# Trent Lott is an idiot **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083 "2002-12-07T04:00:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/1 "2002-12-07T04:00:52Z")
In praise of 100-year old Strom Thurmond, Trent Lott said > [@](#): > > I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had of followed our lead we wouldn’t of had all these problems over all these years, either. Now, I can go along with ignoring Thurmond’s racist past at this time; after all Thurmond long since changed those views. But, what in the world does Lott mean by, “if the rest of the country had of followed our lead we wouldn’t of had all these problems over all these years, either.” It sounds as if he’s saying we shouldn’t have had the Civil Rights Act. I hope that’s not what he really meant, but what a stupid thing to say. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/2 "2002-12-07T04:05:12Z")
I think he knows exactly what he is saying. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/3 "2002-12-07T04:23:06Z")
It’s called “deniability”. The message is clear to those who bend close to hear it. And if some PC lefty should jump thereupon, or some reporter ask an embarrasing question, why, of course not! I recall a story about LBJ, how he struggled undermining and outsmarting the Dixiecrats to pass this Civil Rights stuff. According to the story, when LBJ got the news that it was a cinch, someone asked how he would celebrate. Lyndon said he was going to rent a Cadillac to drive through SC watching Strom Thurmond kissing (newly enfranchised) black asses. Happy Birthday, Strom. You’ve already had your share of returns. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Belowjob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/4 "2002-12-07T04:57:18Z")
Oh please. Thurmond hasn’t really changed his views. I’m sure you remember Clarence Thomas’ supreme court nomination, when Thurmond said that he agreed with Thomas’ views, but objected to his (white) wife. As to Lott, he’s been criticized in the past for associating with the Council of Conservative Citizens, a genteel bunch of white supremacists. Elucidator’s right on target. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/5 "2002-12-07T05:02:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Belowjob \*Oh please. Thurmond hasn’t really changed his views. I’m sure you remember Clarence Thomas’ supreme court nomination, when Thurmond said that he agreed with Thomas’ views, but objected to his (white) wife. Actually, I don’t remember this. Do you have a cite? ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/6 "2002-12-07T05:05:21Z")
To me, everything that guy does screams “Ignorant Cracker”. Remember when Senator Clinton was elected and he publicly expressed his wish that she would get struck by lightning before taking office? I don’t care how you feel about someone, that’s just unprofessional. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/7 "2002-12-07T05:07:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > \*\*Remember when Senator Clinton was elected and he publicly expressed his wish that she would get struck by lightning before taking office? \*\* Actually I don’t remember this, either. Do you have a cite? ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/8 "2002-12-07T05:09:47Z")
[Here](http://loper.org/~george/archives/2000/Nov/131.html). ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/9 "2002-12-07T05:09:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > \*\*Actually I don’t remember this, either. Do you have a cite? \*\* You seem to have **quite** a selective memory, **december** and that isn’t a good quality to have. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/10 "2002-12-07T05:14:11Z")
Trent Lott is an evil scumbag kissing the ass of an icon of evil scumbags. Nevertheless, I don’t recally the icon of evil scumbags objecting to Clarence Thomas having a white wife. So may I join december ( :eek: ) in asking for a cite, please? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/11 "2002-12-07T05:29:43Z")
“lightning strikes” is not necessarily literal: it can be used as a reference to any unlikely event. The worst you can say for sure that he said is that he hoped she wouldn’t actually take office. You could have quoted the passage, instead of juts linking to it: it would have made things much more clear. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/12 "2002-12-07T05:39:04Z")
In [this book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0195147103/qid=1039239322/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-4034405-8049701?v=glance&s=books) Robert Park describes Trent Lott tried to get the federal gov’t. to fund a perpetual motion machine. What a dork.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/13 "2002-12-07T05:45:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > **"lightning strikes" is not necessarily literal: it can be used as a reference to any unlikely event. The worst you can say for sure that he said is that he hoped she wouldn’t actually take office.** No, again, Lott knew exactly what he said. As **elucidator** said, this is a pattern for Lott. He is very adept at how he phrases these things. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/14 "2002-12-07T05:53:10Z")
