# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/101 "2012-09-11T21:06:46Z")
Looking at a lot of the posts in this thread I have to say, the OP has a point. Probably not the point s/he was trying to make (i.e. all the stupid assholes in America are Republicans and/or Conservatives…though there are some gems in this thread from those groups as well :p), but a point none the less. There are a lot of stupid, ignorant people in this country (and I’m sure me saying that will have irony meters going off and howls of laughter from the, um, gallery as well)…and, based on my own anecdotal experience, in every other country as well. The thing is that it’s a given that most people don’t know a lot about the broad range of topics discusses. Generally, that’s why sound bites work so well on both sides of the political spectrum…folks simply don’t have the time OR the inclination to really dig in to complex topics and get to the bottom of the underlying issues. Its easier to say stuff like ‘NO. Wages have stagnated for decades due to Reaganomics and waiting for the trickle down. The middle class shouldn’t shoulder any more of the burden for the country’s bills, and the poor obviously don’t have any money to spare’ (sorry rogerbox but your post was the easiest to cut and paste from that provided a perfect example of this in action), or some other equally meaningless drivel about Obama and liberals being socialists bent on making the US into a European socialist paradise or whatever. It’s simply easier to go with sound bites that give you nice, easy and mostly brainless answers that align with ones political worldview…and most people (myself included, since I’m militantly lazy and shiftless) are going to take the easy route and only listen to stuff that generally aligns with that political worldview. Doesn’t make folks stupid, necessarily (though gods know there are a hell of a lot of stupid folks out there…from what I understand half the people out there are below average in intelligence, if you can believe that!! :eek:)…it just makes them ignorant. Being assholes, of course, is in the eyes of the beholder (and that sucker always has an unbelievable THAC0 and AC, and is simply a nasty customer if memory serves)…I think that, in general, folks are willing to cut folks who are on their ‘side’ of a given debate or political world view some slack, asshole wise, while being overly harsh on folks who are, obviously, assholes on the other side. On this board it’s easier to gang up on someone like OMG or \, while cutting some slack to 'dopers with a more left leaning world view wrt the whole issue of who is or isn’t an asshole. Just some random thoughts since I’m bored while waiting for a ride to a meeting. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/102 "2012-09-12T16:36:34Z")
Between lazy people, irresponsible media and greedy bastards, people really do get the government they deserve. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/103 "2012-09-12T18:28:00Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > Okay, I found a cite that says mormons homeschool _less_ than the general population, but I would like to find another source. On one hand they have big families so homeschooling would be very expensive, on the other I know lots of mormons have problems with the standard cirriculum. I don’t have a cite for you, but anecdotally I know _a lot_ of Mormons and I don’t know _any_ who homeschool. And I don’t know any under age 50 who have problems with the standard curriculum, at least through high school. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/104 "2012-09-12T19:30:54Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > Speaking as someone who homeschooled one kid for a few years. Yeah, I was almost homeschooled myself. There is a contingent in the US that homeschool in order to avoid science though. > [@Cat Whisperer](#): > > The proof is in the pudding, too - if the Democrats were just passing laws that favoured the American middle class rather than just rich Americans, I think you’d see conditions in the US significantly improving, and from this outsider’s seat, that doesn’t seem to be happening. Care to provide examples of such legislation? I posted a brief, poorly formatted list [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15110860&postcount=80). [Vote Smart](http://votesmart.org/) ought to help. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/105 "2012-09-12T19:39:30Z")
> [@Rhodes](#): > > I don’t have a cite for you, but anecdotally I know _a lot_ of Mormons and I don’t know _any_ who homeschool. And I don’t know any under age 50 who have problems with the standard curriculum, at least through high school. I have a mormon friend who is at BYU now and him and his brothers+sisters were homeschooled all the way through high school, so I probably got my anecdote confused with data. But I was right about the evangelicals. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/106 "2012-09-13T08:37:43Z")
Can we at least agree that come November, Americans will get the government they deserve? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/107 "2012-09-13T09:26:27Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Can we at least agree that come November, Americans will get the government they deserve? Well, we’ll be better able to gauge the chances of this happening later today, when the final decision is made on the Pennsylvania voter ID shenaningans. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/108 "2012-09-13T15:22:57Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Can we at least agree that come November, Americans will get the government they deserve? Why do you hate America??? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/109 "2012-09-13T16:41:01Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > I was going to go for a smartass remark here, but it occurs to me that it would be interesting to know how much difference there may be in the IQs and education of frequent voters and those of non-voters and infrequent voters. Well, we should have tests then to determine one’s mental capacity to vote! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/110 "2012-09-13T17:59:48Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > \ > Care to provide examples of such legislation? I posted a brief, poorly formatted list [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15110860&postcount=80). [Vote Smart](http://votesmart.org/) ought to help. No, not really. As I said earlier, I just don’t care that much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/111 "2012-09-13T22:19:16Z")
