# 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:** 387
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7721 "2012-11-28T14:39:40Z")
I was guessing DesJarlais too. The “pro-life, family values” candidate who agreed to his own wife’s abortion, and says he had an open marriage arrangement with her he had affairs with a number of patients, at least one of whom he also pressured to have an abortion. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7722 "2012-11-28T16:54:04Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It’s worse than that – Clemente said, “He [Ricks] apologized in our offices afterward but doesn’t have the strength of character to do that publicly.” > > This sort of chicken-shit accusation of chickenshittery is the sort of thing that led to pistols at dawn not so long ago. I’m sure he followed up with “and I’ve received plenty of supporting PMs, so there !” ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7723 "2012-11-28T18:36:54Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Ooh, another “family values” Republican from Tennessee in the news. Let’s play a game. Has he: > > A) Been caught doing drugs? > B) Been caught having sex with another woman? > C) Been caught having sex with another man? > D) Been arrested for beating his wife? > E) All of the above? [spoiler] > [@](#): > > Staats’ campaign caused a stir when he posted a picture of his handgun on Facebook, along with the words: ‘Here is something that I usually have with me. Welcome to Tennessee Mr. Obama’ Aint this the kind of thing that gets you a visit from our friends at the Secret Service? Actually, I would kinda like to see picture of the President’s Helicopter landing on this guy’s lawn.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7724 "2012-11-28T19:13:33Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > [They’re just giving each other handjobs and flipping everybody else off now.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/house-committee-chairs-all-white-men_n_2201136.html) To be fair, they’re not going to give the chairs to Democrats. My count (a quick one done by pictures) shows 24 women and 2 minorities out of 240 Reps\*. So demographically, it would be worth 1.9 chairs. In other words, yes, Boehner should be blamed for not diversifying his committee chair positions. But it’s also the electorate’s fault in that 90% of the Republican House is white and male. \*going by the current crop not 2013’s because they’re also not giving the chair to a Freshman. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7725 "2012-11-28T20:24:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Mitt Romney can take some solace in his devastating loss on Nov. 6: at least he won the voters who really count. > > That’s the thesis anyway of top adviser Stuart Stevens, who penned an op-ed in the Washington Post on Wednesday arguing that by winning wealthier and whiter voters, Romney secured the moral victory over Obama. > > “On Nov. 6, Mitt Romney carried the majority of every economic group except those with less than $50,000 a year in household income,” Stevens wrote. “That means he carried the majority of middle-class voters. While John McCain lost white voters under 30 by 10 points, Romney won those voters by seven points, a 17-point shift.” > > According to Stevens, “The Republican Party has problems, but as we go forward, let’s remember that any party that captures the majority of the middle class must be doing something right.” As a result, “Republican ideals – Mitt Romney – carried the day.” > > The implied argument that poorer votes are inferior seems to undercut the campaign’s central message over the last two years: that Romney’s top concern was providing jobs for the jobless. The unemployed Americans Romney highlighted in ads, speeches and photo-ops make under $50,000 a year almost by definition and campaign videos like the one below are jarring next to Stevens’ latest piece. [http://news.yahoo.com/top-romney-adviser-brags-losing-poor-minority-voters-180955828--politics.html](http://news.yahoo.com/top-romney-adviser-brags-losing-poor-minority-voters-180955828--politics.html) ---
**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 28, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7726 "2012-11-28T20:28:01Z")
It’s only jarring if you weren’t paying attention the last 30 years or so… ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7727 "2012-11-28T20:31:15Z")
So, no minorities make over $50,000? Gotcha. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7728 "2012-11-28T21:18:40Z")
Reminds me of Ian, Spinal Tap’s manager. When asked why the band was playing to smaller and smaller crowds he hemmed and hawed before saying, “Their appeal is becoming more selective.” They should really get an electric appliance of some kind to bring their turd polishing process up to the industrial scale. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7729 "2012-11-28T22:00:51Z")
Rich old white guys vote for Rmoney - what a surprise. They also won the toothless, racist, tobacco stained, gun toting, trailer trash demographic - you know - the Republican base. Too bad no one asked him about the Asian-American vote. Republicans see them as kinda white. More than 3 to 1 for Obama. As a group, they are highly educated, conservative in nature, family oriented, and high earners. Should have been a slam dunk for Rmoney. Turns out they value government services, value education (you know - the science-y stuff), value health care and are willing to pay higher taxes to get the benefits **IN THE LONG TERM**. Why yes, I am stealing Rmoney from elsewhere:D ---
**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 28, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7730 "2012-11-28T22:02:06Z")
So in reality Romney won. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7731 "2012-11-28T22:29:25Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > So in reality Romney won. If Obama’s voters only got 3/5ths a vote, he would have. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7732 "2012-11-29T13:58:30Z")