**Apos** , do you follow politics in America? He knew how the remark would be interpreted coming from him, and he chose his words with that interpretation in mind. _Everyone_ knew what he meant. Sure, he used weasel words - see **elucidator** ’s post about deniability - because he knows how much he can get away with. And speaking of weaselly things Lott did, what about blocking James Hormel’s appointment as ambassador to Luxembourg? His reasoning was that he was concerned about offending a Catholic country by sending them a gay diplomat, which was complete bullshit, because Lux didn’t care in the least. Everyone knew Lott’s motivation was A) bigotry and B) politics, in that he didn’t want his supporters to think he was soft on the gay issue. This is weaselling that would make Pauly Shore proud. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/15 "2002-12-07T05:58:53Z")
Given this adeptness, then, does it make sense to call him an idiot? Seems to me that the “evil scumbag” designation isn’t affected by such considerations. ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/16 "2002-12-07T06:20:18Z")
Why exactly did **december** open a Thurmond/Lott pile-on thread? As far as I’m concerned, Lott’s words were just respectful praise for a retiring political figure who has given long years of service in the Senate. No matter what you think of Ol’ Strom, the Senate is sort of an exclusive fraternity, and its members will at least pay lip service to each other even if they hate the guy behind his back. Is it so bad that Lott would say some kind words about a 100-year-old man, an important political figure in his own home state, on the eve of his retirement from a historically long tenure in the highest Congressional body? Events like today’s are about ceremony, photo ops, and generic praise. I wouldn’t take anything of substance out of this. If I want to know about Trent Lott, I’ll look at _his_ voting record and _his_ stated positions, not some kind words he said to an old man on the day of his big retirement. Can you honestly say you’ve never said something you didn’t necessarily believe 100%, just to be nice to somebody in that situation? I don’t care if it turns out that Senator Lott is a Thurmond clone, this is just the wrong sort of thing to point to in judging him. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/17 "2002-12-07T06:24:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kaylasdad99 \* > \*\*Given this adeptness, then, does it make sense to call him an idiot? \*\* Personally, I don’t think he’s an idiot. I think he’s a rat bastard. The OP sort of left that as an open-ended question. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@Dave\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_D)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/18 "2002-12-07T06:33:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > \*\*In praise of 100-year old Strom Thurmond, Trent Lott said Now, I can go along with ignoring Thurmond’s racist past at this time; after all Thurmond long since changed those views. But, what in the world does Lott mean by, “if the rest of the country had of followed our lead we wouldn’t of had all these problems over all these years, either.” It sounds as if he’s saying we shouldn’t have had the Civil Rights Act. I hope that’s not what he really meant, but what a stupid thing to say. \*\* Oh it’s not that bad. I mean it’s not as bad as say trying to get some scam artists a patent for a perpetual motion machine.😉 ---
**Author:** ![zigaretten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/91b2a8/32.png) [@zigaretten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zigaretten)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/19 "2002-12-07T07:06:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > \*\*In [this book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0195147103/qid=1039239322/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-4034405-8049701?v=glance&s=books) Robert Park describes Trent Lott tried to get the federal gov’t. to fund a perpetual motion machine. What a dork.:rolleyes: \*\* Be careful…… In [this](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393049639/qid=1039243585/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-6716696-7458355?v=glance&s=books) Martin Gardener discusses the time that Al Gore sponsored legislation to create a National Committee on Human Resources which was to include parapsychologists. He also reminds us of Reagans fondness for astrology and those little tete-a-tetes that Hillary used to hold with Eleanor Roosevelts ghost. Unfortunately, the book came out too early to cover the giant [UFO Conspiracy](http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/space/10/22/ufo.records/) revealed by Clintons White House Chief of Staff John Podesta. I’ve long since given up hope that all people in powerful positions will be as rational as I would like for them to be. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@Dave\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_D)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083/20 "2002-12-07T07:13:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dave\_D \* > \*\*Oh it’s not that bad. I mean it’s not as bad as say trying to get some scam artists a patent for a perpetual motion machine.😉 \*\* Damn, forgot the link about it on this web site. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_401.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_401.html) Yup, what a nitwit [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trent-lott-is-an-idiot/141083.md?page=2)