NationStates Jolt Archive

*head explodes*

Politico reports that the wave of retirements is causing some Republicans to “panic” but Utah Senator Orrin Hatch puts it in perspective.

“I’m really concerned because it’s important we have some balance here because if we don’t, one side can do whatever it wants to do, and that’s not good for the country,” Hatch said. “To the extent that some of these folks decide to leave, and they certainly have the right to do that, we’re going to have to find good candidates to run and hopefully hold onto our seats.”


I love this arguement. Tell me senator, was it good for the country when the Republicans had control? I bet I know your answer!


What about that guy from Ohio who campaigned with John McCain. You know, Joe the Plumber?

In a matter of months, Wurzelbacher (his real last name) has gone from kind-of plumber to McCain prop to kind-of author to war correspondent in Israel.

By the way, in case you haven’t heard, that last part is true. We told you about this last week. Wurzelbacher is actually in Israel and he’s covering the fighting for a conservative web site.

So, why not fill out the resume with U.S. Senator?


....bwuah?

He told conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham last October that he was interested in Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur’s seat and was mulling a run.

“I’ll tell you what, we’d definitely be in one heck of a fight but, you know, I’d be up for it,” he said.


Well, Lou Dobbs will be thrilled.

Some friendly advice Joe. If you want to get into politics, you may wont to pay your back taxes, get off welfare (or stop ranting about people on welfare and big government while being on it, either way), and maybe register to vote.

Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?

....bwuah?
Awesome.
Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?
"You scratch our back and we'll scratch yours".

Suppose there's no better way than to get a nice little puppet to dance to your tune.

*head explodes*
<snip>
Mine, too. :(

Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?
Playing to their base? At least, that's what it looks like they think they're doing. I'm not sure how their base should feel about that.

I know that the republicans were running low on sensible candidates, but I didn't know they were running THAT low...

I know that the republicans were running low on sensible candidates, but I didn't know they were running THAT low...
Maybe it's a grand scheme to make it look like they're running low, to fool all the evil libtards in to thinking they've won.

Maybe it's a grand scheme to make it look like they're running low, to fool all the evil libtards in to thinking they've won.

Yes! Just what Czechoslovakia and Poland and France and Belgium and the Netherlands did in 1939!

*head explodes*



I love this arguement. Tell me senator, was it good for the country when the Republicans had control? I bet I know your answer!



....bwuah?



Well, Lou Dobbs will be thrilled.

Some friendly advice Joe. If you want to get into politics, you may wont to pay your back taxes, get off welfare (or stop ranting about people on welfare and big government while being on it, either way), and maybe register to vote.

Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?

I was going to report a lot of this stuff on him, but I want the bastard to go away!!! Its like a bad horror film series. It was terrible the first time, so why does it keep coming back??? Why do people want to go and see it??? -face palm-

What's not to understand? The guy was very popular among the Republican Party base. He's exactly the kind of guy that they'll elect.

What's not to understand? The guy was very popular among the Republican Party base. He's exactly the kind of guy that they'll elect.
Still, he'll make a nice dancy puppet.
Yes! Just what Czechoslovakia and Poland and France and Belgium and the Netherlands did in 1939!
France fell in 1940, as did the Low Countries.

Pfft, call me when he's actually a plumber and maybe I'll care.

You can't fault them as they are trying to play to the desires of the people. There are people who think Joe and Sarah would be great.

HL Mencken wrote of this long ago:

"The larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small electorates, a first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob with him by force of his personality. But when the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.

As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and
more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious
day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last
and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

I was going to report a lot of this stuff on him, but I want the bastard to go away!!! Its like a bad horror film series. It was terrible the first time, so why does it keep coming back??? Why do people want to go and see it??? -face palm-

So basically, Joe the Plumber is "*Insert Genre Here* Movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Seltzer)"...and he wants to be a Senator........May god help us all...

Mr. Joe The Plumber Goes to Washington.

If they want to NOT learn the lessons from the '08 election, it'd be a great idea. I think Republicans think that the rest of the country is just like them. Which is why, to the right, Palin was a fantastic pick, because they really loved her.

Except what they don't realize is that, there's a certain group of people who will almost never vote republican, and you will never win them. And there's a certain group of people who will never vote anything else, and you will always have them.

Palin, and Joe, appealed to that second group. Republicans who might feel a bit more enthusiastic voting republican.

But there's that WHOOOOOOOOOLE big group of people in the middle, who aren't particularly attached to either party. And people like Palin and Joe the Plumber scare the fuck out of them.

Mr. Joe The Plumber Goes to Washington.

