# 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:** 598
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11941 "2013-12-07T10:09:21Z")
The Santorum comment is beyond words unbelievable. What Mandela was fighting for might not be the right thing??? Dear lord, he’s worse than I ever imagined. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2013, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11942 "2013-12-07T10:24:13Z")
I didn’t read the linked article at _The American Conservative_, but the quoted portion doesn’t really impress me. I found this definition of “magnanimous”: > [@](#): > > very generous or forgiving, esp. toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. It sounds like the writer is saying that conservatives were right about everything all along, but now isn’t the right time to brag about it. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11943 "2013-12-07T14:14:18Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > [He compares Apartheid](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/12/06/rick_santorum_nelson_mandela_former_gop_presidential_hopeful_compares_nelson.html) to the GOP’s fight against the “injustice” of Obamacare, because racial minority rule, discrimination, and prejudice is the same as covering health care costs for sick people, the poor, and paying into a communal bank so that more people can be treated and cost less overall. What must the crack in Santorum’s world taste like I wonder? I read a tweet to the effect that if Santorum thinks Obamacare is just like apartheid, he should be willing to spend 27 years in prison fighting it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11944 "2013-12-07T15:31:10Z")
Well, sure, but we have to scale it to the man, by comparison. In a Santorum to Mandela ratio, about 27 hours seems about right. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11945 "2013-12-07T16:35:41Z")
Unlike Obamacare, apartheid actually had the support of some Republicans. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11946 "2013-12-07T17:08:18Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Unlike Obamacare, apartheid actually had the support of some Republicans. Ronald Reagan’s behavior towards apartheid was really shameful. > **[Reagan's embrace of apartheid South Africa](https://www.salon.com/2011/02/05/ronald_reagan_apartheid_south_africa/)** > > His foreign policy legacy includes an alliance with a racist government > [@](#): > > By the end of the Reagan years, had the policy changed? > > Well, Reagan’s attitudes hadn’t changed, but the policy changed because Congress changed it and voted sanctions. That cut off a lot of the flow of American capital. Sullivan renounced his position. Bishop Desmond Tutu came to the United States in 1984 after being awarded the Nobel Prize. He speaks in the House of Representatives and says that constructive engagement is a farce, and that it just entrenched the existing order. He said Reagan’s policy was “immoral, evil and totally un-Christian.” > > After Reagan met with Tutu, he was asked at a press conference to talk about their meeting. Reagan said, “It is counterproductive for one country to splash itself all over the headlines, demanding that another government do something.” Then he claimed that black tribal leaders had expressed their support for American investment. He was trying to discredit Tutu’s argument that U.S. policy had hurt blacks. Anti-communism trumped so much in Reagan’s view of the non-Western world. > > Would you argue that Reagan’s foreign policy extended the life of the regime in South Africa? > > Yes. It gave it life. It gave it hope that the United States would continue to stick with it. It gave it continued flow of aid as well as ideological support. It delayed the changes that were going to come. Then you had the big crackdowns in ’86 and ’87. So there was harm in the lengthening. There was harm in the violence that continued. > > I think a lot of well-meaning people in the United States bought the Sullivan principles and constructive engagement, because it seems reasonable. Reagan would say, “If we’re willing to talk to the Russians, why aren’t we willing to talk to the South African government?” We’re going to encourage them to moderate and reform — it sounds reasonable. But there was no real pressure. It was all talk. And it was exposed as that. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11947 "2013-12-07T18:25:09Z")
Well, he was all about whupping the Communists, wasn’t he? Didn’t matter what kind of monster with a stupid military hat and aviator sunglasses, what sort of murdering bastard, just so long as he was against the Communists. Its not a surprise that people in Central America hate our guts, the surprise is how few of them do. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11948 "2013-12-07T19:03:06Z")
“Mr. de Klerk, shore up this wall.” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11949 "2013-12-07T22:27:02Z")
“The right to vote’s no answer to your prayers, no guarantee. Our blacks can vote…and they got me!” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11950 "2013-12-07T23:26:27Z")
“Constructive engagement”! Oh, that takes me back! ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11951 "2013-12-08T04:06:15Z")
