# 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:** 381
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7601 "2012-11-15T17:13:30Z")
> [@zut](#): > > To be fair, I would expect that Republican-leaning precincts in Montana or Utah would be less homogeneously Republican than inner-city Philadelphia or Cleveland is homogeneously Democratic; so I would be surprised if there were any precincts of the same size (300-700 voters) that went 100% for Romney. (For example, the [Wyoming SOS site](http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Docs/2012/2012GeneralResults.aspx) is fairly easy to browse through. It looks like, of the entire state, there were no Obama voters in exactly four precincts. The largest of those, in Niobrara County, had only 60 voters.) Besides which, they voted for the “right person”. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7602 "2012-11-15T18:44:38Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > As Ruk once said, “That was the equation!” (Minimum daily requirement of Star Trek references.) I somehow had the idea that voting precincts were larger than that. > > (Played by Hannity. Ick. I feel so dirty…) Well it depends on what you’d call a “precinct”. I think different states break it down differently. Without that information, like how many votes total was cast for an area, it wouldn’t be unusual to have 100% favoring one candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7603 "2012-11-15T19:37:28Z")
If you were going to commit some sort of electoral fraud, you’d be stupid to rig the totals to 100% and 0%. If there were any Romney voters in that ward, and they heard about the result, they’d know something funny was going on. The ones to be suspicious of are where there’s just one vote for either candidate. That way, anybody who checks the results thinks “I don’t know who everyone else cast their votes for, but there’s mine.” But if Hannity thinks this is fraud, it should be simple enough to prove. All he has to do is find one person in any of those wards who claims to have cast a vote for Romney. Go ahead, Sean, that’s what a real journalist would do. We’ll wait. ---
**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 15, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7604 "2012-11-15T19:40:05Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > If you were going to commit some sort of electoral fraud, you’d be stupid to rig the totals to 100% and 0%. If there were any Romney voters in that ward, and they heard about the result, they’d know something funny was going on. The ones to be suspicious of are where there’s just one vote for either candidate. That way, anybody who checks the results thinks “I don’t know who everyone else cast their votes for, but there’s mine.” > > But if Hannity thinks this is fraud, it should be simple enough to prove. All he has to do is find one person in any of those wards who claims to have cast a vote for Romney. Go ahead, Sean, that’s what a real journalist would do. We’ll wait. Oh god. I just got a horrible vision of James O’Keefe claiming to be a black man from Cleveland. ---
**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:** [November 15, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7605 "2012-11-15T21:02:15Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Dear Mr. Webster: I’m sure you don’t know any black people, as you’re probably isolated in your cultural bubble. However, there are thousands of black people living in Maine. Just because you’re unaware of their existence does not mean they are invisible. I’d suggest if you “want to find out” what is going on, that you educated yourself about the people who live in your state. Perhaps the reason that he knows no black people is that black people know him. And it is clear that this thread is going to be going on for quite some time to come. I hope they store the post count in a long int. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7606 "2012-11-15T21:42:33Z")
Rick Perry answered the Facebook question, “Do you think welfare recipients should be subject to drug testing?” with “Yes.” (Not really on Facebook: [http://newsfixnow.com/2012/11/15/gov-rick-perry-talks-welfare-and-unemployment/](http://newsfixnow.com/2012/11/15/gov-rick-perry-talks-welfare-and-unemployment/)) I’d be more likely to support that sort of thing if elected officials were subject to the same tests. Or perhaps they are, and they just don’t like to mention it. Maybe lobbyists and those that receive government contracts should be held to this standard, too. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7607 "2012-11-15T21:57:30Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Oh god. I just got a horrible vision of James O’Keefe claiming to be a black man from Cleveland. Horrible or hilarious? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7608 "2012-11-15T22:06:30Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7609 "2012-11-15T22:12:23Z")
I thought the Democrat _modus operandi_ was to send in thousands of ID-less, ineligible, black voters increase the Obama vote. How does that result in precincts with 0 Romney votes? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7610 "2012-11-15T22:18:44Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > I thought the Democrat _modus operandi_ was to send in thousands of ID-less, ineligible, black voters increase the Obama vote. How does that result in precincts with 0 Romney votes? It’s quite simple. > [@Imaginary Sean Hannity](#): > > Because… > > Because… > Fuck you, that’s how. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7611 "2012-11-15T22:20:29Z")
Antimatter ballots. ---
**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 15, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7612 "2012-11-15T22:34:40Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > I thought the Democrat _modus operandi_ was to send in thousands of ID-less, ineligible, black voters increase the Obama vote. How does that result in precincts with 0 Romney votes? They sent them to Maine, apparently… [Outgoing Maine GOP Chair to investigate dozens of black people that voted election day](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/15/1161879/-Outgoing-Maine-GOP-Chair-to-investigate-dozens-of-black-people-that-voted-election-day) ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7613 "2012-11-15T22:42:33Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > He tried to scape. got into a scrape… ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7614 "2012-11-15T22:49:37Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > I thought the Democrat _modus operandi_ was to send in thousands of ID-less, ineligible, black voters increase the Obama vote. How does that result in precincts with 0 Romney votes? I think they can suck the Romney votes right out of the ballot boxes using Haitian voodoo powers. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7615 "2012-11-15T22:51:21Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I think they can suck the Romney votes right out of the ballot boxes using Haitian voodoo powers. Uh, Kenyan-Voodoo. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7616 "2012-11-15T22:51:28Z")
Yesterday John McCain was demanding at a press conference that a congressional committee be formed to investigate Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi. Today, the administration convened a classified hearing with top diplomatic, military, and counter-terrorism officials in attendance. John McCain didn’t bother to show up. When CNN asked him in a hallway why he didn’t attend, he cursed at them. [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/15/mccain-skips-benghazi-briefing-gets-testy-when-questioned-by-cnn/](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/15/mccain-skips-benghazi-briefing-gets-testy-when-questioned-by-cnn/) ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7617 "2012-11-15T22:56:52Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Yesterday John McCain was demanding at a press conference that a congressional committee be formed to investigate Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi. Today, the administration convened a classified hearing with top diplomatic, military, and counter-terrorism officials in attendance. John McCain didn’t bother to show up. When CNN asked him in a hallway why he didn’t attend, he cursed at them. > > [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/15/mccain-skips-benghazi-briefing-gets-testy-when-questioned-by-cnn/](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/15/mccain-skips-benghazi-briefing-gets-testy-when-questioned-by-cnn/) [This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ujqoc6Rzuw) seems appropriate. ---
**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 16, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7618 "2012-11-16T00:16:17Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Some of his best friends are not from Maine. [Funny you should say that in light of his new comments…](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/11/15/1194481/maine-gop-dozens-black-voters/) > [@](#): > > There’s nothing about me that would be discriminatory. I know black people. I play basketball every Sunday with a black guy. He’s a great friend of mine. Nobody would ever accuse me of suggesting anything. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7619 "2012-11-16T00:18:32Z")
> [@](#): > > There’s nothing about me that would be discriminatory. I know black people. I play basketball every Sunday with a black guy. He’s a great friend of mine. Nobody would ever accuse me of suggesting anything. Does he have a name, or do you just call him “black guy”? ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7620 "2012-11-16T01:42:33Z")
I’m really curious if they have any idea _why_ the Obama campaign would be trying to steal the election in Maine. Obama won Maine by over 100,000 votes, out of about 710,000 cast. And it’s only worth four electoral votes. The absolute scale of voter fraud that would be required to turn an election hinging on Maine’s electors, which would be something like a 370–268 Romney rout, to the actual result of a 332–206 Obama landslide is simply mind-boggling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=380) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=382)