# 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:** 269
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5361 "2012-05-08T15:39:53Z")
Could have been reading the Divine Comedy and thought it’d make good source material. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5362 "2012-05-08T16:08:06Z")
This is nice. Mitt Romney [takes credit for the auto industry recovery](http://news.yahoo.com/romney-taking-credit-auto-industry-success-031025566.html). I think this represents a kind of new low for the Republican party, and Mitt in particular. Karl Rove’s strategy was to always attack the opponent’s main strength and make it into a weakness. I think Mitt’s sorta doing the same thing, except he’s not even just attacking Obama’s strength’s, but also his own weakness. He knows that there is an approximately 30-40% of voters who will vote for him no matter what, just because they hate Obama so much. So he’s just going keep repeating anything he can in order to appeal to the other 10-20% and know that the likes of Fox News and conservative talk shows are going to back him up. Tomorrow he could claim Obama eats babies, and Fox News will run that, but they’ll run it as “Does Obama eat babies? Find out next!” The 30-40% drones that will vote for Mitt won’t care about the lie, but there may be 1 or 2 or 15 or 100 moderates who may look at that and say to themselves “Maybe there’s something to it”, especially if it comes as part of an avalanche of lies that the conservatives will no doubt be telling the country about Obama. It just makes me sick that these shitty people can even sniff a position of power in the government ---
**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:** [May 8, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5363 "2012-05-08T16:26:36Z")
This is the thread for Republican stupidity. Is there a separate thread for Republican filth? If not, let me call attention here to [a Youtube titled “In this video, each time Barack Obama tells a lie, a half-truth or says something that is otherwise deceptive, a small child will get slammed in the face with a soccer ball.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJjMzl1DLxw) (Someone in the “Is it partisan to use Obama’s middle name?” thread linked to a trash Youtube; I clicked on one or two of the “related” videos, got disgusted, but thought I should mention here the stupidity of anti-Obama Youtubers.) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5364 "2012-05-08T17:06:29Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > This is the thread for Republican stupidity. Is there a separate thread for Republican filth? If not, let me call attention here to [a Youtube titled “In this video, each time Barack Obama tells a lie, a half-truth or says something that is otherwise deceptive, a small child will get slammed in the face with a soccer ball.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJjMzl1DLxw) Hey, cranial injury is how future Republicans are made, it’s sort of a reproductive strategy. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5365 "2012-05-08T18:17:37Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > This is the thread for Republican stupidity. Is there a separate thread for Republican filth? If not, let me call attention here to [a Youtube titled “In this video, each time Barack Obama tells a lie, a half-truth or says something that is otherwise deceptive, a small child will get slammed in the face with a soccer ball.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJjMzl1DLxw) > > (Someone in the “Is it partisan to use Obama’s middle name?” thread linked to a trash Youtube; I clicked on one or two of the “related” videos, got disgusted, but thought I should mention here the stupidity of anti-Obama Youtubers.) As opposed to what the kid would look like if they did it for any given Romney speech? I’m thinking that old animated GIF cartoon of the guy banging his head into little bloody bits against his keyboard… ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5366 "2012-05-08T19:21:29Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > …it’s sort of a reproductive strategy. In that case, how long should we expect it to be before they propose legislation making it illegal to avoid bashing kids on the head with sports equipment at every opportunity? ---
**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:** [May 8, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5367 "2012-05-08T21:13:17Z")
[I think this thread is stupid enough to qualify as a SRIOtD.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651122) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5368 "2012-05-08T21:17:13Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > This is nice. Mitt Romney [takes credit for the auto industry recovery](http://news.yahoo.com/romney-taking-credit-auto-industry-success-031025566.html). > > I think this represents a kind of new low for the Republican party, and Mitt in particular. Karl Rove’s strategy was to always attack the opponent’s main strength and make it into a weakness. I think Mitt’s sorta doing the same thing, except he’s not even just attacking Obama’s strength’s, but also his own weakness. He knows that there is an approximately 30-40% of voters who will vote for him no matter what, just because they hate Obama so much. So he’s just going keep repeating anything he can in order to appeal to the other 10-20% and know that the likes of Fox News and conservative talk shows are going to back him up. When this campaign started I thought Romney was the best of a pretty bad lot. Now I have this urge to push my fist through his smarmy face - or loosely tie him to the top of the family car and drive him to Canada. Maybe Joseph Smith will come down from whatever planet he is occupying and say “Mitt, you are a big fucking liar, and I know big fucking liars.” ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5369 "2012-05-08T22:44:12Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [I think this thread is stupid enough to qualify as a SRIOtD.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651122) While I get that Republicans have lots of stupid ideas on a near daily basis, I am confused about why you think this is one. Ludovic is right, running a surplus during the month of April is not too impressive for the US Federal Government. From [here](http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/7/deficit-streak-ends-obama-first-monthly-surplus/): > [@](#): > > “Because of the large inflows of tax revenues, the federal government usually runs a budget surplus in April — though that did not occur in 2009, 2010 and 2011,” CBO said. I don’t think the articles are an example of Stupid Liberal idea of the day, but I don’t think **Ludovic** is being too dense either. Help me out here. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5370 "2012-05-08T23:22:28Z")
Rather than reiterate an existing thread, I’d suggest you read through the dozen or so comments to Ludovic’s thread, and see if it doesn’t enlighten you. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5371 "2012-05-09T00:51:15Z")
