# 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:** 377
**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:** [November 9, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7521 "2012-11-09T16:44:38Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > That is totally amazing. All this time, I thought the Republicans at the top of the food chain were cynically manipulating their base, lording over them from the top of Bullshit Mountain (Jon Stewart’s coinage). It turns out they’re merely very, very stupid. It really does again bring up the question: Is Fox News an arm of the GOP, or is the GOP an arm of Fox News? It seems like the spun-sugar bubble that Fox News and talk radio are spinning for the right is seriously crippling the Republican party’s ability to react to events with anything resembling an acquaintance with reality. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7522 "2012-11-09T16:48:14Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > That is totally amazing. All this time, I thought the Republicans at the top of the food chain were cynically manipulating their base, lording over them from the top of Bullshit Mountain (Jon Stewart’s coinage). It turns out they’re merely very, very stupid. Or, they thought the fix was in, until it dawned on them that it wasn’t. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7523 "2012-11-09T16:56:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Or, they thought the fix was in, until it dawned on them that it wasn’t. I was wondering about that too, and especially Karl Rove’s reaction on Ohio. Did he want them to wait to declare it because he thought the Democratic counties would provide a Romney boost via “adjusted” results or was he just in denial? No way to tell, and I don’t feel like making a tinfoil hat at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7524 "2012-11-09T17:04:53Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Poor Karl. I’m almost starting to feel sorry for the little bugger. I imagine him sitting in his den, in a pair of striped boxers and wife-beater, bottle of Jack in one hand and a teddy bear in the other, muttering, “Ohio … Ohio … Ohio …” over and over while he weeps. It will be some time before I can see one of the usual right-wing-pundit suspects on TV without visualizing them on Wednesday morning in their own personal version of Stephen Colbert’s performance at the beginning of Wednesday’s _Report_. > [@elucidator](#): > > Not as bad as the rich guys who pissed away 300 megabucks. I daresay they will be having a few frank and robust exchanges of views with Karl, considering that he was the bagman/manager for so much of it. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7525 "2012-11-09T17:11:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Apparently, Romney was completely unprepared for the possibility that he might not win by a landslide, and was [“shellshocked”](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/mitt-romney-lost-election_n_2095013.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D232168) when Obama won Ohio and Coloraro. > > Not only did he not write a concession speech in advance, he and his campaign both [deliberately ignored polls that showed Obama leading in key states](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57547239/adviser-romney-shellshocked-by-loss/?pageNum=2&tag=page), leading them to dump resources into Pennsylvania because they believed that Florida and Ohio were a lock. What’s more, the campaign had even paid for and was prepared to launch [an eight-minute fireworks display in Boston Harbor](http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/11/08/mitt-romney-planned-boston-harbor-fireworks-show-that-was-scotched-election-loss/qmgtVKPq4zNnDyb9FbLWeJ/story.html) to celebrate his inevitable victory. > > All this time we’ve been assuming Romney was a cool, calculating operator, planning each move carefully and conservatively to maximize his advantage. > > Turns out he just believed his own hype and thought he couldn’t lose. [This account](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/11/06/us/politics/live-election-results.html#sha=735be775b) from the floor on Election Night encapsulates the mindset: > [@](#): > > Now that the electoral tide has turned against Mitt Romney, the crowd here at the campaign’s election night party has turned against CNN. > > Every time the network is turned on, audience members at the Boston Convention Center chant for a change of channel. “Fox! Fox! Fox!” they yell. Uhh… maybe if you guys would watch something besides Fox News, you could get back in touch with reality and not crash and burn like this next time. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7526 "2012-11-09T17:37:11Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > It really does again bring up the question: Is Fox News an arm of the GOP, or is the GOP an arm of Fox News? On election night, I was struck by how many Fox reporters and commentators referred to the Romney campaign and Republicans as “we”. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7527 "2012-11-09T17:39:38Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Bullshit Mountain (Jon Stewart’s coinage). And the other night, Jon Stewart referred to Fox News as BMN. In my house, that name is sticking. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7528 "2012-11-09T17:50:50Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Poor Karl. I’m almost starting to feel sorry for the little bugger… Don’t you dare! 😛 ---
**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:** [November 9, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7529 "2012-11-09T17:58:51Z")
Florida Gov. Rick Scott _still_ refusing to obey the PPACA: [Florida Gov. Rick Scott says no to health care law](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/florida-gov-rick-scott-still-won-t-implement-153204322--election.html) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7530 "2012-11-09T18:18:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Apparently, Romney was completely unprepared for the possibility that he might not win by a landslide, and was [“shellshocked”](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/mitt-romney-lost-election_n_2095013.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D232168) when Obama won Ohio and Coloraro. > > Not only did he not write a concession speech in advance, he and his campaign both [deliberately ignored polls that showed Obama leading in key states](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57547239/adviser-romney-shellshocked-by-loss/?pageNum=2&tag=page), leading them to dump resources into Pennsylvania because they believed that Florida and Ohio were a lock. Reminds me of another Republican, who chose to believe cherry-picked intelligence to start a war. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7531 "2012-11-09T18:27:02Z")
