# 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:** 86
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1701 "2010-06-09T14:39:27Z")
> [@Enfant Terrible](#): > > She gets to capitalize on the frustration of the public-at-large regarding the spill while not being in a position where she can be called out on her bullshittery. And, of course, build up her non-existent bona fides as an ‘energy expert’. She was the GOVERNOR of an ENERGY STATE! How _dare_ you question her qualifications as an energy expert! I live in FLORIDA and that makes me an expert on ROCKET SHIPS, you know. ---
**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 9, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1702 "2010-06-09T18:49:47Z")
Palin says [environmentalists are to blame](http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/06/04/sarah-palins-facebook-blasts-environmentalists-for-oil-spill/)for the oil spill in the gulf: > [@](#): > > _“Extreme deep water drilling is not the preferred choice to meet our country’s energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas. It’s catching up with you. The tragic, unprecedented deep water Gulf oil spill proves it.”_ In other words, oil companies had no choice but to avoid safety regulations by drilling in deep water. ---
**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, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1703 "2010-06-09T19:01:06Z")
That woman takes my breath away, and not in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1704 "2010-06-09T19:09:18Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > In other words, oil companies had no choice but to avoid safety regulations by drilling in deep water. “_Now_ look what you made me do!”–Oliver Hardy ---
**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:** [June 10, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1705 "2010-06-10T00:43:45Z")
> [@](#): > > “Extreme deep water drilling is not the preferred choice to meet our country’s energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas. It’s catching up with you. The tragic, unprecedented deep water Gulf oil spill proves it.” I wonder what lies the environmentalists told. Do you suppose they suggested there might be a spill? Those slanderous bastards! ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1706 "2010-06-10T10:49:54Z")
> [@](#): > > “Extreme deep water drilling is not the preferred choice to meet our country’s energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas. It’s catching up with you. The tragic, unprecedented deep water Gulf oil spill proves it.” Oh, clever! You could use this as a justification for all sort of policy fuck-ups: “_Invading Iraq to steal their oil_ is not the preferred choice to meet our country’s energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas.” Personally I think the Obama administration isn’t doing enough to combat the oil spill, they’re too busy hanging out with John Lennon! What more should they be doing you ask? Well, exactly what the Bush administration would have done: Put the job of fixing the leak and cleaning it up out to tender and then award the multi-billion dollar contract to Haliburton. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Understander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3da27b/32.png) [@The\_Understander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Understander)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1707 "2010-06-10T23:58:29Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > She was the GOVERNOR of an ENERGY STATE! How _dare_ you question her qualifications as an energy expert! > > I live in FLORIDA and that makes me an expert on ROCKET SHIPS, you know. And an energy expert, too! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1708 "2010-06-11T02:13:26Z")
Well, yes, now that our beaches are covered in oil 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1709 "2010-06-15T14:09:45Z")
GOP Congressional nominee from New Mexico [suggests putting landmines on the US/Mexico border](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/15/politics/main6583678.shtml), although after being pressed to clarify, says “I am not suggesting we do that.” It’s simply that: > [@](#): > > He explained Monday the suggestion about land mines was something he’d heard while campaigning, and that it came in response to a complaint that nothing could be done to secure the border. > > “When I heard it, I said, 'Well, that’s an interesting concept,”’ Mullins said. No, it’s decidedly **not** “interesting”…rather, it’s decidedly **stupid**. Tom Mullins makes the ghost of Princess Diana cry. ☹ ---
**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 15, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1710 "2010-06-15T14:39:31Z")
Of course it’s interesting – you posted it here. There’s no conflict between interesting and stupid, that’s the whole idea behind this particular thread. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1711 "2010-06-15T14:57:39Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Of course it’s interesting – you posted it here. There’s no conflict between interesting and stupid, that’s the whole idea behind this particular thread. True enough that the two aren’t _necessarily_ in conflict. I stand corrected there. However, in this case, I’d distinguish between (1) the idea itself being stupid and (2) that a prominent politician would suggest such a stupid idea is what’s interesting. Interesting, that is, in a “point and laugh” kinda way. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1712 "2010-06-15T15:09:19Z")