From The Onion, 5-14-1997: **Study: Uneducated Outbreeding Intelligentsia 2-To-1** > **[Study: Uneducated Outbreeding Intelligentsia 2-To-1](https://www.theonion.com/study-uneducated-outbreeding-intelligentsia-2-to-1-1819564327)** > > CHICAGO—In a report with dire implications for the intellectual future of America, a University of Chicago study revealed Monday that the nation's uneducated are breeding twice as fast and twice as often as its educated. "The average member of the... ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/112 "2012-09-13T22:22:34Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Why do you hate America??? 😛 Hey, I don’t hate them nearly as much as they seem to hate themselves, the silly self-destructive buggers. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/113 "2012-09-14T00:29:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Richrd Nixon said that 40 years ago. People who were 50 or older 40 years ago are now mostly dead. Only _ **mostly** _ dead! 😃 My grandmother voted in 2008, when she was not quite 104. It was her 21st straight presidential election. She won’t be voting this year she says, because she hasn’t kept up on election news well enough. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2012, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/114 "2012-09-14T05:23:33Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Can we at least agree that come November, Americans will get the government they deserve? I’ve always found this line of thinking fallacious. What does voting for what you think you want have to do with deserving anything? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/115 "2012-09-14T23:05:39Z")
Change is happening, and I have faith in Mankind. Ignoring nothing. Despite it all. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/116 "2016-11-09T14:34:01Z")
> [@Peanut\_Gallery](#): > > 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. **GOOD MORNING PRESIDENT TRUMP** I’m going to have to take the opportunity to bump this thread **from 2012**. I could leave my thoughts on this 2016 election in so many other threads this morning, but I know that I said it all back then. It has always been clear to me that this country deserves Trump. He is just so especially _representative_ of America. How anyone is surprised surprises me. And now I shall make a wild and impossible prediction for the next four years! … drumroll please!!! … America will look mostly the same in 2020, and Trump will probably be re-elected. There will be some stupid shit passed, there will be a R Supreme Court balance for another generation, there will be some protests, there will be some school shootings, there may even be a war or two… and America will look mostly the same in 2020. And the Dope will remain shocked SHOCKED! that there are still so many stupid assholes around. Quoth **Me** :“There is no harebrained bullshit stupid enough that fully half this country won’t get behind it.” I told you so. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/117 "2016-11-09T14:40:15Z")
> [@Peanut\_Gallery](#): > > **America will look mostly the same in 2020** , and Trump will probably be re-elected. There will be some stupid shit passed, there will be a R Supreme Court balance for another generation, there will be some protests, there will be some school shootings, there may even be a war or two… and America will look mostly the same in 2020. And the Dope will remain shocked SHOCKED! that there are still so many stupid assholes around. > > Quoth **Me** :“There is no harebrained bullshit stupid enough that fully half this country won’t get behind it.” > > I told you so. I endorse this message. And I’m glad it was you, the OP, that revised this thread, and not some gloating “person with R in front of his name”. I’m just not sure if the bolded part is a good thing, or a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/118 "2016-11-09T14:59:50Z")
> [@Peanut\_Gallery](#): > > \ 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. > \ Thank you, **PeanutGallery**. I too, underestimated that number. Though I could agree with most everything you said, it’s these (above, quoted) issues that stand-out. I’ll not lose any sleep over it though. I’m an old, straight, above-poverty honkey, so I’ve got it pretty-good. I grow weary of it staying fucked-up for the less-fortunate, though. And I grow especially weary of this God shit. Jesus-fucking-tapdancing-Christ. I can’t wait until he’s really, truly, and deservedly dead and gone from the US political dialog. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/119 "2016-11-09T21:16:30Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > … I’ve got it pretty-good. I grow weary of it staying fucked-up for the less-fortunate, though. > > And I grow especially weary of this God shit. Jesus-fucking-tapdancing-Christ. I can’t wait until he’s really, truly, and deservedly dead and gone from the US political dialog. Same here. Damn near ALL of what you said, goes for me too. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057/120 "2016-11-09T23:21:15Z")
On the other hand it has made it a whole lot easier for rest of us to get a handle on America. Previously you’d get in a conversation with an American on your travels and they’d be unfailingly polite, articulate, have a passable knowledge of the world outside the lower 48, have a considered views on things they thought should be improved together with an innate understanding of what made America great. And consequently, based on this straw poll of an accumulated cross section, you’d ask yourself again how is it that what is happening is happening? It seemed irreconcilable. Now we just need to ask the simple question “Did you vote in 2016” and if the answer is yes it is a 50% chance they are a card carrying member of the United Klans of Dumbasfuckistan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underestimating-the-number-of-stupid-assholes-in-america/634057.md?page=7)