# 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:** 852
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17021 "2014-09-27T16:17:12Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > He lost by tacking hard right and trying to minimize the depth and scariness of the recession. Obama pointed that out, darn him all to heck. > > McCain abandoned his Mantle of Reformism\* to try to win the nascent Tea Party/Wing-Nutter vote. Unfortunately in doing so, he pissed off a bunch of moderates and independents - people that otherwise might have considered him. The absolute idiocy of picking Palin just sealed the deal. > > \*+10 attack, but only when acting self-righteous and mavericky otherwise -5 Exactly. I had respect for McCain in the past, but his campaign made him look like a nutter. He should have nipped that racist/Muslim/Arab bullshit immediately instead of letting it get out of hand, and should never have allowed Palin through the door. Now, because of his own poor choices, there’s no room for governance in his giant pool of self-pity. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17022 "2014-09-27T17:23:52Z")
Me Old Man, Air Force lifer and just to the left of Calvin Coolidge, voted against McCain because he thought he was too militaristic and hot-headed. Injuries to my jaw from dropping to the floor were relatively minor. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17023 "2014-09-27T17:36:43Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Hopefully we’ll get a Gen-X president next. Yeesh, I know what you mean, you mean [Eddie Munster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan). Fuck that noise. We do not need a president of some given age, we need a president with more than a preponderance of a brain, not some automated ideologue. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17024 "2014-09-27T17:38:43Z")
Young men\* think\* old men are fools, old men _remember_ that young men are fools. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17025 "2014-09-27T17:59:55Z")
Fool me once, shame on … shame on you. Fool me… you can’t get fooled again. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17026 "2014-09-27T18:19:42Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Young men\* think\* old men are fools, old men _remember_ that young men are fools. Counterpoint : Georges Brassens, _Le Temps Ne Fait Rien à l’Affaire_ (Times doesn’t change anything) \* Le temps ne fait rien à l´affaire Quand on est con, on est con Qu´on ait vingt ans, qu´on soit grand-père Quand on est con, on est con Entre vous, plus de controverses Cons caducs ou cons débutants Petits cons d´la dernière averse Vieux cons des neiges d´antan\* Loosely translated : Time changes nought When you’re a fool, you’re a fool. Whether you’re twenty or a grandfather: When you’re a fool, you’re a fool. So quit arguing with each other, Old fools, young fools; Obsolete fools or freshly minted fools ; Fools born yesterday Or fools of yesteryear. (though I feel obligated to note that the word “con” encompasses a vastly wider semantic and factual field than “fool”. It’s a \*great \*fucking word, and one that can be further typified through adjectives. A “jeune con” isn’t a “gros con” isn’t a “petit con” isn’t a “vieux con” isn’t a “sale con” isn’t a “connard”. You gotta know these things should you ever come to my country, it’s important :p). ---
**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:** [September 27, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17027 "2014-09-27T19:40:26Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Well, at least now we know John McCain would still be around had he been elected. Heck, Bob Dole’s still around and quite sharp. Might be time to put the age question to rest if we’re talking about candidates in their mere 70s. > [@running\_coach](#): > > Who knows what the stress of being President would have done. [Ind](http://www.barackobama.net/pictures/barack-obama-2.jpg)-[eed.](http://www.metro.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/reuters-us-usa-obama-assets.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17028 "2014-09-27T19:42:03Z")
> [@](#): > > …You gotta know these things should you ever come to my country, it’s important… Maybe if you don’t piss off the Germans again, we won’t have to. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17029 "2014-09-27T22:19:37Z")
Well that’s low. And reductive.\* I’ll have you know \*we piss off a whole lot more people than that, and have for a long time. We were pissing people off before you were born, young man ! ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17030 "2014-09-27T22:49:26Z")
I remain unconvinced of the whole ‘President ages enormously’ meme. Most recent Presidents have been of an age where a few years of aging can make a big difference. There’s also (\*\*Kaylassdad \*\*did not do this) usually a lot of cherry-picking in the before and after shots as well. Classic example below. > **[The White House effect: Why American presidents 'age TWICE as fast while in...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2022761/The-White-House-effect-Why-American-presidents-age-TWICE-fast-office.html)** > > A look at these 'before and after' shots shows that each president for the last 35 years has put on more than his fair share of years during his time on the job. I’m not saying it’s not a stressful job, and that can affect health to a certain extent, I just think it’s greatly exagerated. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17031 "2014-09-28T00:15:23Z")
