# 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:** 756
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15101 "2014-06-09T23:11:36Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > This one’s a keeper… > > [Florida Congressman: If Humans Cause Climate Change, Then ‘Why Did The Dinosaurs Go Extinct’?](http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/09/3446650/miller-florida-climate-denial/) > > He also accuses those who do feel humans have contributed to climate change as being “foolish.” If he’s home schooled, there’s a good chance he believes humans hunted dinosaurs to extinction. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15102 "2014-06-09T23:40:16Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I’m pretty sure the only way to respond to this is “If humans didn’t cause climate change, why did the Roman Empire fall ?” I like, “If Nero hadn’t learned to fiddle, Rome never would have burned.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15103 "2014-06-09T23:45:05Z")
Lyre! ---
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15104 "2014-06-10T02:22:02Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > (Edited for clarity) And if they are, then why _shouldn’t_ they be grouped together with more violent sexual assaults under the heading of “sexual assaults”? Why shouldn’t the be lumped together with people whose homes were toilet-papered as “crime victims?” The broader the category, the less informative it is. If there is a report of a series of “sexual assaults” on campus, women don’t know if they’re being warned to keep an eye on ass-grabby frat boys or if it means to be aware of a violent rapist stalking campus at night. And a woman who’s ass is grabbed, while clearly a victim, is trolling for attention if she uses the ambiguity of the “sexual assault” label to suggest she was subject to something more traumatic. Now, I make no claims about that last case happening with any frequency. I will say that given the attention-whoring behavior I’ve seen from college students of both genders, I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened from time to time. But of course, George Will is too busy being an aggressively provocative ass-douche to add anything meaningful to the discussion beyond implying it happens all the time, and with “progressivist” support. ---
**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 10, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15105 "2014-06-10T02:51:52Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Lyre! [_Little guy pulled by centurions:_ “I didn’t do it!! I didn’t do it! I wasn’t even there! I was a friend’s house!! The check is in the mail!!” _Emperor_: “Not that kind of Lyre!”]([http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player\_detailpage&v=kt3745NRxpo#t=228](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kt3745NRxpo#t=228)) \*\*\*The history of the world part one \*\*\*(other sections of the clip with NSFW language) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15106 "2014-06-10T12:46:48Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > "The Ohio legislature is currently considering a measure that would **institute a sweeping ban on insurance coverage** for abortion in state residents’ public and **private** health plans I’d rephrase this as “Anti-abortion rights extremist introduces bill in Ohio legislature that is unlikely to ever make it out of committee”. Not to keep beating up on Texas Republicans, but they’ve also shown their [pro-health quackery and antivaccine](http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/06/28/the-texas-republican-party-platform/) colors. Proposed party platform language: _“We deplore any efforts to mandate that vitamins and other natural supplements be on a prescription–only basis, and we oppose any efforts to remove vitamins and other nutritional supplements from public sale. We support the rights of all adults to their choice of nutritional products, and alternative health care choices… All adult citizens should have the legal right to conscientiously choose which vaccines are administered to themselves or their minor children without penalty for refusing a vaccine. We oppose any effort by any authority to mandate such vaccines or any medical database that would contain personal records of citizens without their consent.”_ Of course, no one is trying to ban over the counter sales of vitamins and supplements or mandate adult vaccinations (there are widely used (unfortunately) exemptions for children too). Texas Republicans constructed huge strawmen here in their pursuit of scientific ignorance, which has found a home among too many elements of the party nationwide. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15107 "2014-06-10T13:06:43Z")
Nationwide, amongst lefties, commies, and other malcontents, the Texas Republican Party platform is a treasure we await with keen anticipation, a cross between a loon and a rooster, whack-a-doodle-doo! Been that way for years and years, the most deranged wing of the Party gets to write the platform, and nobody pays it the least bit of attention. But time and again, they gather together a bunch of stern pronouncements and manifesti, declare it their platform with a straight face, and ignore it with solemn pride. Take any insanely conservative position that has ever been uttered, and its even money that it has been a platform plank in the Republican Party of Texas. Texas is…_different._ Yes. ---
**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:** [June 10, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15108 "2014-06-10T15:42:01Z")
Huh. And here I thought antivaxxers were, by and large, crunchy granola “I’m not religious but I’m very spiritual” power of the crystals type idiots. Though I suppose it does fall under the “gummint can’t tell ME wut t’do !” umbrella as well. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15109 "2014-06-10T16:26:16Z")
