# 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:** 280
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5581 "2012-05-25T19:51:58Z")
> [@](#): > > …Queens of spades… Obsessive Pedantic Corrective Disorder display in five, four, three… ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5582 "2012-05-25T20:03:27Z")
Queen of Diamonds!! I win!! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5583 "2012-05-25T20:16:40Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Obsessive Pedantic Corrective Disorder display in five, four, three… C’mon, he’s just calling it like it is. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5584 "2012-05-26T03:29:45Z")
[Sitting Republican Representative fails to turn in enough valid signatures to qualify for August primary.](http://www.freep.com/article/20120525/NEWS15/120525063/Thaddeus-McCotter-may-not-appear-election-ballot-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cimg%7CFRONTPAGE) > [@](#): > > U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Livonia, may not have turned in enough signatures to qualify for the Aug. 7 primary ballot. > > In a statement released earlier this evening, McCotter said he was informed by the Michigan Secretary of State offices that he hadn’t turned in enough valid signatures to get on the ballot. According to the SOS website, he turned in 2,000 signatures, the maximum allowable. > > “Fully respecting the accuracy and integrity of the Secretary of State’s office, we > will thoroughly review our petition signatures for their sufficiency or > insufficiency,” McCotter said in a statement released about 8:30 p.m. Friday. “Out of respect for Memorial Day, an announcement of our findings will be made > public on Tuesday.” > > No one from the SOS or McCotter’s office immediately returned phone calls to elaborate on the statement or how the signatures were insufficient. > > … > > Oakland County Republican Party chairman Jim Thienel said he was shocked by the news. > > “I’m amazed that as a sitting congressman, he could allow this to happen,” Thienel said. “For them not to file an appropriate amount is just unbelieveable.” This is my congressman of “McCotter Rocks” infamy, and I’m just so proud. ---
**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 26, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5585 "2012-05-26T04:44:59Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > [Sitting Republican Representative fails to turn in enough valid signatures to qualify for August primary.](http://www.freep.com/article/20120525/NEWS15/120525063/Thaddeus-McCotter-may-not-appear-election-ballot-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cimg%7CFRONTPAGE) > > According to the SOS website, he turned in 2,000 signatures, the maximum allowable. The rule that a candidate must turn in between 1,000 and 2,000 signatures is a weird requirement that was bound to result in this kind of mess sooner or later. When I read “maximum of 2,000” in the copied post I thought there must have been a typo. And bouncing both duplicate signatures is another. Seems like a further review is needed here. Equity, and all that. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5586 "2012-05-26T05:08:03Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > \<…\> > > And bouncing both duplicate signatures is another. Seems like a further review is needed here. Equity, and all that. I’m shooting from the hip (as well as being on the train in Minnesota, between St Paul and St Cloud), but I’m pretty sure that in the SoW all signatures are invalidated in case of duplication. Rationale seems to be that signing more than once is considered evidence of fraudulent intent. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5587 "2012-05-26T12:56:05Z")
How long before this is blamed on “Democrat” operatives trying to sabotage noble Congressman McCotter? Those darn sneaky liberals! ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5588 "2012-05-26T13:40:57Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > How long before this is blamed on “Democrat” operatives trying to sabotage noble Congressman McCotter? Those darn sneaky liberals! You mean it hasn’t already? Somebody at Fox News had better wake up! (I rather imagine the Freepers are all over it, but my gag reflex is such that I daren’t check.) ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5589 "2012-05-26T13:52:56Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > You mean it hasn’t already? Somebody at Fox News had better wake up! > > (I rather imagine the Freepers are all over it, but my gag reflex is such that I daren’t check.) You libs are all the same. Of course you kneejerk react and think Fox news would be anything other than direct, honest and clear, just because some of their commentators _in their non-news hours_ are conservative. They will _not_ “blame it on a Democrat.” They will change his party affiliation in the Chyron. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5590 "2012-05-26T14:08:42Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > The rule that a candidate must turn in between 1,000 and 2,000 signatures is a weird requirement that was bound to result in this kind of mess sooner or later. When I read “maximum of 2,000” in the copied post I thought there must have been a typo. Yeah, that confused me at first, but if that’s the case, it makes the whole thing even dumber and easier to avoid. If you’ve only got 2000 signatures to check, how hard is it to get a couple campaign volunteers to check 'em over before they’re ever turned in? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5591 "2012-05-26T14:13:08Z")