I want to hijack this thread briefly to express outrage. Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest men of recent centuries. I didn’t remember that he’d won the Nobel Prize for Peace but made a bet with myself that he surely had; Wikipedia’d to confirm; and noted that he’d also won the highest civilian awards given by U.S.A., Soviet Union (how many have won _both_ the Presidential Medal of Freedom _and_ the Order of Lenin?) as well as India. The despicable racist dog-eat-dog assholes who’ve taken over the GOP all hated Mandela. They hated him because he was black, they hated him because of business conflicts, and they hated him for opposing their Greed-is-God philosophy. To hear these despicable subhumans now compare their fight against Obama with Mandela’s fight against apartheid infuriates me. I wasn’t sure I could hate the subhuman assholes more than I already did, but now I’d like to see their noses rubbed in shit until they asphyxiate. Sorry if I’m “painting with a broad brush” again and over-reacting to one comment by one singular asshole, Santorum. I’ve got better things to do with my time than research whether one despicable right-wing asshole is slightly less despicable than other. Thanks for listening. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11952 "2013-12-08T04:38:25Z")
Is there some way to give Santorum the benefit of the doubt for his “what [Mandela] was advocating for was not necessarily the right answer” quote to possibly mean something other than ‘blacks having equal rights is not right’? Like maybe he was referring to Mandela trying to make South Africa communist or something? Because goddamn, even for Santorum, that’s an unbelievable thing to say in this country in in this time from a major politician. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11953 "2013-12-08T05:45:58Z")
There’s no reason to give Santorum any benefit of the doubt, especially if you remember his “blah people” comment. He doesn’t like black people and he doesn’t hide it very well ---
**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:** [December 8, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11954 "2013-12-08T18:02:27Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Thanks for listening. Thanks for writing, and accurately representing my feelings towards them. It so needs to be said. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11955 "2013-12-08T18:29:01Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Sorry if I’m “painting with a broad brush” again and over-reacting to one comment by one singular asshole, Santorum. Actually, most of the Pub pols have been publicly respectful of Mandela, but their [base](http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/news/2013-12-06/conservatives-blast-cruz-for-praising-mandela/) is far [worse](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/republicans-who-lost-their-r-card-for-praising-mandela). ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11956 "2013-12-08T18:47:56Z")
The base seems to be really pissed that people are celebrating Mandela, because hey, he was a Communist. But considering he held South Africa together after the fall of apartheid, I say so what if he was a Communist? Going a peaceful path when he could have gone a violent way should totally be celebrated and anyone who pisses on that should go piss on themselves. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11957 "2013-12-08T19:50:48Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Actually, most of the Pub pols have been publicly respectful of Mandela, but their [base](http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/news/2013-12-06/conservatives-blast-cruz-for-praising-mandela/) is far [worse](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/republicans-who-lost-their-r-card-for-praising-mandela). One expects ignorant racist swine to hate a man like Mandela. And, although Rubio et al know their voting base is ignorant swine, they need to pay lip service to Mandela in order to maintain credibility with news reporters, etc. My particular venom was for Santorum, who joined in praising Mandela just so _he could compare his fight against Obama with Mandela’s fight against apartheid_. That kind of twisted no-lie-is-too-big hypocrisy turns my stomach. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11958 "2013-12-08T20:30:23Z")
> [@computergeek](#): > > The base seems to be really pissed that people are celebrating Mandela, because hey, he was a Communist. But considering he held South Africa together after the fall of apartheid, I say so what if he was a Communist? Going a peaceful path when he could have gone a violent way should totally be celebrated and anyone who pisses on that should go piss on themselves. See [post #11934](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16908617&postcount=11934). ---
**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:** [December 8, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11959 "2013-12-08T20:37:38Z")
I kind of lolled at Frank Coniff’s tweet today: > [@](#): > > Santorum is wrong to compare Obamacare to Apartheid because unlike Obamacare, many Republicans supported Apartheid. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/11960 "2013-12-08T20:38:40Z")
New York Daily News - As Sen. Rand addressed Faux News. Sen. Rand Paul says extending unemployment benefits is a ‘disservice’ to … > **[Sen. Rand Paul says extending unemployment benefits is a ‘disservice’ to...](https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/sen-rand-paul-extending-unemployment-benefits-disservice-people-receive-article-1.1541458)** > > Extending federal unemployment benefits would actually be a “disservice” to the millions of out-of-work Americans who receive them, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday. I’m not a fan of unlimited benefits either. Perhaps the Republicans could have stepped out of the way on job assistance and training programs right after the Great Recession. “But, Steve, that would have interfered with their goal of making President Obama a one-term-er”. One notable example chronicled in this thread was downing a Veterans job assistance program immediately before the 2012 elections - you know - stabbing their own base. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=597) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=599)