I also can see him being a rap superstar called "Joe Da plumma". First song will be called "Slappin hoes wit my monkey wrench"

I also can see him being a rap superstar called "Joe Da plumma". First song will be called "Slappin hoes wit my monkey wrench"

And his career would still last longer than Kevin Federline.

Why do we still talk about this guy?

Why do we still talk about this guy?

The press is obsessed with him.

I bring him up because he makes me angry, because to me he epitomizes everything I see wrong with the American voter (hypocrisy, anti-intellectualism, and ignorance of the most disturbing sort), and when things make me angry, well, I talk about them on NSG.:p

Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?
No different than the Dems obsession with the same. Look at Al Franken. Or Patty Murray. Neither has any experience that would "qualify" them as Senators, yet there they are.

Then, there's Crazy Cindy McKinney... Just about the pinnacle of dim-wittedness and woeful incompetence.

I hope he's let in to Gaza...

No different than the Dems obsession with the same. Look at Al Franken. Or Patty Murray. Neither has any experience that would "qualify" them as Senators, yet there they are.

He wasn't talking about being "qualified," he said "incompetent."

And as for dim-witted, Al Franken doesn't fit the bill. Your intense dislike does not make for actual reality.

Then, there's Crazy Cindy McKinney... Just about the pinnacle of dim-wittedness and woeful incompetence.

I think you have demonstrated you are not qualified to render these kinds of judgments.

He wasn't talking about being "qualified," he said "incompetent."

And as for dim-witted, Al Franken doesn't fit the bill. Your intense dislike does not make for actual reality.



I think you have demonstrated you are not qualified to render these kinds of judgments.
I don't find anything funny about Al Franken. His comedy performances lack humor, as much as his radio show lacked direction. He's mean and vindictive -- not quick-witted.

Then, there's Crazy Cindy McKinney... Just about the pinnacle of dim-wittedness and woeful incompetence.

Ah, Fox New's favorite little story, wonder what happened to her.

I don't find anything funny about Al Franken. His comedy performances lack humor, as much as his radio show lacked direction. He's mean and vindictive -- not quick-witted.

And stupid, don't forget stupid. How just over half of the people in his district voted for him. Well I guess I'll just file that in the same category of how did just over half of people vote W in 04.

Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?

That's the target audience. :p

I don't find anything funny about Al Franken. His comedy performances lack humor, as much as his radio show lacked direction. He's mean and vindictive -- not quick-witted.

I dont think that you not finding someone funny makes someone dimwitted.

For example, I dont think anything youve ever said on here, even in jest, Ive found amusing, but you seem bright enough.

Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?

Only the dim-witted will vote for them. For example, at a recent press conference when Bush was asked if he thought America's moral standing was hurt he said, "no, it may have been hurt among some of the Elites, but the people know..." Now, "elite" means "the best of anything." So Bush is unconcerned with the opinions of good or intelligent people because that was never who voted for him.

So naturally that's who most Republican politicians choose to represent. But this means that candidates at republican primaries are chosen strictly by the most enthusiastic of dim-wits, who therefore choose the least competent of politicians.

It's something of an evolutionary cul-de-sac of which I hope we are nearing the terminus. The dumbest of voters picks the worst of politicians who runs on the good will of the dumbest by being even dumber than he used to be. But every year the least dumb of his constituents changes his vote until eventually even the most frothy mouthed mob of imbeciles is not enough to turn the tide against reasonable vote of the sentient, but often sedentary, majority.

Hey, Sam the Plumber's Assistant is a stand-up American, ready to fight for us against the Commie-Russians and the Commie-Chinese. Why, the man is practically a one-man USSR-fighting MACHINE! He'll lower our taxes, plunge our government to free up the clogs, and beat the red menace faster'n you can say "Monkey wrench".

Wait... The USSR is gone? Well shit. No one told the Republicans!

And stupid, don't forget stupid. How just over half of the people in his district voted for him. Well I guess I'll just file that in the same category of how did just over half of people vote W in 04.

In defense of the American electorate, half the people did not vote for Dubya.

Only 55.3% of the population voted at all (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html) in 2004. Of that 55.3% only 51% voted for Dubya.

This means that only 28.2% of the US population voted for him. Sadly, only 27% of Americans voted against him and 44.8% of the population didn't vote at all.

So Americans are far more lazy than they are stupid, and almost as smart.

Hey, Sam the Plumber's Assistant is a stand-up American, ready to fight for us against the Commie-Russians and the Commie-Chinese. Why, the man is practically a one-man USSR-fighting MACHINE! He'll lower our taxes, plunge our government to free up the clogs, and beat the red menace faster'n you can say "Monkey wrench".

Wait... The USSR is gone? Well shit. No one told the Republicans!

Yes they did, but it was some liberal elitist school teacher, and the information was provided in the form of a Presidential Daily Briefing. So they didn't pay any attention.

