# 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:** 483
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9641 "2013-06-06T02:46:43Z")
The class of Jun 2013 looks promising. ---
**Author:** ![fudrucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fudrucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fudrucker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9642 "2013-06-06T02:51:23Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > You’re an idiot who’s perception of the world is wrong. But, you’re so stupid you’ll never realize it. In an effort to try and help you understand something, I’ll let you know that we have a name for this: we call it the [Dunning-Kruger effect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect). What an epic response. I notice you addressed none of my points. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9643 "2013-06-06T03:01:24Z")
> [@fudrucker](#): > > What an epic response. I notice you addressed none of my points. Any reason the First Lady and her daughters shouldn’t be taking trips like other people do? [Laura Bush takes vacations.](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_vacation_days_did_Laura_bush_take_while_her_husband_was_president) Any outrage? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9644 "2013-06-06T03:07:43Z")
> [@fudrucker](#): > > You’re taking this out of context. Michelle Obama’s arrogance knows no bounds. She seems to think that anything she says should be taken as gospel. All the while she takes an entirely separate entourage to Hawaii just six hours ahead of the president for their Christmas vacation. > > Then it’s on to president’s day, she takes the “girls” skiing in Aspen while the president plays golf with Tiger Woods. > > Then it’s spring break. Michelle and the “girls” spend half the week in the Caribbean, then it’s more skiing at Sun Valley. > > This woman is arrogant beyond words. It’s a lame argument to blame republicans for that. An epic response would require an epic argument. As for you post…how old are you…14? ---
**Author:** ![fudrucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fudrucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fudrucker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9645 "2013-06-06T03:11:37Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Any reason the First Lady and her daughters shouldn’t be taking trips like other people do? > > [Laura Bush takes vacations.](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_vacation_days_did_Laura_bush_take_while_her_husband_was_president) > Any outrage? She took those four trips over the course of eight years. Michelle has almost equaled that in three months. All the while telling the rest of us about “shared responsibility” for this economic mess. You may be a lover of arrogant socialists, I am not. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2013, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9646 "2013-06-06T03:12:20Z")
> [@fudrucker](#): > > What an epic response. I notice you addressed none of my points. You have no points to address. Your entire post is just an ill-informed hypocritical perception-bias rant. You start out with the _a priori_ assertion that Michelle Obama is arrogant and then fail to back up that assertion or the assertion you make in the 3rd sentence. Most of your post is a ridiculous attempt to cherry-pick vacation locations and/or times as somehow incriminating or loathsome, but it lacks any attempt to offer comparables nor does it explain what there is to be outraged about. You display an astounding lack of self-examination or reasonableness. In other words, you’re a delusional moron. ---
**Author:** ![fudrucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fudrucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fudrucker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9647 "2013-06-06T03:20:43Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > You have no points to address. Your entire post is just an ill-informed hypocritical perception-bias rant. You start out with the _a priori_ assertion that Michelle Obama is arrogant and then fail to back up that assertion or the assertion you make in the 3rd sentence. > > Most of your post is a ridiculous attempt to cherry-pick vacation locations and/or times as somehow incriminating or loathsome, but it lacks any attempt to offer comparables nor does it explain what there is to be outraged about. > > You display an astounding lack of self-examination or reasonableness. In other words, you’re a delusional moron. Oh gee. Another emotional socialist rant devoid of facts. What a surprise. I’ve already given you her vacation record for one half of one year. If you want to justify that by insulting me go ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9648 "2013-06-06T03:32:32Z")
Still spewing shit I see. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9649 "2013-06-06T03:36:01Z")
> [@fudrucker](#): > > Oh gee. Another emotional socialist rant devoid of facts. What a surprise. > > I’ve already given you her vacation record for one half of one year. If you want to justify that by insulting me go ahead. Any particular reason you care if the First Lady takes vacations? It’s not like she has an actual government job she’s neglecting. Unlike Pres. Bush taking far more vacation days than Pres. Obama has. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9650 "2013-06-06T03:41:54Z")
> [@fudrucker](#): > > Oh gee. Another emotional socialist rant devoid of facts. What a surprise. > > I’ve already given you her vacation record for one half of one year. If you want to justify that by insulting me go ahead. No, my post was totally filled with facts. Here’s another: your time on this board will be brief. Here’s one more: you will contribute nothing of substance during your time here, just as you contribute nothing of substance in meat space. ---
**Author:** ![fudrucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fudrucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fudrucker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9651 "2013-06-06T03:51:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > No, my post was totally filled with facts. Yea right. I’m still waiting for them. > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Here’s another: your time on this board will be brief. I’m quite certain you’re right. Socialists are good at repressing opinions they don’t like. > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Here’s one more: you will contribute nothing of substance during your time here, just as you contribute nothing of substance in meat space. Another brilliant fact filled answer. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9652 "2013-06-06T03:57:32Z")
Why does he keep referring to Sasha and Malia as “girls”? Does he doubt their gender or something? Or maybe he thinks they’re lizards in disguise? As for the rest of it, some googling reveals that pretty much every President and First Lady have been accused of taking too many vacations and spending too much on those vacations. This is just the latest iteration. What doofus seems to forget is that it’s not just a family going on a vacation, it’s the entire traveling show that must go with them, including Secret Service, aides, communications, and the FSM only knows what all else. Hell, Bush II took 77 vacation trips to Crawford alone, flying Air Force One each time. Just flying him to and from his [ranch cost about $20 million](http://www.politicususa.com/cost-obama-christmas-vacation-bush.html). ---