Could this be Gingrich/Virginia-like situation? That is, for years no one ever contested the party’s efforts to get on the primary ballot, so devoting precious campaign resources to validation seemed wasteful. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5592 "2012-05-26T14:16:52Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > [Sitting Republican Representative fails to turn in enough valid signatures to qualify for August primary.](http://www.freep.com/article/20120525/NEWS15/120525063/Thaddeus-McCotter-may-not-appear-election-ballot-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cimg%7CFRONTPAGE) OK, I don’t get the stupid here. The SOS says he hasn’t turned in enough signatures. The SOS also says he has turned in 2k, the maximum allowed. How is this a fuck-up on the Republican guy’s part, and not the SOS ? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5593 "2012-05-26T14:18:59Z")
He turned in 2000 signatures, and enough of them were invalid that he doesn’t have enough valid signatures to be on the ballot. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5594 "2012-05-26T15:01:30Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > OK, I don’t get the stupid here. The SOS says he hasn’t turned in enough signatures. The SOS also says he has turned in 2k, the maximum allowed. How is this a fuck-up on the Republican guy’s part, and not the SOS ? Well, the SOS is a Republican (assumed because of the “False Democratic Ad pulled” bit on her [website](http://www.rj4mi.com/default.asp) Of course, her apparently strictly applying the law to a fellow Republican actually earns her kudos, not Stupid Republican points. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5595 "2012-05-26T15:51:03Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Could this be Gingrich/Virginia-like situation? That is, for years no one ever contested the party’s efforts to get on the primary ballot, so devoting precious campaign resources to validation seemed wasteful. I’m wondering if it’s tangentially due to the [Font Size debacle](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/michigan-emergency-manager-repeal-petition-font-size_n_1523899.html). Michigan’s pretty solidly ruled by Republicans right now (and I mean that in a dictatorial sense) and McCotter’s well respected, so it’s not like anyone in Lansing or the Republican party would be looking for a nit-picky excuse to invalidate his signatures, but the SOS came down on the side of the petition collectors in the emergency manager repeal case. There may be an attitude of “Fine, if petitions must be perfect, then they ALL have to be perfect.” But I don’t know who specifically in Lansing would choose to make McCotter a sacrificial lamb in that case. And that doesn’t excuse McCotter’s camp for not checking over his own signatures. 2000 signatures, and only HALF had to be valid; that’s what, an afternoon’s work just to look for duplicates and Mickey Mouses? ---
**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:** [May 26, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5596 "2012-05-26T16:07:21Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > He turned in 2000 signatures, and enough of them were invalid that he doesn’t have enough valid signatures to be on the ballot. Oh, so _that_’s the elephant that I missed. Looks bigger in person. Thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mann\_Slaughter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@Mann\_Slaughter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mann_Slaughter)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5597 "2012-05-26T19:49:51Z")
I know this is a few weeks old, but here goes: Samuel “Joe The Plumber” Wurzelbacher (R) is running in Ohio for the Congressional seat now held by Democrat Mary Kaptur. Kaptur’s people have repeatedly pointed out that “Joe” isn’t a licensed plumber in Ohio, so what does “Joe” do? He [“Accuses Kaptur of disrespecting his and other veterans’ military service”](http://www.politifact.com/ohio/statements/2012/may/15/samuel-wurzelbacher/samuel-joe-plumber-wurzelbacher-says-marcy-kaptur-/) Hold it…Wait… What??? This just reminds me why I no longer watch political debates. I seem to spend most of my time screaming, “HOW ABOUT YOU JUST ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION?!?” Using “Joe’s” logic, since I was a Combat Medical Specialist (91B-10) in the US Army in 1984, that makes me an EMT today? Right? And anyone questioning my credentials is hateful of the military and our veterans? Seriously, what planet do the people live on? ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5598 "2012-05-26T21:09:49Z")
Bizarro World, obviously. The problem is not so much that they live there as that a significant portion of the electorate is right there with them. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5599 "2012-05-26T21:11:33Z")
> [@Mann\_Slaughter](#): > > Using “Joe’s” logic, since I was a Combat Medical Specialist (91B-10) in the US Army in 1984, that makes me an EMT today? Right? Well, more than Joe’s background makes him a plumber. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/5600 "2012-05-29T18:27:11Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > And that doesn’t excuse McCotter’s camp for not checking over his own signatures. 2000 signatures, and only HALF had to be valid; that’s what, an afternoon’s work just to look for duplicates and Mickey Mouses? [This article](http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120529/POLITICS01/205290388) says that only 244 of the 2000 signatures were non-duplicates. Duplicates were photocopies of the originals, some of which have different pollster names on each copy. Also, some of the signatures appear to be cut-and-pasted from some other source, but since they’re from real voters, they were not excluded. So it’s not clear how many of the 244 were actually signed this year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=279) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=281)