[Congresscritter wants to correct the inadequately enforced government rules against watching porn at work with a new law against watching porn on government computers.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2014/09/24/congressman-seeks-ban-to-stop-federal-employees-from-watching-porn-all-day/) Reminds me of one of the bits on a Jay Leno “Headlines” segment about someone getting six months of probation as a penalty for probation violations. (“And if you screw up again… more probation!”) Pity the poor horndog Feds – first [Apple and Google cut off their access to people’s naked selfies](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/09/18/newest-androids-will-join-iphones-in-offering-default-encryption-blocking-police/), and now this. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17032 "2014-09-28T01:56:47Z")
Well shit, what else is one supposed to do while some idiot from the opposition is blathering on ? Listen to their arguments ? I don’t fucking think so. Seriously, though. Regulating computer time & content types browsing really is shit management policy. Stick to monitoring \*actual \*efficiency/progress metrics and go from there. Unproductive people will be unproductive, can their asses instead of trying to curb each and every way there is to not be productive at work. Which is about as efficient as trying to make college students chaste and sober. Also, there are many lines of work where browsing porn (or whatever) is a perfectly reasonable use of worktime. The code is compiling, the movie is rendering, the marketing team is expounding on the Powerpoint, what the fuck else is there to do ?! ---
**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:** [September 28, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17033 "2014-09-28T04:17:47Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Also, there are many lines of work where browsing porn (or whatever) is a perfectly reasonable use of worktime. The code is compiling, the movie is rendering, the marketing team is expounding on the Powerpoint, what the fuck else is there to do ?! I’m pretty sure that standard corporate policy is, if you are not actively working, you should lie there and think of England. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17034 "2014-09-28T05:26:40Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Yeesh, I know what you mean, you mean [Eddie Munster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan). Fuck that noise. We do not need a president of some given age, we need a president with more than a preponderance of a brain, not some automated ideologue. Uhhhhhhhh, excuse me, but you’ve clearly made a mistake. It’s not Eddie Munster, [it’s Joffrey Lannister](https://i.chzbgr.com/original/5363529472/9DDF1BC3/1). ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17035 "2014-09-28T05:47:02Z")
I dunno, I see an Eddie Munster resemblance. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/k9D9VaY.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/k9D9VaY) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17036 "2014-09-28T06:28:37Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Seriously, though. Regulating computer time & content types browsing really is shit management policy. Stick to monitoring \*actual \*efficiency/progress metrics and go from there. Unproductive people will be unproductive, can their asses instead of trying to curb each and every way there is to not be productive at work. Which is about as efficient as trying to make college students chaste and sober. > > Also, there are many lines of work where browsing porn (or whatever) is a perfectly reasonable use of worktime. The code is compiling, the movie is rendering, the marketing team is expounding on the Powerpoint, what the fuck else is there to do ?! To be fair, this is government we’re talking about. There are already a horde of people both within and without watching the every move of every federal employee looking for an excuse to cut budgets and eliminate departments. N ot to mention the fact that incoming viruses and such can affect millions of innocent people (same with big business, of course, but still). As for the second paragraph, well, I’m sure managers would say the answer is “come to me for more work.” Not that that’s necessarily a GOOD reply, but that’s probably what the reply would be. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17037 "2014-09-28T12:03:44Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > I’m pretty sure that standard corporate policy is, if you are not actively working, you should lie there and think of England. Heh. Reminds me of a Bill Hicks skit : - Hick, why are you not working ? - There’s nothing to do, boss. - Well then you pretend like you’re working. - … Why don’t \*you \*pretend I’m working ? Pretend I’m mopping, knock yourself out. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17038 "2014-09-28T12:41:05Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Yeesh, I know what you mean, you mean [Eddie Munster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan). Fuck that noise. We do not need a president of some given age, we need a president with more than a preponderance of a brain, not some automated ideologue. Brains haven’t been a problem. Accountability and judgment have been the problem. For three straight Presidencies, all of the same generation. I think it’s safe to say it’s time to hand over the reins. The next major Boomer Presidential candidate is of the same type: all brains, no morality. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17039 "2014-09-28T13:43:03Z")
[“Republicans Are People, Too” campaign promptly backfires"](http://www.vocativ.com/culture/media/republicians-are-people-too/). I mean, [comically](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ImARepublican?src=hash) backfires. As anyone who knows anything could have predicted. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/17040 "2014-09-28T15:19:52Z")
A lot of those people aren’t really Republicans! I’ve scanned some of those quotes for humor and irony, and several register above 500 millihicks. No Republican has registered above 200 millilhicks, evah! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=851) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=853)