# 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:** 427
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8521 "2013-02-06T22:23:38Z")
I thought _Atlas Shrugged_ made you a libertarian. I’m trying to think of the books that made me a liberal. The Bible, for sure, atheist though I am today. Believe it or not, _Grimm’s Fairy Tales_: something about be nice to everybody regardless of their appearance, because the old beggar woman might be a good witch who can help you. Okay, that one’s kind of out there. _Sesame Street_ and _Star Trek_: we can solve our problems if we all work together. It doesn’t matter what race or gender you are. _Wonder Woman_ and _The Bionic Woman_: women can do anything. _Soap_: gays and lesbians are people too: "Burt, look at me. I’m a _person!"_ ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8522 "2013-02-06T22:34:07Z")
Sweet fuck, [AGAIN WITH THE VAGINAL ULTRASOUND CRAP.](http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/02/michigan-republicans-introduce-bill-mandating-transvaginal-ultrasound-before-abortion.php) And this time it’s is my home state. Michigan really is trying to become the buttcrack of the Midwest. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8523 "2013-02-06T23:01:44Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > Has anyone noticed that Conservatives cannot differentiate “Freedom of Speech” from “Freedom of criticism of my bigoted, nasty hate speech”? Yep. But liberals offer that stupid defense of stupid speech too sometimes. Ssince conservatives say so many more stupid things, they end up using it alot more often. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8524 "2013-02-06T23:03:56Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Sweet fuck, [AGAIN WITH THE VAGINAL ULTRASOUND CRAP.](http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/02/michigan-republicans-introduce-bill-mandating-transvaginal-ultrasound-before-abortion.php) And this time it’s is my home state. Michigan really is trying to become the buttcrack of the Midwest. Whoever started this thread was a genius. There really is one about once a day. Didn’t they learn from the Virginia debacle? ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8525 "2013-02-06T23:16:01Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > Yep. But liberals offer that stupid defense of stupid speech too sometimes. Can you give me an example of a prominent liberal saying something stupid and then claiming people want to impinge on their free speech by criticising them? An elected official? ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8526 "2013-02-06T23:25:01Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > Can you give me an example of a prominent liberal saying something stupid and then claiming people want to impinge on their free speech by criticising them? An elected official? I didn’t say a “prominent” liberal. I’ve heard liberals say it too. Don’t pretend liberals are perfect. I speak as one myself. And on the other hand, every once in a while, liberals do tend to want to criminalize free speech sometimes, for various reasons. So sometimes right wingers have a legitimate complaint. In fact, there’s probably a liberal out there right now who has said comments like Kincannon’s should be banned as hate speech. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8527 "2013-02-06T23:30:04Z")
If they want it banned off of Twitter, that’s hardly a free speech issue, since it doesn’t involve gov’t action. If enough Twitter users bitch about what Kincannon said, and Twitter decides to ban that shit, that’s everyone’s right, and Kincannon’s free speech rights were not violated. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8528 "2013-02-07T00:06:24Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > If they want it banned off of Twitter, that’s hardly a free speech issue, since it doesn’t involve gov’t action. If enough Twitter users bitch about what Kincannon said, and Twitter decides to ban that shit, that’s everyone’s right, and Kincannon’s free speech rights were not violated. Of course. BTW, I saw someone also trying to get him in trouble with the SC bar (he’s a lawyer) for unethical behavior, based on some of his prior bullshit. I like that idea. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8529 "2013-02-07T00:29:43Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > I didn’t say a “prominent” liberal. Then it doesn’t rebut the statements quoted here by prominent Republicans. Go back and read this thread from the beginning; the vast majority of stupid Republican ideas are from elected Republicans, Republican donors, or their mouthpieces on Fox News. If we started quoting every nameless conservative idiot who posts on Free Republic, we would be here all day. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8530 "2013-02-07T00:31:30Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > [Idaho lawmaker’s bill forces students to pass ‘Atlas Shrugged’ test to graduate](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/06/idaho-lawmakers-bill-forces-students-to-pass-atlas-shrugged-test-to-graduate/) > “The chairman of the Idaho Senate’s Education Committee says that he introduced a bill to require all students to read Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’ because the book ‘made my son a Republican.’” > > State Sen. John Goedde (R) introduced the bill in committee on Tuesday to mandate that each student pass a test on the novel before they are able to graduate from high school, according to The Spokesman-Review." Reminds me of… > [@some blog I read](#): > > There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8531 "2013-02-07T01:09:18Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Reminds me of… It’s from Bill Maher when he was making fun of Paul Ryan ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8532 "2013-02-07T01:14:04Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > It’s from Bill Maher when he was making fun of Paul Ryan Thanks, but I think he stole it too. Looks like [Bill Rogers](http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2009/03/ephemera-2009-7.html) was the [author](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand). ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8533 "2013-02-07T01:17:49Z")
No, [John Rogers](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Rogers). CMC ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8534 "2013-02-07T01:30:17Z")