> [@Reyemile](#): > > Why shouldn’t the be lumped together with people whose homes were toilet-papered as “crime victims?” > > The broader the category, the less informative it is. If there is a report of a series of “sexual assaults” on campus, women don’t know if they’re being warned to keep an eye on ass-grabby frat boys or if it means to be aware of a violent rapist stalking campus at night. And a woman who’s ass is grabbed, while clearly a victim, is trolling for attention if she uses the ambiguity of the “sexual assault” label to suggest she was subject to something more traumatic. This. I agree that ass-grabbing is a form of sexual assault, a violation of the personal autonomy of the victim. But it’s in a whole 'nother league than actual rape, IMHO. And lumping it in with rape under the term “sexual assault” does no one any favors … as stated, it’s too broad a term to be useful. I’ve never been raped, I HAVE had my ass grabbed by a stranger. I told him to fuck off and that was that, it didn’t bother me or keep me up nights, it was just a weird thing that happened. I would NEVER dream of comparing that to being raped. And my larger point is, we’re having a reasonable debate on the topic here. But I HATE that I am taking a position that George Will and others like him might approve of. That’s how he harms reasonable debate on the topic with his ass-hatted ignorance and stupidity and misogyny. It would be so much easier to disagree with him on every point, even though logically I kinda do agree with him on that point. It makes you reluctant to go with reason, because it encourages the asshats. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15110 "2014-06-10T17:42:10Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > This. I agree that ass-grabbing is a form of sexual assault, a violation of the personal autonomy of the victim. But it’s in a whole 'nother league than actual rape, IMHO. And lumping it in with rape under the term “sexual assault” does no one any favors … as stated, it’s too broad a term to be useful. I’ve never been raped, I HAVE had my ass grabbed by a stranger. I told him to fuck off and that was that, it didn’t bother me or keep me up nights, it was just a weird thing that happened. I would NEVER dream of comparing that to being raped. > > And my larger point is, we’re having a reasonable debate on the topic here. But I HATE that I am taking a position that George Will and others like him might approve of. That’s how he harms reasonable debate on the topic with his ass-hatted ignorance and stupidity and misogyny. It would be so much easier to disagree with him on every point, even though logically I kinda do agree with him on that point. It makes you reluctant to go with reason, because it encourages the asshats. The underlying problem is that George Will’s “argument” ends up perpetrating the very same fallacy in the opposite direction, attempting to “correct” the elevation of ass-grabbing toward the level of rape by downgrading rape toward the level of ass-grabbing. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15111 "2014-06-10T20:51:41Z")
> **[Opinion | The Latest Tea Party Piñata (Published 2014)](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/opinion/nocera-the-latest-tea-party-pinata.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=0)** > > How is it that even a useful, job-creating government agency like the Export-Import Bank is ripe for attacking by the right? The teahadists hate the Export-Import Bank because - government. But the ExIm Bank - Provides funding to the US Treasury ($2 billion over the last five years), it is totally self-supporting. - Supports hundreds of thousands of US jobs by making loans to exporters of US goods that otherwise would be provided to customers by companies from other countries. Why has it become a target? Because a bill must be passed and the GOP just wants to prove they can make this a totally do nothing Congress. Teahadist Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has it bottled up for ideological reasons. Maybe their longer range objective is to further hurt the US economy to make the current administration look bad. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15112 "2014-06-10T21:27:33Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > This one’s a keeper… > > [Florida Congressman: If Humans Cause Climate Change, Then ‘Why Did The Dinosaurs Go Extinct’?](http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/09/3446650/miller-florida-climate-denial/) > > He also accuses those who do feel humans have contributed to climate change as being “foolish.” It looks like the [Republicans have invaded Canada](http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/friends-science-billboard-blames-climate-change-sun). ---
**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:** [June 11, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15113 "2014-06-11T01:15:46Z")
Cantor loses primary to Tealiban challenger. [http://www.buffalonews.com/feed/house-majority-leader-cantor-defeated-in-primary-20140610](http://www.buffalonews.com/feed/house-majority-leader-cantor-defeated-in-primary-20140610). Cantor wasn’t “Conservative” enough ??? Hell, I thought he was poster boy. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15114 "2014-06-11T01:22:30Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/opinion/nocera-the-latest-tea-party-pinata.html?hp&rref=opinion&\_r=0](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/opinion/nocera-the-latest-tea-party-pinata.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=0) > > The teahadists hate the Export-Import Bank … Teahadists? Are you for real? How many hours of your pathetic lives do you people waste thinking up cutesy-poo bullshit like that? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15115 "2014-06-11T01:24:41Z")
Eric Cantor is outta here?!? Wonderful news! Wow! ---
**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:** [June 11, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15116 "2014-06-11T01:28:52Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Teahadists? Are you for real? How many hours of your pathetic lives do you people waste thinking up cutesy-poo bullshit like that? Would you prefer Teabilly? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15117 "2014-06-11T01:30:41Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Teahadists? Are you for real? How many hours of your pathetic lives do you people waste thinking up cutesy-poo bullshit like that? It doesn’t really take people of normal intelligence that long to think of words. People like you, maybe it takes a little longer… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15118 "2014-06-11T01:33:17Z")
Teaholes? Moronic douchebags? Racist scumbag pig-fuckers? I’d say Teahadist is letting them off lightly. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15119 "2014-06-11T01:38:30Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Teahadists? Are you for real? How many hours of your pathetic lives do you people waste thinking up cutesy-poo bullshit like that? Where the hell have you been, **Clothy**? [Here ya go.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12947039&postcount=14) First recorded use of the term on the SDMB that I could find. ---
**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 11, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/15120 "2014-06-11T01:38:31Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Teahadists? Are you for real? How many hours of your pathetic lives do you people waste thinking up cutesy-poo bullshit like that? Hey look. Clothahump is looking through the thread for ideas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=755) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=757)