**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:** [June 6, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9653 "2013-06-06T04:05:52Z")
I prefer to keep the “idea” in this thread. The stupid Republican of the day can go get his own thread. ---
**Author:** ![fudrucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fudrucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fudrucker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9654 "2013-06-06T04:17:51Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Why does he keep referring to Sasha and Malia as “girls”? Because the president calls them “the girls”. You don’t really think that’s pertinent do you? BTW you can address me directly. You don’t have to say “he.” > [@Morgyn](#): > > What doofus seems to forget is that it’s not just a family going on a vacation, it’s the entire traveling show that must go with them, including Secret Service, aides, communications, and the FSM only knows what all else. Thanks for making my point for me. Separate presidential flights to Hawaii six hours apart? That doesn’t strike you as the least bit arrogant? > [@Morgyn](#): > > Hell, Bush II took 77 vacation trips to Crawford alone, flying Air Force One each time. Just flying him to and from his [ranch cost about $20 million](http://www.politicususa.com/cost-obama-christmas-vacation-bush.html). That’s not true. And even if it were, that’s where he lives. The security and added expense of a “vacation” was already in place. It was much cheaper than even going to Camp David. Try again. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9655 "2013-06-06T04:24:20Z")
> [@fudrucker](#): > > That’s not true. And even if it were, that’s where he lives. The security and added expense of a “vacation” was already in place. It was much cheaper than even going to Camp David. Try again. [From here.](http://www.politicususa.com/cost-obama-christmas-vacation-bush.html) > [@](#): > > During Bush’s two terms, the cost of operating Air Force One ranged from $56,800 to $68,000 an hour.\*\* Bush used Air Force One 77 times to go to his ranch in Crawford, TX.\*\* Using the low end cost of $56,800, Media Matters calculated that each trip to Crawford cost taxpayers $259,687 each time, and $20 million total for Bush’s ranch flights. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9656 "2013-06-06T04:30:34Z")
> [@fudrucker](#): > > Because the president calls them “the girls”. You don’t really think that’s pertinent do you? Because they _are_ girls — quotation marks not required. > [@dumbfucker](#): > > Thanks for making my point for me. Separate presidential flights to Hawaii six hours apart? That doesn’t strike you as the least bit arrogant? I know a couple who never, ever take the same flight when they travel anywhere. You see, the husband’s parents were killed in a plane crash, and having lost both of his parents at the same time, he understood the devastation a child goes through. And for that reason, they always took separate flights. Given the inherent risks of being the President of the United States and always being a target of haters (probably not much different from you), it’s _wise parenting_ to take separate planes … just in case, G-d forbid. So no, I most certainly do not attribute that to arrogance, but to smarts and hearts. > [@Dumbfuckstain](#): > > That’s not true. And even if it were, that’s where he lives. The security and added expense of a “vacation” was already in place. It was much cheaper than even going to Camp David. Try again. There you go with the quotation marks again, as if the thing within them is somehow not factual by virtue of their existence. You can stomp your feet all you want, but it _is_ true, and your denials will never change that fact. No wonder the Republican Party is filled with fucking morons — fucking morons are the ones electing them. Birds of a feather and all that. ---
**Author:** ![fudrucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fudrucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fudrucker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9657 "2013-06-06T04:36:20Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > [From here.](http://www.politicususa.com/cost-obama-christmas-vacation-bush.html) And from [here](http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/01/04/taxpayer-bill-obamas-hawaii-vacations-20-million/). More than twenty million just for four trips to Hawaii. That doesn’t include his many other vacations. Nor does it include Michelle’s seperate trip to Hawaii, just six hours apart. Like his private golf lessons with Tiger Woods, among many others. Not to even mention his wife’s separate vacations. These people are the height of arrogance while asking Americans to “pay a little more.” ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9658 "2013-06-06T04:45:22Z")
> [@fudrucker](#): > > And from [here](http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/01/04/taxpayer-bill-obamas-hawaii-vacations-20-million/). More than twenty million just for four trips to Hawaii. That doesn’t include his many other vacations. Nor does it include Michelle’s seperate trip to Hawaii, just six hours apart. Like his private golf lessons with Tiger Woods, among many others. Not to even mention his wife’s separate vacations. > > These people are the height of arrogance while asking Americans to “pay a little more.” Nope, read it again, that article suffers from iffinitis aguda (Too many ifs to get that number) Not a reliable source then, the number from the article posted by **Runner Pat** points at \*\*just \*\*the cost of using air force one to get to the ranch by Bush. Meaning that if we use the creative iffinitus accounting at your last cite then Bush easily passes that number. > **[Tantaros thinks Obama should model Bush's vacation schedule?](https://www.mediamatters.org/george-w-bush/tantaros-thinks-obama-should-model-bushs-vacation-schedule)** ---
**Author:** ![fudrucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fudrucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fudrucker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9659 "2013-06-06T04:48:02Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > No wonder the Republican Party is filled with fucking morons — fucking morons are the ones electing them. Birds of a feather and all that. lol. The compassion and tolerance you liberals have is stunning. btw way, I’m a registered democrat. ---
**Author:** ![fudrucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fudrucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fudrucker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9660 "2013-06-06T04:49:44Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Nope, read it again, that article suffers from iffinitis aguda (Too many ifs to get that number) Not a reliable source then, the number from the article posted by **Runner Pat** points at \*\*just \*\*the cost of using air force one to get to the ranch by Bush. Meaning that if we use the creative iffinitus accounting at your last cite then Bush easily passes that number. > > [Tantaros thinks Obama should model Bush's vacation schedule? | Media Matters for America](http://mediamatters.org/blog/2010/08/05/tantaros-thinks-obama-should-model-bushs-vacati/168835) yea right. And you’re seriously calling media matters a reliable source? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=482) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=484)