[Nile Rodgers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsKPPL-j6kE) ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8535 "2013-02-07T03:20:57Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Thanks, but I think he stole it too. Looks like [Bill Rogers](http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2009/03/ephemera-2009-7.html) was the [author](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand). > [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > No, [John Rogers](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Rogers). > > CMC Yep. Can’t type (or read apparently) ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8536 "2013-02-07T03:23:36Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > I didn’t say a “prominent” liberal. > > I’ve heard liberals say it too. Don’t pretend liberals are perfect. I speak as one myself. I don’t think I was pretending liberals were perfect, I just don’t believe they do what you say they do, or if they do it’s a tiny percentage of internet cranks compared to being common among right wing internet cranks and even elected right wing officials do it. BTW I have noticed you keep claiming to be a liberal but if you are you’re one of the most conservative ones I have ever encountered. I don’t mean to open this up as an accusation, but I honestly don’t consider you one. > [@](#): > > And on the other hand, every once in a while, liberals do tend to want to criminalize free speech sometimes, for various reasons. So sometimes right wingers have a legitimate complaint. In fact, there’s probably a liberal out there right now who has said comments like Kincannon’s should be banned as hate speech. Ah the good old “they do it too so we can’t complain” false equivelency because some dumbass youtuber, somewhere, might’ve done the same thing, though you can’t cite any. No dice buddy. Typical conservative hogwash argument. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8537 "2013-02-07T04:36:38Z")
Eric Cantor, from [here](http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/cantor-speech-expands-his-visibility-and-party-vision/): > [@](#): > > “One of our priorities this year will be to move heaven and earth to fix our education system for the most vulnerable,” he said. That sounds good, but wait a minute. Cantor seems to expect to someday lead the GOP. Right now the GOP has [this](http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/01/house-gop-science-committee-akin-gingrey.php) [guy](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/oct/07/republican-congressman-dismisses-evolution-video): > [@](#): > > Broun, who added that “I don’t believe that the Earth’s but about 9,000 years old,” will remain on the science committee in the 113th Congress. Take a cursory glance at those links and ask yourself, “Does Broun belong on a science committee?” Take it generally at first- your 8th grade science committee; the university science committee; the United States House of Representatives science committee. Does Broun belong? I say- emphatically no. As long as this guy is on the science committee, I am afraid I have to insist that no GOPer even _talk_ about education policy, and I’m afraid that includes Cantor. That’s right, don’t talk about it. Don’t even think about it. Don’t look at it. Don’t write about it. By all means do.not.touch.it. Can you \*point \*at it? No, absolutely not, you may \*not \*even point at it. I strongly suspect you of a catch, or mendacity at least. If Eric Cantor publicly denounced Paul Broun’s presence on the science committee, even if he were not powerful enough to eject Broun from it, then at that point I think he ought to be allowed to refer to public education and have his opinions seriously considered. I think ejecting Broun from the science committee would fall well within the standard of ‘moving heaven and earth’ to improve education for the most vulnerable Americans, along with practically everyone else. It would be at least a minimum to \*demonstrating \* that he is serious and not simply blowing sunshine in our faces. Otherwise: nobody asked the Party of Stupid to advise us on education :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8538 "2013-02-07T08:29:35Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > [Idaho lawmaker’s bill forces students to pass ‘Atlas Shrugged’ test to graduate](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/06/idaho-lawmakers-bill-forces-students-to-pass-atlas-shrugged-test-to-graduate/) > “The chairman of the Idaho Senate’s Education Committee says that he introduced a bill to require all students to read Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’ because the book ‘made my son a Republican.’” > > State Sen. John Goedde (R) introduced the bill in committee on Tuesday to mandate that each student pass a test on the novel before they are able to graduate from high school, according to The Spokesman-Review." > Of course he denies that he would actually follow through with it … it’s all just an exercise in Gotchaism. But can I have a show of hands of how many here believe him? > > ::crickets:: > > Yeah, me neither. Can somebody please tell Bryan Fischer that a state senator is trying to force high school students to read a novel that explicitly promotes atheism, and adultery? ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8539 "2013-02-07T14:12:49Z")
New Hampshire Democrats just killed another Stupid Republican Idea™: > [@](#): > > The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted Wednesday to kill a bill designed to block the implementation of Agenda 21, the United Nations sustainability program. Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House voted 211-141 to defeat the Tea Party-backed measure. > > Agenda 21, signed during a 1992 international environmental conference in Brazil, promotes a series of long-term sustainability projects, including bike paths and walkable communities. > > Opponents have long claimed that the U.N. resolution seeks to end private property rights and force people to live in urban areas. A state House committee earlier heard that an international group was using “mind control” in an effort to force local governments into the U.N. program, making New Hampshire the second state where mind control was invoked as a reason for a ban. > **[Legislators Stop 'Mind Control' Bill](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-hampshire-agenda-21_n_2633364?utm_hp_ref=politics)** > > Legislators Stop 'Mind Control' Bill Mind control. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8540 "2013-02-07T15:53:45Z")
Ohh… kayyy… ::slowly backs away from Republicans:: Cool story, bro. ::exit stage left:: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=426) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=428)