> [@Mr.Greenjeans](#): > > And the other night, Jon Stewart referred to Fox News as BMN. In my house, that name is sticking. I have Neil Young singing in my head now…“Oh, to live on/Bullshit Mountain…” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7532 "2012-11-09T18:31:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Florida Gov. Rick Scott _still_ refusing to obey the PPACA: [http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/florida-gov-rick-scott-still-won-t-implement-153204322--election.html](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/florida-gov-rick-scott-still-won-t-implement-153204322--election.html) It makes no difference in Florida. If states opt out of creating their own exchanges, the federal government will create exchanges in their state, and Obamacare goes on as planned. They lose federal Medicaid money though, so they will have to explain that to the voters. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7533 "2012-11-09T21:39:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It makes no difference in Florida. If states opt out of creating their own exchanges, the federal government will create exchanges in their state, and Obamacare goes on as planned. They lose federal Medicaid money though, so they will have to explain that to the voters. Yeah, Missouri passed an initiative on Tuesday to prevent the Governor from unilaterally moving ahead with an exchange. Meaning the ‘small government’ people are turning decision making over to Washington. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7534 "2012-11-09T21:47:24Z")
In other Stupid Republican ideas: Yes, let’s all just randomly test for voter fraud, by trying to vote fraudulently. I don’t see how this could possibly fail! :rolleyes: [http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/republicans\_voter\_fraud\_tests.php?ref=fpnewsfeed](http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/republicans_voter_fraud_tests.php?ref=fpnewsfeed) > [@](#): > > In Nevada, 56-year-old Roxanne Rubin, a Republican, was arrested on Nov. 2 for allegedly trying to vote twice, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. > > On Tuesday in New Mexico, a Republican poll watcher was taken into police custody after also apparently trying to test the system. According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, the man voted, then obtained a second provisional ballot and announced he was simply “testing the system to see if people could get away with voting twice.” Let’s all test the system! ---
**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:** [November 9, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7535 "2012-11-09T22:01:33Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It makes no difference in Florida. If states opt out of creating their own exchanges, the federal government will create exchanges in their state, and Obamacare goes on as planned. They lose federal Medicaid money though, so they will have to explain that to the voters. I know. My wife is a PPACA exchange implementation consultant. Unfortunately, we live in Florida, so that federal money we won’t get is coming out of _our_ pockets to fund the governor’s windmill-tilting. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7536 "2012-11-09T22:18:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > All this time we’ve been assuming Romney was a cool, calculating operator, planning each move carefully and conservatively to maximize his advantage. Nooo. The tax returns issue, handled about as badly as it’s possible to handle such things, destroyed any potential for that image. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7537 "2012-11-09T23:14:20Z")
Fresh off his failed attempts to rig Ohio for Romney, John Husted is already trying to rig the 2016 election by proposing [a new electoral scheme that would give most of Ohio’s electoral votes to the Republican regardless of who wins the state.](http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/09/1169761/ohios-gop-secretary-of-state-already-has-a-plan-to-rig-the-2016-election-for-republicans/) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7538 "2012-11-09T23:16:06Z")
> [@](#): > > …The tax returns issue, handled about as badly as it’s possible to handle such things… It could very well have been handled worse, like telling the truth. Now, to be ruthlessly fair, I don’t know the truth about Romney’s tax returns, but I know enough to be fairly and reasonably suspicious. Sometimes fair and reasonable suspicion falls upon the innocent. There is a remedy for that misfortune. I am terrifically fond of sunshine, both as an environment and as an antiseptic. And, truth be known, he more or less got away with it. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7539 "2012-11-09T23:30:34Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > And, truth be known, he more or less got away with it. They usually do. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7540 "2012-11-09T23:38:44Z")
OK, this is a winner. As you may have heard, David Petreus has resigned as director CIA in the face of a scandal about extramarital hanky panky. Or was it? He resigns just before he is supposed to testify about Benghazigoat? From Laura Ingrown: > [@](#): > > COINCIDENCE?! Petraeus is set to testify NEXT week at a closed door session on Capitol Hill abt Benghazi. Did BHO push him out? This stinks! Rupert Morlock: > [@](#): > > Petraeus resignation. Timing, everything suspicious. There has to be more to this story. Twitters, posted from the paladins of truth and justice, _Daily Ko_s… > **[Fox News jumps back into the conspiracy theory saddle](https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/09/1159729/-Fox-News-jumps-back-into-the-conspiracy-theory-saddle?detail=hide)** > > Oh, Fox News. Right on schedule, Fox is first to come up with a crazy-ass conspiracy theory about the Petraeus resignation. And it all revolves around "Benghazi", because "Benghazi" is the ... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=376) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=378)