Richard Lugar loses his primary election. The Bloomberg headline says it all: **Richard Lugar Was Too Polite for Today’s Republicans** [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-08/richard-lugar-was-too-polite-for-today-s-republicans.html](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-08/richard-lugar-was-too-polite-for-today-s-republicans.html) ---
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5372 "2012-05-09T00:51:56Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Now I have this urge to push my fist through his smarmy face - or loosely tie him to the top of the family car and drive him to Canada. > > Maybe Joseph Smith will come down from whatever planet he is occupying and say “Mitt, you are a big fucking liar, and I know big fucking liars.” No problem with pushing your fist through his face, but don’t you dare drive him to Canada - top of the car, bottom of the car, strapped across the hood - oh hell no! We do NOT want or need him up here. And old Joe would just give him pointers. (not that he seems to need many). ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5373 "2012-05-09T00:57:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [I think this thread is stupid enough to qualify as a SRIOtD.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651122) Cite? (For the second letter). (I have a cite. My posts.) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5374 "2012-05-09T01:20:17Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > No problem with pushing your fist through his face, but don’t you dare drive him to Canada - top of the car, bottom of the car, strapped across the hood - oh hell no! We do NOT want or need him up here. > > And old Joe would just give him pointers. (not that he seems to need many). Aw, c’mon! He’s bland, dull, with all the charisma of mayonnaise. Blend right in. You guys wouldn’t even know he was there. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5375 "2012-05-09T02:28:46Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > This is the thread for Republican stupidity. Is there a separate thread for Republican filth? If not, let me call attention here to [a Youtube titled “In this video, each time Barack Obama tells a lie, a half-truth or says something that is otherwise deceptive, a small child will get slammed in the face with a soccer ball.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJjMzl1DLxw) I’m sorry, as a premise I thought that was hysterical, but totally screwed up in execution. If they dialled it down just a notch and used different clips I would have watched through to the end. Bigtime missed opportunity and fail, but the initial thought was pretty funny. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2012, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5376 "2012-05-09T09:31:16Z")
[Paul Ryan says “Ayn who?”](http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/05/07/479298/ayn-rand-paul-ryan/) > [@](#): > > CONSTITUENT: My question concerns your current and previous feelings toward the author and philosopher Ayn Rand. […] Mr. Ryan, are you telling us that your political career was founded on the concepts of a rally of hers, but until recently, you never realized Ayn Rand was an outspoken atheist, that she felt altruism was evil, supported abortion, and condemned Christianity for advocating compassion for the poor? > > RYAN: […] Just because you like someone’s novels doesn’t mean you agree with their entire worldview philosophy. She has a worldview philosophy which is completely antithetical to mine because she has an atheist philosophy. […] It’s really kind of a canard, is what I would say. > > CONSTITUENT: You spoke as a keynote speaker for Ayn Rand banquets. You were quoted at length about how you loved her. You say you grew up and Ayn Rand taught you who you are and what your values are. I think we’ve learned the question of your honesty. > > RYAN: It’s a great book! It’s a great book! Let’s go on to somebody over here, I think we’ve covered it pretty well. By the way, I don’t require it. I have a reading list. Lots of young people ask me what are good books. I give them Alexis de Tocqueville, I take the Founders, Friedman, Hayek, Atlas Shrugged. There are lots of good books worth reading if you want to study freedom, free enterprise, the Founders, economics. There are a lot of good books out there to read, it doesn’t mean that you subscribe to the person’s worldview and philosophy. That’s really kind of a stretch. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5377 "2012-05-09T15:07:09Z")
It’s not so much a stupid idea as a catchy theme song, but it definitely didn’t deserve its own thread: Jason Paige singing “[PokéRon](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IVjfa0Alz5o#!)”. The stupid idea is probably that there are millions of Pokémon fans willing to vote for Ron Paul (assuming that’s what “joining the revolution” entails. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5378 "2012-05-09T15:17:47Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > Richard Lugar loses his primary election. > > The Bloomberg headline says it all: > **Richard Lugar Was Too Polite for Today’s Republicans** > > [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-08/richard-lugar-was-too-polite-for-today-s-republicans.html](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-08/richard-lugar-was-too-polite-for-today-s-republicans.html) Hopefully this will be a continuation of the trend, where the Teapartiers boot out a moderate in the primaries, and then get their butt kicked in the general (Reid in Nevada, and I-am-not-a-witch whatsername) ---
**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:** [May 9, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5379 "2012-05-09T15:24:59Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Hopefully this will be a continuation of the trend, where the Teapartiers boot out a moderate in the primaries, and then get their butt kicked in the general (Reid in Nevada, and I-am-not-a-witch whatsername) Don’t forget that Utah has yet to have their primaries…Hatch looks to be in some trouble… ---
**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:** [May 9, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5380 "2012-05-09T16:51:02Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > It’s not so much a stupid idea as a catchy theme song, but it definitely didn’t deserve its own thread: > > Jason Paige singing “[PokéRon](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IVjfa0Alz5o#!)”. The stupid idea is probably that there are millions of Pokémon fans willing to vote for Ron Paul (assuming that’s what “joining the revolution” entails. Well, he’s not polling well among grown-ups, and kids eventually get the vote… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=268) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=270)