John Boehner yesterday spojke against raising taxes on the upper 2% (those making more than $250,000, apparently), saying that > [@](#): > > “If you’re increasing taxes on small-business people, it’s the wrong approach.” If you’re in the topmost 2%, it seems to me that you’ve stopped being a “small business” by most people’s definitions. We’re not talking Mom and Pop’s corner store at this point. If it does, I’m cleaqtrly in the wrong line of work, and ought to open one myself. Obama officials have stated that the propoosed legislation wouldn’t affect 97% of small businesses (which still makes me wonder about that residuum). I can’t find an e-news story that repeats the quotes I heard on the radio yesterday, but this one has the Boehner line quoted: > **[Boehner: Raising Tax Rates 'Unacceptable'](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/boehner-exclusive-raising-tax-rates-unacceptable-revenue-table/story?id=17672947)** > > Raising tax rates is "unacceptable" to House Speaker John Boehner as he prepares to open negotiations on the looming "fiscal cliff" with the president and congressional Democrats, he told "World News" anchor Diane Sawyer today in an exclusive... Here’s FactCheck on the “Small Businesses Hurt” claim from earlier this month: > **[Boehner's Big Stretch on Small Business - FactCheck.org](https://www.factcheck.org/2011/11/boehners-big-stretch-on-small-business/)** > > House Speaker John Boehner claimed that “small-business people” make up more than half of those who would be hit by a tax increase on “millionaires.” Not really. Only 13 percent of those making over $1 million get even as much as one-fourth of that... ---
**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 29, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7733 "2012-11-29T14:21:20Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Too bad no one asked him about the Asian-American vote. Republicans see them as kinda white. More than 3 to 1 for Obama. As a group, they are highly educated, conservative in nature, family oriented, and high earners. Should have been a slam dunk for Rmoney. Turns out they value government services, value education (you know - the science-y stuff), value health care and are willing to pay higher taxes to get the benefits **IN THE LONG TERM**. Not really a slam dunk. Asian Americans are generally \*fiscally \*conservative, but socially liberal, and mostly vote for Democrats. There also just aren’t very many of us. ---
**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:** [November 29, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7734 "2012-11-29T16:12:41Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > They should really get an electric appliance of some kind to bring their turd polishing process up to the industrial scale. No need. When it comes to polishing scat, Fox News goes to _12_. It’s two shinier, innit ? ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7735 "2012-11-29T17:44:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Not really a slam dunk. Asian Americans are \*\*_generally fiscally conservative, but socially liberal_, and mostly vote for Democrats. There also just aren’t very many of us. [Bolded for emphasis] [tangent] This is a topic for another thread, but … Why would most Asian Americans have that point of view? Culture? Is it the experience of immigration? (Just looking for brief summary.) [/tangent] ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7736 "2012-11-29T17:59:12Z")
I think the first question would be: Is that true? And what is meant by Asian? My Chinese/Vietnamese/Korean friends growing up were all over the map. The stereotype of a Chinese helicopter mom is very (personally, if not politically) conservative. Does this generalization include India and all the countries with ‘that kind’ of Asian? ---
**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 29, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7737 "2012-11-29T17:59:48Z")
It’s hard to generalize about such a diverse group, of course, and I’m not an expert on Asian culture (beyond having grown up in one). Take the following as my opinion on the subject, rather than hard facts. The fiscal conservatism is a combination of things. Some grew up in communist or poor democratic socialist states, which tends to breed a pro-capitalist mentality. Non-Hispanic immigrants generally also tend toward fiscal conservatism because they are mostly skilled workers in high earning fields, or entrepreneurs (partly because immigration requires a certain level of risk-neutrality, and partly because US immigration policy is designed to select for those people). The latter factor also partly explains why we are socially liberal - views on things like abortion tend to correlate with education level. In the specific case of abortion, Asian countries mostly have abortion on demand with very little debate. There’s also the fact that much of Asia is overpopulated, so abortion is simply a fact of life. Asian religions are mostly neutral or mildly pro-life, so you rarely see the sort of anti-abortion fanaticism in Hinduism, Confucianism or Buddhism that you do in many Christian denominations. With regard to things like gay marriage, I suspect most Asian-Americans would be neutral or opposed, but would be unlikely to base their vote on the issue. Arguments like “we must defend traditional marriage” are unlikely to hold much water with people whose views on marriage traditions differ broadly from the Western norm. [This paper](http://naasurvey.com/resources/Home/NAAS12-sep25-issues.pdf) includes some hard research you might find interesting (particularly on Asian-American voter priorities). ETA: **bup** , yes. The “helicopter mom” distinction you make is a good one. I imagine most Asian parents would be horrified to discover they had a gay son, but wouldn’t give two shits about other gay people wanting to get married or something. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7738 "2012-11-29T19:13:20Z")
Stupid Republican idea of the year: [a head tattoo.](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84350.html) ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7739 "2012-11-29T19:30:56Z")
Reminds me of [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_C6Q9KLJbs) :p. Also, according to [Pew](http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/asianamericans-graphics/), Asian Americans are more likely to believe that hard work entails success. ---
**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 29, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/7740 "2012-11-29T21:26:58Z")
John Husted apparently still hasn’t given up on rigging the election - now, he’s [just plain throwing out ballots because they were transported in the wrong kind of envelope.](http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/29/1254461/ohio-secretary-of-state-may-be-illegally-tossing-ballots/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=386) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=388)