# This cycle's crop of Republican candidates **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 20, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869 "2011-12-20T17:32:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/61 "2011-12-27T05:09:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Another thing people aren’t always aware of, his injury came in WWII. He was an incompetent Lt. who led his men into an ambush. Several were killed, and at least one more man died and others injured trying to get him out. I don’t fault him for this either, it was a common story in WWII. But it didn’t make him a war hero. His dedication to other wounded soldiers and determination to overcome his disability was the heroic part of his life. He didn’t lead them into an ambush. His platoon was part of a group trying to take a hill in Italy. To get to the hill, the troops had to cross a mined field that was being protected by a machine gun nest in a farmhouse. Troops were being slowed down by the minefield and decimated by the machine gun, so Dole was ordered to take out the machine gun. The platoon threw some grenades and missed, and then the machine gunners noticed them and turned the gun on the platoon. Dole’s runner had been hit, and he was dragging him to safety when he got hit, either by the machine gun or a shell fragment. And, if it’s worth anything, I thought Dole was hysterical. One of the funniest men in Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/62 "2011-12-27T05:48:19Z")
The way I heard about it, Dole’s humor was often very pointed and acerbic. It was not expected to play well with a broad electorate, so he turned it way down when running for office. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t cone up with something else to make him interesting to voters. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/63 "2011-12-27T15:36:29Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > And that fact that you are comfortable with Obama and his pathetic knowledge about world politics, economics, the U. S. Constitution, and with his finger on the nuclear button tells me volumes about _your_ powers of discernment. Translation: “I’m just a caveman. I fell on some ice and later got thawed out by some of your scientists. Your world frightens and confuses me! Sometimes the honking horns of your traffic make me want to get out of my BMW.. and run off into the hills, or wherever.. Sometimes when I get a message on my fax machine, I wonder: “Did little demons get inside and type it?” I don’t know! My primitive mind can’t grasp these concepts.” Are you ever going to provide any actual examples that might let us think there is actually a mind at work behind your screenname, or are you just going to keep faithfully parroting Fox talking points? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/64 "2011-12-27T16:14:20Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > The way I heard about it, Dole’s humor was often very pointed and acerbic. It was not expected to play well with a broad electorate, so he turned it way down when running for office. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t cone up with something else to make him interesting to voters. A lot of Dole’s humor was in his delivery, but I’m trying to think of some Dole jokes. Some magazine did a story on him, and it had a picture of him and Elizabeth making the bed together. So an old man wrote him complaining that ever since the picture showed up, his wife would make him help make the bed. Dole wrote back saying, “Brother, you don’t know the half of it. The only reason Elizabeth was there was because they were taking pictures.” Not too long after the '96 election, President Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. So, he was at the White House, and in his remarks, started the speech with, “I, Robert J. Dole . . .do solemnly swear. . . Sorry, wrong speech. But I had a dream. . .that I’d be here this week receiving something from the President. I thought it would be the door key.” When he and Senator McGovern were cosponsoring a food stamp bill, one of the things that got caught up in the Senate was the matter of eligibility, and there were some Senators who wanted a longer and more detailed review to make sure that the people applying actually needed food stamps. Dole’s response to that was, “Are we going to include a burial allowance for the ones who starve?” During the '88 campaign, Bush claimed that when Reagan needed help, he called on Bush, and Dole’s answer to that was, “Has he called collect?” And his story about how he became a Republican. "Well I asked the local county clerk and he said, “Well, there’s twice as many Republicans in this town as Democrats. So I made a great philosophical decision right there on the spot.” So, yeah, funny. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/65 "2011-12-30T16:43:47Z")
