# Underestimating the number of stupid assholes in America **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 8, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057 "2012-09-08T01:24:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/1 "2012-09-08T01:24:13Z")
I’ve been meaning to point this out for a while. I know I will not be able to make it exciting enough for a proper pit thread, but I still feel it needs to be said, and I am about to generally hate on half the country, so it seems to belong in this forum. How is it that so many ‘SDMB Liberals’ still underestimate the number of hateful retards in this country? Every day I read at least one comment on this board about the inevitability of Obama’s re-election, or the tide radically changing on social issues, or some other general overconfidence in people’s judgment. In spite of the complete idiocy of the R party, they still enjoy roughly 50% support on just about any issue. Creationism and other religious nonsense, coddling the rich while they fuck the whole country over, corporate personhood, environmental abuse (regardless of the man-made global warming debate, their stance equates to: “pollution is no big deal you sissies!”), bigotry and homophobia, further deregulation in the face of its obvious consequences, voluntary war for the fuck of it, Sarah Palin … on and on and on. Things that make sane people roll their eyes as if ‘who would fall for such crap?!’… Well don’t roll your eyes so hard guys … cuz literally EVERY OTHER AMERICAN will apparently fall for them time and time again. There is no harebrained bullshit stupid enough that fully half this country won’t get behind it. It is not just the hick states either. Even liberal CA voted to discriminate against a class of people just a few years ago. What makes anyone so confident that Americans will ever do the right thing? This is a country that RE-elected GWB! Fox News _kills_ the competition. * * * When I read the Dope, I fight the urge to post all of that as a response to comment after comment each day. ‘You’re welcome’ for me not shitting in every other thread. The latest I just read (but by no means bearing full responsibility for this pitting) is [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=664774), in which **An Arky** wonders who was paid off to get the new Obama-bashing movie into theaters. Apparently it never occurred to him/her that there are a \*shitload \*of stupid assholes out there with wallets. At least one for every thinker among us. Why the hell wouldn’t such a movie be popular? (Nothing personal **An Arky** , I agree with your distaste for the film and its makers, I just don’t find it surprising that it is as successful as it is, I didn’t feel like shitting in your thread, and my message here applies to sooo many other posts as well.) Here’s rooting for Obama to win in Nov, but like last time, I am not about to count on it, no matter what Nate says. I’ll be expecting the worst, and pleasantly surprised if he pulls it off again. But it is still going to demonstrate my point … upwards of 48% of Americans are going to vote R, and congress will still be infested. That’s waaay too many fuckups to have so much confidence in America. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/2 "2012-09-08T01:42:33Z")
The real problem is… if we kill ourselves in despair, it just makes the problem worse. But at least we won’t be around to witness it. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/3 "2012-09-08T01:43:23Z")
Well, I now know who one of them is… ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/4 "2012-09-08T01:43:29Z")
It’s disheartening enough to see it on the Dope, but what about on Facebook, where you’re forced to admit to yourself that these people are actual friends of yours, and members of your family?? That’s what gets to me. I can’t put half my friends and family on ignore. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/5 "2012-09-08T01:49:13Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > … I can’t put half my friends and family on ignore. Sure you can. That’s why I closed my account altogether – couldn’t stand these idiot comments people (aka family) were making and linking to. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/6 "2012-09-08T01:49:17Z")
My confidence about re-electing Obama has nothing to do with any generous opinion about the people in our country (though I am a natural optimist). It has everything to do with following swing-state polls, [Nate Silver](http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/), and [Intrade](http://www.intrade.com/v4/home/). ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/7 "2012-09-08T01:51:27Z")
Yes, and most of them for the guy or girl with a D in front of their name. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/8 "2012-09-08T01:57:49Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Yes, and most of them for the guy or girl with a D in front of their name. What do you have against the Dianas and Davids of this country? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/9 "2012-09-08T02:19:19Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > What do you have against the Dianas and Davids of this country? :mad: I’m pretty sure he was talking about Dickheads and Douchebags. But then again with OMG you just never know. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/10 "2012-09-08T03:42:17Z")
Be patient. Give it time. [61% of “Staunch Conservatives” are age 50 or older,](http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/04/typology-group-profiles/) and their children and grandchildren will not replenish their ranks – it’s a generational-culture thing. Remember the “Silent Majority” Nixon spoke of and depended on? Well, he was right about that, at the time; but, at least they’re not a majority any more, and never will be again. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/11 "2012-09-08T04:06:34Z")
Here is wisdom, and no great mystery: People of **every** political (and religious) viewpoint tend to overestimate its popularity, and underestimate that of opposing viewpoints. It comes of (1) hanging out mostly with like-minded people, and coming to think of them as the normal people; and (2) knowing in your heart that your own world-view is such plain common sense that only a nutcase fringe could be seriously diametrically opposed to it. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/12 "2012-09-08T04:26:02Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > It’s disheartening enough to see it on the Dope, but what about on Facebook, where you’re forced to admit to yourself that these people are actual friends of yours, and members of your family?? That’s what gets to me. I can’t put half my friends and family on ignore. Quoted for truth. Dear Og, there are some stupid damn people on my Facebook friend list. Maybe stupid is the wrong word. Ignorant. Close-minded. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/13 "2012-09-08T08:21:48Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Be patient. Give it time. [61% of “Staunch Conservatives” are age 50 or older,](http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/04/typology-group-profiles/) and their children and grandchildren will not replenish their ranks – it’s a generational-culture thing. Remember the “Silent Majority” Nixon spoke of and depended on? Well, he was right about that, at the time; but, at least they’re not a majority any more, and never will be again. Then how come [College Republicans](http://www.crnc.org/about/) outnumber [College Democrats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Democrats_of_America) by about 250,000 to 100,000? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/14 "2012-09-08T08:57:58Z")
How many collegians are there? And I am willing to bet X amount that whatever that total amount of collegians is, that the voting will skew D come November. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/15 "2012-09-08T09:13:12Z")
Ultimately, it’s because it would be just too goddamn depressing to admit it to ourselves, so we invent other fictions (like my thread on deep cover liberals) to help make sense of what is really just idiocy. I would LOVE to live in a world where everyone is intelligent, votes their conscience, approaches all situations rationally, etc… and I want to assume that in all people. Thanks for reminding me I don’t live in that world. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/16 "2012-09-08T09:24:46Z")
It isn’t limited to america. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/17 "2012-09-08T09:30:00Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > Quoted for truth. > > Dear Og, there are some stupid damn people on my Facebook friend list. Maybe stupid is the wrong word. Ignorant. Close-minded. Before Facebook I’d have laughed in your face if you told me that ALL the C-students in my high school would turn into R-voters as adults. It boggles the mind. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2012, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/18 "2012-09-08T10:40:10Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Then how come [College Republicans](http://www.crnc.org/about/) outnumber [College Democrats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Democrats_of_America) by about 250,000 to 100,000? [Hasn’t this already been explained in many previous threads?](http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/26205.html) ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/19 "2012-09-08T10:52:31Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Yes, and most of them for the guy or girl with a D in front of their name. - O, m, g! Easy as 1, 2, 3! We’re talkin’ 'bout do, re, mi! O, m, g! 1, 2, 3! Baby you and me, girl!\* ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/20 "2012-09-08T11:36:21Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Yes, and most of them for the guy or girl with a D in front of their name. It takes a special kind of stupid to fuck up a “no u.” You’re a precious gem. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057.md?page=2)