# 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:** 575
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11481 "2013-10-29T02:52:36Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > Next to shutting down the government, this one has potential to be the most stupid idea of the year. > > Edit: (Graham to stop every single nomination that the Senate must approve.) Let him try. It’s just the thing to put an end to the filibuster rule once and for all. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11482 "2013-10-29T03:36:46Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > As I understand it, it’s God’s reward to the faithful. > [Prosperity Theology.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology) > > > [@](#): > > > > Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, or the gospel of success) is a Christian religious doctrine that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will always increase one’s material wealth. More like church leaders’ reward to themselves from their flocks. I was fairly gullible when I was younger but experience has taught me to be more skeptical, so it’s boggling to see mature adults suckered into the blatant scams that a lot of churches are. I used to have born agains as neighbours and even went to their church once at Christmas when they invited my family (under somewhat false pretenses), and saw within five minutes that it was a cult-like scam. I was tempted to point out the obvious signs to my neighbours but decided they wouldn’t listen anyway. Sure enough, a couple of years later the church leaders were investigated for shady financial practices. In the news coverage, I learned that they pressured church members for more and more money, even if they were suffering financially. So when I see “donations to Christian ministries will always increase one’s material wealth”, I have to wonder how the hell people fall for that crap. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11483 "2013-10-29T04:28:49Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > So when I see “donations to Christian ministries will always increase one’s material wealth”, I have to wonder how the hell people fall for that crap. Because it’s something they **can** do. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11484 "2013-10-29T04:37:30Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Weimar Republicans [Wiemaraner Republican](http://www.willisms.com/archives/ebb14107e85b4d7c80ea3fd1a72e4a35_7.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11485 "2013-10-29T05:02:30Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Because it’s something they **can** do. You mean because they can’t do anything else to become wealthier (or think they can’t) so that’s the only option they think they have? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11486 "2013-10-29T06:11:03Z")
> [@Babyeater Bohemoth](#): > > [Wiemaraner Republican](http://www.willisms.com/archives/ebb14107e85b4d7c80ea3fd1a72e4a35_7.jpg) Sometimes its like that, sometimes the acid just hits all at once, and you try to stick your head out the window but its rolled up… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11487 "2013-10-29T16:00:15Z")
[TP-Pub state legislator in Nevada says he would vote to bring back slavery, **if** his constituents wanted that.](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/29/nevada-tea-party-republican-yeah-i-would-vote-to-bring-back-slavery/) ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11488 "2013-10-29T16:11:40Z")
The people have spoken. I am their leader; I must follow them. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11489 "2013-10-29T16:19:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [TP-Pub state legislator in Nevada says he would vote to bring back slavery, **if** his constituents wanted that.](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/29/nevada-tea-party-republican-yeah-i-would-vote-to-bring-back-slavery/) [The Las Vegas Sun has a better story on this. > [@](#): > > Wheeler made the comment in reply to a question about a piece of legislation before the Nevada Legislature earlier this year. > > Wheeler said he was philosophically opposed to the bill but voted for it because his constituents overwhelmingly told him he should support legislation that allowed for DNA testing of someone who is arrested for a felony. > > After speaking about that bill, he reiterated that he thinks his role is to represent constituents, even against his own beliefs. > > “I was hired to do a job, what the people wanted me to do, so if it is clear to me, even if it’s against my own wishes, what my constituents want, that’s the way I am going to vote,” he said in the video of the August meeting. ]([Nevada lawmaker says he'd vote for slavery if his constituents wanted him to - Las Vegas Sun News](http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/oct/28/state-senator-says-hed-vote-slavery-if-his-constit/)) Was his analogy stupid? Aye, it was. It would also have been stupid to say he’d vote to kill Jews if that’s what his