > > I once conducted a halting, present-tense only discussion in Spanish with a man from **Columbia**. They speak Spanish in D.C.? (bolding mine) Sorry, that’s my favorite nit to pick. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/449 "2009-07-08T22:01:33Z")
While I think that Jeb Bush is far, FAR more intelligent than his brother George, and he gives some surprisingly candid and honest answers in [this interview](http://www.esquire.com/features/jeb-bush-interview-0809) with Tucker Carlson, he still can’t help but lie when it comes to his brother. > [@](#): > > **[My addtion: Tucker Carlson, on President Obama] Why is he so popular now?** > _[Carlson’s addition: A flash of agitation.]_ First of all, who cares? His popularity is no greater — in fact it’s less — than what my brother’s was during the beginning of his tenure, in a time of unbelievable friction, if you think about it, because of the 2000 election. His approval ratings were higher than Barack Obama’s during his first one hundred days. _[Carlson’s addition: Actually, according to Gallup, during the first hundred days of his presidency, Bush had approval ratings that were generally in the high 50s to low 60s, while Obama’s were in the low to mid-60s.]_ I will definitely give props to Carlson for bothering to point out the Gallup numbers. Other right-wing interviewers would not have done that, I’ll bet, and would have let Jeb’s numbers stand. I loathe the guy, but at least he’s not Sean “Asshat” Hannity: > [@](#): > > [Sean Hannity Caught Selectively Editing Obama Speeches, Again](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/08/sean-hannity-caught-selec_n_228060.html) > > Whenever President Barack Obama goes abroad, cameras follow him, and record the things he says to people. Just as often, it seems, Fox’s Sean Hannity takes the recordings made by those cameras and starts splicing and resplicing up a storm, in order to make it seem that Obama said a bunch of things that he didn’t say. And then, armed with his cut-up, bowdlerized junk, Hannity plays his audience for fools. > > Let’s take Obama’s trip to Russia, for example. Obama sat for an interview with Fox’s White House Correspondent, Major Garrett. Hannity presented their exchange over Garrett’s first question, like so: > > > [@](#): > > > > HANNITY’S CUT: > > > > ``` > > GARRETT: In your speech this morning, you said the Cold War reached its conclusion because of the actions of many nations over many years. Mr. President, are the Russian sensitivities so fragile that you can't say the Cold War was won, the West won it, and it was led by a combination of Democratic and Republican American presidents? > > > > OBAMA: There were a whole bunch of people throughout Eastern Europe who showed enormous courage, and I think that it is very important in this part of the world to acknowledge the degree to which people struggled for their own freedom. We don't have to diminish other people in order to recognize our role in that history. > > > > ``` > > Hannity, predictably, produced an outraged bleat: > > > [@](#): > > > > ``` > > HANNITY: Unbelievable. Now, that's interesting, because Lech Walesa, the leader of the Polish Solidarity Movement, said this about the end of the Cold War; he said, quote: "We in Poland took him, Ronald Reagan, so personally. Why? Because we owe him our liberty. Now this can't be said often enough by people who lived under oppression for half a century." Mr. President, if I were you, you may want to consider hitting the history books maybe before your next foreign trip. > > > > ``` > > Yeah! Burn! Shouldn’t Barack Obama be able to demonstrate knowledge of Lech Walesa and the contributions of American presidents in bringing about the end of the Cold War? HE SO TOTALLY SHOULD! > > The thing is, in reality, HE TOTALLY DID. Here’s Fox News’ own transcript of the interview: > > > [@](#): > > > > REALITY: > > > > GARRETT: In your speech this morning, you said the Cold War reached its conclusion because of the actions of many nations over many years. Mr. President, are the Russian sensitivities so fragile that you can’t say the Cold War was won? The West won it? And it was led by a combination of Democratic and Republican American presidents? > > > > OBAMA: Well, listen, the – I think that you just cut out Lech Walesa and the Poles. You just cut out Havel and the Czechs. There were a whole bunch of people throughout Eastern Europe who showed enormous courage. And I think that it is very important in this part of the world to acknowledge the degree to which people struggled for their own freedom. I’m very proud of the traditions of Democratic and Republican presidents to lift the Iron Curtain. But, you know, we don’t have to diminish other people in order to recognize our role in that history. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/450 "2009-07-08T22:58:48Z")
Well, as long as we’re including Fox nincompoops, here’s their morning show’s [Brian Kilmeade](http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/07/08/qotd/index.html)’s take on keeping genetic pools pure. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/451 "2009-07-08T23:09:43Z")
The expressions on the faces of the other two hosts are _priceless._ ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/452 "2009-07-08T23:09:51Z")
Holy shit, that’s pretty stupid! Love that “We marry other species” bit. What other species would that be, Brian? Who is he talking about? You’d think those couples would be interviewed on Jerry Springer, at least. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/453 "2009-07-08T23:13:57Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Not quite the disdain with which he would have said “Texas”, I’ll bet. 😉 You know, its the oddest thing, but its amazing how many Texans stubbornly refuse to recognize Spanish in any way. For instance, Austin (where I will go when I decide its time to party myself to death…) has a main drag, Guadalupe. The correct pronunciation is a lovely word, just the sound is a delight and it slides easily off the tongue. I’m damned if they don’t insist on Gwad-a-loop! Yuck-o-rama! > [@](#): > > …Sorry, that’s my favorite nit to pick. Its a shame that a whole darned country will misspell their own name. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/454 "2009-07-08T23:14:25Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Maybe you should check **Biggirl** ’s. 😉 > > Maybe that’s one of many words that have different connotations and usages in different countries that use nominally the same language? She’s from New York. I’m not aware that that state uses Spanish as its first language, yet. 😛 @ **Frodo** : you can check Guest locations by clicking on their name and selecting their profile from the pop-up menu. In the case of **Biggirl** , she says she is from New York. Not sure if she means the city, or upstate. ---
**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:** [July 8, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/455 "2009-07-08T23:17:16Z")
I think he mixed up **BigGirl** and **MightyGirl** , who is in the Dominican Republic. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/456 "2009-07-08T23:25:18Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Holy shit, that’s pretty stupid! Love that “We marry other species” bit. What other species would that be, Brian? Cats and dogs sleeping together! ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/457 "2009-07-08T23:31:49Z")
Yes, but they’re not married. They’re living in sin. Edit to add, I just realized that Brian could be talking about James Carville and Mary Matalin. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/458 "2009-07-08T23:36:05Z")
> [@Trion](#): > > Cats and dogs sleeping together! Mass hysteria!? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/459 "2009-07-09T00:06:11Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Its a shame that a whole darned country will misspell their own name. Huh? I need to know if I am being wooshed so I can buy a comb. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/460 "2009-07-09T01:03:10Z")
Well, set right there, and I’ll explain. Now, the District of Columbia, _et. al._, existed long before that South American country. So, they decided to name their country in honor of the US, but the dummies mispelled it Colombia, and have stuck with it ever since. Now, that’s just plain stubborn! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=24)