Thread: My head hurts.

Originally Posted by MistressNomad

*headdesk*

We need to have 3 mandatory requirements for politicians.

1. A working knowledge of... anything.

2. An upper age limit.

3. A test for senility.

For serious.

I am all for some sort of requirement for politicians, since we cant count on majorities to be correct in their assessment, just because they are a majority. Who woulda thunk a democracy, was insufficient for ruling a nation.

Your number one makes sense, but arent #2 and #3, just other versions of an age fallacy argument I have heard you mention as wrong. Isnt it the same to think they are idiots just because they are older as it is to think they are idiots just because they are younger? Couldnt we just as easily say all democrats are idiots because of the D after his name? A persons actions are what makes them an idiot or not, and them alone, not them and everyone else that can fit under some label.

This guy is an idiot though, if it turns out to not be a joke.

Originally Posted by Jasongreat

I am all for some sort of requirement for politicians, since we cant count on majorities to be correct in their assessment, just because they are a majority. Who woulda thunk a democracy, was insufficient for ruling a nation.

Your number one makes sense, but arent #2 and #3, just other versions of an age fallacy argument I have heard you mention as wrong. Isnt it the same to think they are idiots just because they are older as it is to think they are idiots just because they are younger? Couldnt we just as easily say all democrats are idiots because of the D after his name? A persons actions are what makes them an idiot or not, and them alone, not them and everyone else that can fit under some label.

This guy is an idiot though, if it turns out to not be a joke.

Hey man, not EVERYTHING I say is serious.

I would actually probably vote down any of those 3 things if they came to a vote.

I sure wish I had a politician like him: everyone needs someone they can point at and snicker.

Perhaps he was speaking allegorically? When he said "tip over", perhaps he was referring to revolution. Perhaps he is actually a political genius with the foresight of Nostradamus?

Perhaps, perhaps, .....perhaps.

James.

You guys do realize that his party actually must approve of his candidacy before he can participate in their primary elections or appear on the general ballot as their parties representative for election in his district. If the party doesn't approve of him he would have had to run as an independent.


"Henry C. "Hank" Johnson Jr. (born October 2, 1954) is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Georgia's Fourth Congressional District. The district is based in DeKalb County, a largely suburban county east of Atlanta. It also includes portions of Gwinnett and Rockdale counties.[1] A Democrat, Johnson was elected to the U.S. House in the November 7, 2006 general election. Johnson is—along with Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, also elected to Congress in 2006—one of the first two Buddhists in American history to serve in the United States Congress.[2] Johnson is a member of the House Democratic leadership, elected by the Democratic caucus to serve as whip for Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.[3] Johnson serves on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees."

By the way he grew up in Washington DC.

Here's the really sad part:

"The 4th is one of the most Democratic districts in the South, and among Georgia districts, only the neighboring 5th is considered more Democratic. It is so heavily Democratic that Johnson's primary victory all but assured him of becoming the district's third congressman (it was created as the 11th in 1993 and renumbered the 4th in 1997). In November, he trounced the Republican candidate, Catherine Davis, with 76% of the vote — one of the largest percentages for a Democrat in a contested election, and the largest in the history of the district. He was unopposed for reelection in 2008; given the 4th's heavy Democratic tilt it is not likely he will face serious Republican opposition in the foreseeable future."

In other words he likely has the job for life.

"In the runoff of August 8, 2006, although there were about 8,000 more voters, McKinney got about the same number of votes as in the July primary. Johnson won with 41,178 votes (59%); McKinney got 28,832 (41%)."

Originally Posted by Wildtim

In other words he likely has the job for life.

In other words, picking out only quotes that support your speculation is dangerous, when so many others have internet access.

Originally Posted by Wildtim

"Henry C. "Hank" Johnson Jr. (born October 2, 1954) is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Georgia's Fourth Congressional District. The district is based in DeKalb County, a largely suburban county east of Atlanta. It also includes portions of Gwinnett and Rockdale counties.[1] A Democrat, Johnson was elected to the U.S. House in the November 7, 2006 general election. Johnson is—along with Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, also elected to Congress in 2006—one of the first two Buddhists in American history to serve in the United States Congress.[2] Johnson is a member of the House Democratic leadership, elected by the Democratic caucus to serve as whip for Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.[3] Johnson serves on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees."

So you quote all that stuff from Wikipedia but miss this:

During a House Armed Services Committee hearing in March 2010 concerning the U.S. military installation on the island of Guam, Johnson said to Admiral Robert F. Willard, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." to which Admiral Willard replied, "We don't anticipate that."[20][21] Johnson later claimed that it was a facetious metaphor.[22] The video of Johnson's comments have since become an internet sensation.[23]

The citations lead to this quote from him:

“I wasn’t suggesting that the island of Guam would literally tip over,” said Johnson. “I was using a metaphor to say that with the addition of 8,000 Marines and their dependents – an additional 80,000 people during peak construction to the port on the tiny island with a population of 180,000 – could be a tipping point which would adversely affect the island’s fragile ecosystem and over burden its already overstressed infrastructure.

“Having traveled to Guam last year, I saw firsthand how this beautiful – but vulnerable island – is already overburdened, and I was simply voicing my concerns that the addition of that many people could tip the delicate balance and do harm to Guam.”

And he's been living with hepatitis for a decade.

wow........ just a heads up. to keep the island from tiping over they sent some of the marines here to korea to keep it from seperating at the 38th and drifting out to sea and falling off the end of the earth

Originally Posted by commiecat

So you quote all that stuff from Wikipedia but miss this:

During a House Armed Services Committee hearing in March 2010 concerning the U.S. military installation on the island of Guam, Johnson said to Admiral Robert F. Willard, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." to which Admiral Willard replied, "We don't anticipate that."[20][21] Johnson later claimed that it was a facetious metaphor.[22] The video of Johnson's comments have since become an internet sensation.[23]

The citations lead to this quote from him:

And he's been living with hepatitis for a decade.

I caught that part, after hearing him I just don't believe it. He sure didn't sound like a guy using a metaphor to make a point.

What does his herpes have to do with anything?

Originally Posted by gugi

"In the runoff of August 8, 2006, although there were about 8,000 more voters, McKinney got about the same number of votes as in the July primary. Johnson won with 41,178 votes (59%); McKinney got 28,832 (41%)."


In other words, picking out only quotes that support your speculation is dangerous, when so many others have internet access.

How does that refute anything I said. It was the primary, where he will now be the incumbent. Judging by the response of our fairly educated liberal members here at SRP who are more than willing to believe he was making some sort of joke I bet the largely uneducated people of his district will just keep pulling the level for the guy they know for a long long time no matter the damage he does to the country or the future of civil rights.