constituents wanted, or to vote in favor of restricting voting to male landowners, or any of a host of other things. But, it’s pretty clear that he was making an analogy, not advocating in favor of slavery. In fact, it’s clear from what he said that this is the case, and that he is advocating for the concept of a representational republic, not in favor of slavery: > [@](#): > > “If that’s what they wanted, I’d have to hold my nose … they’d probably have to hold a gun to my head, but yeah,” Assemblyman Jim Wheeler told members of the Storey County Republican Party at a meeting in August. And to his credit, he acknowledges the impropriety of his choice of words. > [@](#): > > “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard if anyone could even fathom believing it,” he said. “Nobody in that meeting took it literally either. I never heard a comment about it until now. If someone is offended by this, then I sincerely apologize.” > > Asked if he regrets making the remark, Wheeler said “Well, yeah, obviously.” ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11490 "2013-10-29T16:25:01Z")
[Van Jones: Republicans oppose their own ideas as soon as Obama mentions them](http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/29/van-jones-republicans-oppose-their-own-ideas-as-soon-as-obama-mentions-them/) If this idea is true (and it seems to be true), isn’t the best way to handle it to embrace anything you don’t want to see enacted and watch them scramble? Obama: You know, I think we should lower taxes on the 1%. Republicans: NEVER! We must RAISE TAXES on the 1%! We must double them! We must triple them! Obama: Gosh, you’re forcing my hand. How ever will I sleep at night after I sign this bill quadrupling the taxes on the 1%? Republicans: You hate America! Koch Bros.: Um, guys? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11491 "2013-10-29T16:28:22Z")
> [@Babyeater Bohemoth](#): > > 11,500+ posts in over 4.5 years Your jumping the gun a little bit, there were only 11,450 posts at the time of your post, 11,486 as of now. It is entirely possible that the Republicans will suddenly become a paragon of responsibility and sanity before the next 16 posts. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11492 "2013-10-29T16:32:11Z")
> [@Babyeater Bohemoth](#): > > [The Las Vegas Sun has a better story on this.](http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/oct/28/state-senator-says-hed-vote-slavery-if-his-constit/) > Was his analogy stupid? Aye, it was. It would also have been stupid to say he’d vote to kill Jews if that’s what his constituents wanted, or to vote in favor of restricting voting to male landowners, or any of a host of other things. > > But, it’s pretty clear that he was making an analogy, not advocating in favor of slavery. In fact, it’s clear from what he said that this is the case, and that he is advocating for the concept of a representational republic, not in favor of slavery: > > And to his credit, he acknowledges the impropriety of his choice of words. I am sorry but I disagree. You don’t make a seemingly pro-slavery remark like that without it being a grain of truth to it. As this thread has shown, the Republicans are, if anything, completely unprincipled except when it comes to the most extreme. Give them their own policies and bills they’ve written and say a Democrat agrees with them, and they’ll almost always denounce it. What this idiot should have said is the following: “While I support a Representative Democracy and understand that I am only here because my constituents want me to be here, there are lines that need to be drawn. Leaders lead, and morally strong leaders do so by example despite what blowback they may incur because its the right thing to do. So even if my constituents wanted me to support slavery for example, I would tell them to their faces that it is evil and abominable and I cannot support it, and that they are both ignorant and morally bankrupt to expect that any good person would support such a thing. Yada yada yada, impeach Obama” ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11493 "2013-10-29T16:39:55Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I am sorry but I disagree. **You don’t make a seemingly pro-slavery remark like that without it being a grain of truth to it.** As this thread has shown, the Republicans are, if anything, completely unprincipled except when it comes to the most extreme. Give them their own policies and bills they’ve written and say a Democrat agrees with them, and they’ll almost always denounce it. What this idiot should have said is the following: > > “While I support a Representative Democracy and understand that I am only here because my constituents want me to be here, there are lines that need to be drawn. Leaders lead, and morally strong leaders do so by example despite what blowback they may incur because its the right thing to do. So even if my constituents wanted me to support slavery for example, I would tell them to their faces that it is evil and abominable and I cannot support it, and that they are both ignorant and morally bankrupt to expect that any good person would support such a thing. Yada yada yada, impeach Obama” (bolding mine) You’re right, that is what he should have said. But he didn’t, and your claim that there must be a part of Mr. Wheeler that wants to restore slavery seems, by all the available evidence, including the context of the original remarks, to be completely off-base and more a reflection of your biases than anything else. It was a stupid thing to say because of the backlash that the subject of slavery (or genocide or eating babies, etc., etc.) will engender, but to think he personally wants or was advocating for slavery is ridiculous and not supported by facts. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11494 "2013-10-29T16:41:46Z")
> [@Babyeater Bohemoth](#): > > (bolding mine) > > You’re right, that is what he should have said. But he didn’t, and you’re claim that there must be a part of Mr. Wheeler that wants to restore slavery seems, by all the available evidence, including the context of the original remarks, to be completely off-base and more a reflection of your biases than anything else. > > It was a stupid thing to say because of the backlash that the subject of slavery (or genocide or eating babies, etc., etc.) will engender, but to think he personally wants or was advocating for slavery is ridiculous and not supported by facts. Normal people would have reacted with revulsion and dismay at the very idea, not tried to find a way to say they would go along with it. To say that he lacks that revulsion is not bias. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11495 "2013-10-29T16:42:37Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Your jumping the gun a little bit, there were only 11,450 posts at the time of your post, 11,486 as of now. It is entirely possible that the Republicans will suddenly become a paragon of responsibility and sanity before the next 16 posts. 😃 :smack: You’re right; I did jump the gun a bit by counting incorrectly. Still, I’m not gonna wager that Republicans regain (or is it just “gain”?) their sanity before we hit even 20,000 posts. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11496 "2013-10-29T16:46:48Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Normal people would have reacted with revulsion and dismay at the very idea, not tried to find a way to say they would go along with it. To say that he lacks that revulsion is not bias. He did express revulsion; perhaps you missed it:[ > [@Jim Wheeler](#): > > If that’s what they wanted, I’d have to hold my nose … they’d probably have to hold a gun to my head, but yeah. ]([HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/28/jim-wheeler-slavery_n_4172054.html)) Perhaps you don’t think that holding your nose is a sign of revulsion? And maybe you see being forced to do something under threat of being shot in the head as somehow “going along with it”? Srsly? ---
**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:** [October 29, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11497 "2013-10-29T16:47:31Z")
> [@Babyeater Bohemoth](#): > > [The Las Vegas Sun has a better story on this.](http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/oct/28/state-senator-says-hed-vote-slavery-if-his-constit/) > Was his analogy stupid? Aye, it was. It would also have been stupid to say he’d vote to kill Jews if that’s what his constituents wanted, or to vote in favor of restricting voting to male landowners, or any of a host of other things. His job is to decide what is best for the country/state rather than blindly voting for whatever his constituents want. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11498 "2013-10-29T16:53:04Z")
We need to be a bit more generous here. In the past, we might have had some confidence that an elected Republican had the good sense that God gave a goose. But since the rise of the Insane Clown Posse, many of them are as crazy as a duck on acid, so we need to adjust our standards somewhat. And, after all, one good tern deserves another, to extend my aquatic avian metaphor a bit too far. ---
**Author:** ![sylmar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@sylmar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sylmar)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11499 "2013-10-29T17:09:17Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > We need to be a bit more generous here. In the past, we might have had some confidence that an elected Republican had the good sense that God gave a goose. But since the rise of the Insane Clown Posse, many of them are as crazy as a duck on acid, so we need to adjust our standards somewhat. And, after all, one good tern deserves another, to extend my aquatic avian metaphor a bit too far. That was a grebe-ious, auk-ful run of punditry. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11500 "2013-10-29T17:20:01Z")
is that all that crazy politics has quacked up to be? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=574) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=576)