# Texas Federal Prisoner gets 40% of vote in WV Dem Primary **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 9, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387 "2012-05-09T13:22:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/61 "2012-07-17T14:42:25Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Speaking as a West Virginian, don’t hold your breath on that happening. 😃 Indeed. The whole thing seems, once you admit the possibility of stupid assholes voting, to be pretty straightforward. ---
**Author:** ![ScarletNumber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@ScarletNumber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScarletNumber)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/62 "2012-07-17T14:51:20Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Yeah, see, in light of the “they voted for a federal prisoner over Obama without bothering to find out who they were voting for,” you need to justify your “but they’re not stupid assholes” claim. Shit, that coulda been Kang or Kodos. > > Or you could just keep making the claim without any justification, in which case, hey, wanna know what my cat’s breath smells like? Hey, you’re the one making the non sequitur. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/63 "2012-07-17T16:18:08Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > And what does that say about Obama? 😕 😕 You don’t even know?? 😕 Look at photos of Obama and the typical Judd voter. Hint: Focus on the skin color. It’s so pathetic that right-wingers seize on instances of racism and pretend they reflect on Obama’s policies. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/64 "2012-07-17T16:36:50Z")
> [@ScarletNumber](#): > > As I stated earlier, they didn’t want to reelect Obama. So they voted for someone else. > > This isn’t a difficult concept. But, the “they didn’t bother to find out who they were voting for” part **does** make them stupid assholes, and you know it; that isn’t a difficult concept either. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/65 "2012-07-17T16:55:34Z")
> [@ScarletNumber](#): > > Hey, you’re the one making the non sequitur. All right then: cat food! ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/66 "2012-07-18T14:08:47Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Joke about comparing Hillary Clinton to a federal prisoner goes here: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. What’s the difference between Hillary Clinton & a federal prisoner? The federal prisoner left enough evidence to lead to an indictment. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/67 "2012-07-18T14:37:11Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > What’s the difference between Hillary Clinton & a federal prisoner? The federal prisoner left enough evidence to lead to an indictment. Nice innocent until proven guilty thing there. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/68 "2012-07-18T19:44:41Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > Nice innocent until proven guilty thing there. 1. As someone who cottons more to the theoretical efficiencies of dictatorship than the theoretical “fairness” of Democracy, I don’t always appreciate the constraints of our legal system. I live under it so I respect it and work within it, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t fancy some changes. Further discussion would probably hijack the thread. 2. Assuming my jape was close to the mark, my admiration of Mr. & Ms. Clinton is founded in part on their ability to operate in fact under one system and appear to operate under another. Such cleverness deserves reward. 3. Because a proper list consists of at least 3 points (greetings to an unnamed SDMB poster) ---
**Author:** ![ScarletNumber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@ScarletNumber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScarletNumber)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/69 "2012-07-18T22:14:18Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But, the “they didn’t bother to find out who they were voting for” part **does** make them stupid assholes, and you know it; that isn’t a difficult concept either. No, it doesn’t. They were casting a protest vote against Obama. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/70 "2012-07-19T01:13:21Z")
> [@lance strongarm](#): > > Nice innocent until proven guilty thing there. Is Inigo Montoya a court? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/71 "2012-07-19T01:48:17Z")
> [@ScarletNumber](#): > > No, it doesn’t. They were casting a protest vote against Obama. Stipulating you’re okay with voting for a convicted felon just as a protest vote (which obviously, for whatever reason, you are), all that says about Obama is that he’s not popular in WV. Which isn’t new. To the extent that the nature of the protest candidate matters at all, it’s to indicate what stupid assholes there are in WV–which, again, we already knew (stupid assholes being everywhere). The nature of the protest candidate in this case says nothing about Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/72 "2012-07-19T02:26:41Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > Is Inigo Montoya a court? 'Ello! My name is Inigo Montoya. You’re in my court. Prepare to try. I’m shameless. ---
**Author:** ![ScarletNumber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@ScarletNumber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScarletNumber)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/73 "2012-07-19T04:32:42Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > all that says about Obama is that he’s not popular in WV. Thank you for admitting I am right. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/74 "2012-07-19T12:01:58Z")
> [@ScarletNumber](#): > > I think it says more about Obama than it does about the voters. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The nature of the protest candidate in this case says nothing about Obama. > [@ScarletNumber](#): > > Thank you for admitting I am right. Scarlet, if you’re this desperate for a victory, who am I to deny it to you? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/75 "2012-07-19T14:36:30Z")
> [@ScarletNumber](#): > > No, it doesn’t. They were casting a protest vote against Obama. To be pedantic, in the spirit of the Straight Dope : Sez you. Er, I mean : Cite? Unless you’re a mind-reader, I reject your implicit assumption that 40% of the voters in the Democratic primary went \*\*knowingly \*\*for a convicted felon as a protest vote. And unless they did so knowingly, then LHoD’s characterization of them as stupid assholes (perhaps it should be \*ignorant \*assholes, though) is correct. So to sum up : Obama is unpopular in West Virginia. - Nobody’s on the other side of this issue. Nobody was arguing against you on that point. Obama is so unpopular in WV that a large number of people will vote for any other name on the ballot - Same thing. Nobody’s saying that this isn’t true. LHoD’s arguing that this makes them stupid assholes. I concur. Obama is so unpopular in WV that a large number of people will knowingly choose a convicted felon over him - This one’s False. I know the WV electorate. They’re not well-informed. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/76 "2012-07-19T15:43:12Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Unless you’re a mind-reader, I reject your implicit assumption that 40% of the voters in the Democratic primary went \*\*knowingly \*\*for a convicted felon as a protest vote. And unless they did so knowingly, then LHoD’s characterization of them as stupid assholes (perhaps it should be \*ignorant \*assholes, though) is correct. I’m not sure that it’s an either/or thing between ignorant and stupid :). The ignorance is in not knowing they’re voting for an inmate. The stupidity is in casting a vote for someone when they have no idea who that person is. I regularly go into the voting booth ignorant of certain elections, like I have no idea who the different candidates for Agricultural Commission are. Because I’m ignorant and not stupid, I don’t cast a vote for those elections. But yeah, basically, spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/77 "2012-07-19T15:54:04Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The question isn’t whether people think Obama is a lousy president. The question is whether people think a federal prisoner in Texas would be a better president. At this stage of the game, most people think a one-legged leper would be a better President that Obama. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/78 "2012-07-19T15:58:55Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > At this stage of the game, most people think a one-legged leper would be a better President that Obama. I find it unlikely that you are able to back up that statement with a cite. Also, do you think leprosy should be a bar against public service? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/79 "2012-07-19T16:01:33Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > At this stage of the game, most people think a one-legged leper would be a better President that Obama. So we’re at the outright lying stage of the game, now? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387/80 "2012-07-19T17:02:46Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > At this stage of the game, most people think a one-legged leper would be a better President that Obama. If that’s true, then given Mitt’s poll numbers right now, that sure doesn’t cast Romney in a favorable light. Apparently most people would rather vote for the guy who nearly lost WV’s democratic primary to a convicted felon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/texas-federal-prisoner-gets-40-of-vote-in-wv-dem-primary/621387.md?page=5)