What the article doesn’t mention is that Mullins’ intent is not to keep Mexicans out but to keep American tourists in. He’s tired of American money being spent in Cancun and Tijiuana when there are perfectly good beaches in [del]Louisiana[/del] [del]Alabama[/del] [del]Mississippi[/del] [del]Florida[/del] [del]Texas[/del] California. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1713 "2010-06-15T15:23:27Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, yes, now that our beaches are covered in oil 😉 Once the marketing squids massage it, you will have beaches plentiful in suntan oil. ---
**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 15, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1714 "2010-06-15T15:26:28Z")
> [@Baboonanza](#): > > Oh, clever! You could use this as a justification for all sort of policy fuck-ups: > > “_Invading Iraq to steal their oil_ is not the preferred choice to meet our country’s energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas.” Or, as [one of the ideas](http://www.americaspeakingout.com/questions/5139/we-should-stop-invading-countries-so-far-away-for-oil-it-s-like-politicians-don-t-own-maps-canada-has-oil-venezuela-h) on [America Speaking Out](http://www.americaspeakingout.com/) explains: > [@](#): > > We should stop invading countries so far away for oil. It’s like politicians don’t own maps. Canada has oil. Venezuela has oil. South America has oil. Much closer. (Apparently, the [alternative option](http://www.americaspeakingout.com/questions/10104/we-should-build-a-giant-magnet-to-pull-all-the-continents-together-so-that-we-wouldn-t-need-ships-to-invade-other-countr) of pulling all the continents together with a giant magnet to facilitate future invasions has been removed from the site.) Speaking of [America Speaking Out](http://www.americaspeakingout.com/), the trolls and comedians seem to have gotten bored and drifted away (perhaps because setting the pageviews to default to “Most Interest” rather than “Most Recent” made their contributions less visible). However, that change highlights trend I noticed before (that most of the ideas that are actually popular with the public are ones the GOP leadership dare not touch because they’re too beholden to the Religious Right). They can’t win, it seems… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1715 "2010-06-15T15:36:41Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Speaking of [America Speaking Out](http://www.americaspeakingout.com/), the trolls and comedians seem to have gotten bored and drifted away (perhaps because setting the pageviews to default to “Most Interest” rather than “Most Recent” made their contributions less visible). Not all of them, thank God. 😃 > [@](#): > > we could have full employment and sucure our southern borders by paying the unemployed to stand in shifts as sort of a giant red rover hands across america event. now if we could do a combo postal carrier relay for life event we could save the post office and cure cancer > [@](#): > > I believe that the GOP needs to continue its policy of filibustering all important legislation so that we can become a third-world nation eligible for funding from the FMI. ---
**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 15, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1716 "2010-06-15T15:51:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What the article doesn’t mention is that Mullins’ intent is not to keep Mexicans out but to keep American tourists in. He’s tired of American money being spent in Cancun and Tijiuana when there are perfectly good beaches in [del]Louisiana[/del] [del]Alabama[/del] [del]Mississippi[/del] [del]Florida[/del] [del]Texas[/del] California. _Nibblin on sponge cake Watchin the sun bake All of those tourists covered with oil_ Jimmy Buffet, _Margaritaville_ ---
**Author:** ![legalsnugs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@legalsnugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legalsnugs)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1717 "2010-06-15T15:52:14Z")
Alabama GOP candidate Rick Barber foments treason, advocating “taking up arms against the United States” in his campaign video. > [@](#): > > One of the men dressed like a U.S. founding father – George Washington? – replies, “Gather your armies.” And to drive home the point, there are clear images of pistols in the ad. [Cite](http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/14/4507871-gop-candidate-declares-war-against-us). Think he’ll be arrested? Or elected? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1718 "2010-06-15T15:54:41Z")
Institutionalized, hopefully. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1719 "2010-06-15T16:04:17Z")
Can’t you fling him over the land mines into Juarez? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/1720 "2010-06-15T16:12:38Z")
He might land in the Gulf. Probably the best place for him, really. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=85) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=87)