Yes they did, but it was some liberal elitist school teacher, and the information was provided in the form of a Presidential Daily Briefing. So they didn't pay any attention.

Ah. That would explain things, I suppose. Well... I'm off to hire a church choir to go sing out in front of the GOP's offices to let them know.

If I was in charge of the republicans I would tell them to knock this nonsense off and start planning how they are going to completely lose the 2010 election. This way they'll be the only choice for government in the aftermath of the guillotiney bit that is going to happen sometime over the next four years.

Ah, Fox New's favorite little story, wonder what happened to her.
She did technically represent people in Georgia. So badly, though, that at least one city in her district hired a lobbyist to represent them. So it's more than a little news story to some.

She did move away, finally, after her dad threatened to stick someone on the floor of the Georgia House. I think she ran for Pres on the Green Party ticket last year.

She did technically represent people in Georgia. So badly, though, that at least one city in her district hired a lobbyist to represent them. So it's more than a little news story to some.

You do know that there's actually an industry of people who do this, yes? Intra-governmental lobbying is actually almost as common as industry lobbying.

Not that Cynthia McKinney isn't fucking nuts or anything.

It's hard to tell why people still think democracy is a good idea when it leads to things like this.

Unfortunately, I'd have to argue, despite the fact I am in the same ideological range as our next president, that everything that has been said about the GOP on this thread could be said about the DNC. Think about it, what makes Obama qualified? He was a one term senator from Illinois and one term state legislator in Illinois. While in both legislatures he did not make many waves, except for a few campaign speeches. He did not sponsor much in the way of major legislation. In fact the vast majority of the bills presented to the Illinois legislature, that he was actually present for, he abstained from voting. He had only been in the US Senate for about three years before he decided to run for president. Sure he has an Ivy League degree, but does that make him qualified? Well, our last president had one, but that did not help manners, he's still considered by many on this forum to be incompetent. Needless to say, I was far from impressed this election.

Suppose there's no better way than to get a nice little puppet to dance to your tune.

Sure there is. Say it with me: Jeb Bush.

And his career would still last longer than Kevin Federline.
Are you suggesting his next career move is to marry Britney?
I don't know if I would wish that on even poor ol' Joe.

Sure there is. Say it with me: Jeb Bush.
No! No I won't! You can't make me!!

Sure there is. Say it with me: Jeb Bush.

Gah! Ok for your punishement I want you to write on the chalk board 100 times:

I will not say dirty things!

No! No I won't! You can't make me!!

Gah! Ok for your punishement I want you to write on the chalk board 100 times:

I will not say dirty things!

Okay, okay, I apologize. Still....

And his career would still last longer than Kevin Federline.
Who?
The former Mr. Britney Spears, you mean?

Think about it, what makes Obama qualified?

*sigh*

-BA from Columbia University
-Harvard Law Grad with Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude
-Civil Rights Attory
-President of the Harvard Law Review
-Professor at University of Chicago's Law School


Just to scratch the surface. What is Joe the Plumber? A sort of plumber. One does not need political experiance to have experiance beneficial to the job. All of the above shows intellegence and an understand of the system we live in.

Joe has shown...neither.

Unfortunately, I'd have to argue, despite the fact I am in the same ideological range as our next president, that everything that has been said about the GOP on this thread could be said about the DNC. Think about it, what makes Obama qualified? He was a one term senator from Illinois and one term state legislator in Illinois. While in both legislatures he did not make many waves, except for a few campaign speeches. He did not sponsor much in the way of major legislation. In fact the vast majority of the bills presented to the Illinois legislature, that he was actually present for, he abstained from voting. He had only been in the US Senate for about three years before he decided to run for president. Sure he has an Ivy League degree, but does that make him qualified? Well, our last president had one, but that did not help manners, he's still considered by many on this forum to be incompetent. Needless to say, I was far from impressed this election.

COnsidering the kind of campaign Obama ran, and the kind of challengers he not only defeated but trounced, I would call that a qualification. Maybe not the most important one, but what was Joe's biggest challenge to date? Showing up on the right day?

Maybe not the most important one, but what was Joe's biggest challenge to date? Showing up on the right day?

and he fucked that one up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2cf0KXLl-E)

and he fucked that one up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2cf0KXLl-E)

Well, he's a plumber. ;)

As I implied, it was voting between the lesser of multiple evils for me. How Obama won, I am not quite sure, but I think what helped was a consistent, however vague, message. Once elected, typical politician, he completely changed. Unfortunately for him, and the DNC, I don't think he will succeed a second time around... he let everyone's hopes up. What would have helped him would have been a balance between rhetoric and policy in his speeches. I am impressed at his speaking ability and I know that he has some intelligence, but beyond that, after hearing the other candidates, he seems mediocre to the extreme, which is not what we need. It took a bold, decisive, albeit easily manipulated, leader to get us where we are now, and it will take someone just as bold and decisive to lead us out of this mess. Also, I agree that this plumber guy isn't meant for governmental office, and I do not need to be reminded of Obama's background. I know the man is qualified under the constitution, and has a background needed to do well in politics in America, but there were several others like Obama, he did not stand out that much to me.

Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?
Recent?
I'd say, inevitability.

It's like I said all along...


Joe the Plumber/ Sarah Palin 2012

If Joe wins a GOP primary, it will be a good indicator that the party has learned nothing from the 2008 Palin-related ass-kicking, and is on its way to permanent fringe status. I'd be more concerned that a country with no viable political opposition is probably heading towards civil war, if this house of clowns wasn't so pathetically laughable.

(Just joking; I am concerned).

It's like I said all along...


Joe the Plumber/ Sarah Palin 2012Oh i hope so. What a winning, obvious ticket.

Oh i hope so. What a winning, obvious ticket.

What a glorious day it will be when stupidity finally reigns supreme in america.

What a glorious day it will be when stupidity finally reigns supreme in america.
You mean, obviously, as i'd intimated?
The rest of the world already has the vote record of 2000 and 2004 to put that into perspective, sadly (as well as a litany of other right-wing embarrassments)

You mean, obviously, as i'd intimated?
The rest of the world already has the vote record of 2000 and 2004 to put that into perspective, sadly (as well as a litany of other right-wing embarrassments)

It is bound to happen. I honestly felt Barack Obama was going to lose, and not because I support McCain, nor am I republican. I just really lost faith in the american people to make a good choice. When he originally won, I thought he must have cheated, there is no way we can have a competent man in the White House. I just got used to the whole "chimp in a suit" idea that the Bush regime had been throwing at me for a while now.

I just really lost faith in the american people to make a good choice.This, here.
When he originally &$*, I thought he must have cheated, there is no way we can have a competent man in the White House. I just got used to the whole "chimp in a suit" idea that the Bush regime had been throwing at me for a while now.Well, on that point, i wonder if Katherine Harris is ever gonna 'fess up, be it under pain of torture or torture of sparse conscience (too much flesh in the way of a clean conscience there).

Well, on that point, i wonder if Katherine Harris is ever gonna 'fess up, be it under pain of torture or torture of sparse conscience (too much flesh in the way of a clean conscience there).

Probably not, but we could get lucky.

Probably not, but we could get lucky.Last refuge of the scoundrel?
No wait ... that's not how it normally goes. D'rat, i'm no good at luck, or it certainly doesn't care much for me.

Seriously, what is with the Republican Party's recent obsession with the dim witted and woefully incompetent?

To be fair now:


Self-identified Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats to have 4-year college degrees
....
Regarding graduate-level degrees (masters or doctorate), there is a rough parity between Democrats and Republicans.
...
Fried provides a slightly more detailed analysis, noting that Republican men are more likely than Democratic men to have advanced degrees, but Democratic women are now more likely than Republican women to have advanced degrees.


Altho this may change:

"The Democrats do better among younger Americans and Republicans among older Americans."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)

Mr. Joe The Plumber Goes to Washington.

We'll retaliate with the REAL Plumber King!
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Mario, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_xQ-ns5whw
Mario is the 2nd person alive that has beaten Bowser Koopa, Martha Stewart, Tom Cruise and Walt Disney (not to mention Michael Jackson) simaltanusly. The other being Chuck Norris.

You mean, obviously, as i'd intimated?
The rest of the world already has the vote record of 2000 and 2004 to put that into perspective, sadly (as well as a litany of other right-wing embarrassments)

The Brevious, I agree we have 2000 (constitutionality is questionable, at best), 2004 (mixed: America generally does not change presidents during wartime, and there were some instances in Ohio that were suspect, but Kerry did not want to push the issue- it would not have affected things too much as far as he knew), and 2008 (for reasons I have already explained, that I would rather not get into again). Now this "Joe the Plumber", oy vey, I believe in democracy...but he is probably one of the least qualified candidates for public office. The corporate media has made a three ring circus of the solemn duty of governance, an utter mockery that discourages and disgusts the public from exercising the civic rights, nay civic duties to society. This country has gravely lost its way. The federalists warned that by giving the common people voting rights that the people would need to be instructed in virtue. They considered this to be a great injustice, for they believed it could take away the liberty of the individual. Now I agree that people need to be instructed in virtue- see also why we have public schools. I could go into this more, if anyone is curious, but I have other things that need doing.