Mitt Romney is a total asshole. The latest: [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/mitt-romney-likens-president-obama-deposed-french-queen-marie-antoinette-article-1.998724](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/mitt-romney-likens-president-obama-deposed-french-queen-marie-antoinette-article-1.998724) Yea, Mitt. First you look like Marie Antoinette. Second, what have you been doing the last four years? Creating jobs? Naw. Getting experience? The only thing you are experienced in is sucking your own dick. What a POS this guy is. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/66 "2011-12-30T17:21:34Z")
In response to the OP, I originally wanted to think that all this is confirmation bias and the recency effect, that every year we liberals point to the crop of GOP candidates and say its the worst ever just as Republicans like to point to the Democratic candidate and say he’s the most liberal candidate ever. Then I see in the polls that Santorum is frothing up the polls in Iowa, and how all the craziest nutjobs in the field of GOP candidates usually relegated to the fringe are getting their moment in the sun and their spot atop the polls. Yes, these are definitely the worst ever group of Republicans in recent history. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/67 "2011-12-30T17:47:56Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > In response to the OP, I originally wanted to think that all this is confirmation bias and the recency effect, that every year we liberals point to the crop of GOP candidates and say its the worst ever just as Republicans like to point to the Democratic candidate and say he’s the most liberal candidate ever. Then I see in the polls that Santorum is frothing up the polls in Iowa, and how all the craziest nutjobs in the field of GOP candidates usually relegated to the fringe are getting their moment in the sun and their spot atop the polls. > > Yes, these are definitely the worst ever group of Republicans in recent history. You should always say where you’re getting your information, if possible: [Romney Tops Iowa; Santorum Surges.](http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/29/us-usa-campaign-poll-idUSTRE7BR1DO20111229) ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/68 "2011-12-30T22:53:25Z")
Sorry, I thought it was common knowledge now. Gingrich is falling and Santorum somehow lubed his way up to 3rd place in the latest Iowa polls. Unfortunately for Huntsman, the caucus is less than a week away and it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting his turn for a bump. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/69 "2011-12-30T23:08:05Z")
Washington Post reports that Huntsman is blanketing NH with ads. The Republican Iowa caucus is not considered fertile ground for Huntsman, so he’s putting more effort into NH. After the NH primary he’ll either be a viable Not-Romney, or he’ll be toast. Or not - it’s a volitile campaign. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/70 "2011-12-30T23:46:27Z")
I think the outcome is uncertain, but time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/71 "2011-12-30T23:57:28Z")
When’s the NH primary and Super Tuesday? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/72 "2011-12-31T00:21:10Z")
Do I look like Google to you, pal? Huh? Do I? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/73 "2011-12-31T02:12:08Z")
Well, when you lift your nose like that, and the sun hits your steely glint just right… ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/74 "2011-12-31T02:46:56Z")
New Hampshire is January 10th; Super Tuesday is March 6th. CNN is your [Election Central](http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2012/primaries.html) friend. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/75 "2011-12-31T03:18:19Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Do I look like Google to you, pal? Huh? Do I? You are large; you contain multitudes. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869/76 "2011-12-31T06:42:56Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > When he and Senator McGovern were cosponsoring a food stamp bill, one of the things that got caught up in the Senate was the matter of eligibility, and there were some Senators who wanted a longer and more detailed review to make sure that the people applying actually needed food stamps. Dole’s response to that was, “Are we going to include a burial allowance for the ones who starve?” > > … > > And his story about how he became a Republican. "Well I asked the local county clerk and he said, “Well, there’s twice as many Republicans in this town as Democrats. So I made a great philosophical decision right there on the spot.” > > So, yeah, funny. Great, you’re making me miss Bob Dole. > [@YogSosoth](#): > > Sorry, I thought it was common knowledge now. Gingrich is falling and Santorum somehow lubed his way up to 3rd place in the latest Iowa polls. Unfortunately for Huntsman, the caucus is less than a week away and it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting his turn for a bump. Eh. The Iowa caucus is kind of a stunt anyway. Very early and not a primary. Huntsman has probably been too focused on New Hampshire, but I don’t blame him for dismissing the Iowa caucus. (The trick is to dismiss the Iowa caucus without appearing to dismiss the rural Midwest.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cycles-crop-of-republican-candidates/606869.md?page=3)