Is the GOP the "Stupid Party"?

    Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal just tossed some kerosene on the smoldering GOP debate over where the party has gone wrong in recent years, and in the 2012 election in particular.  Much of what he said is a reprise of an interview he gave Politico shortly after the November 2012 election.  His reference to Republicans' "offensive and bizarre comments" are widely believed to refer to abortion- and rape-related remarks by Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, also widely believed to have cost both men their respective  elections.

    But what other "offensive and bizarre comments" have Republicans made?  Perhaps Mitt Romney's 47% speech? OK, and then there is pretty much anything Donald Trump said. But let's look at what came out of the other camp:

• If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. (WaPo)
• “I don’t think that we can make judgments based on peoples’ spirit,” Obama said. … “Maybe you’re better off not having the surgery, but taking painkillers.“ (HotAir)
• "[Unemployment benefits] creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name." (FoxNews)
• “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.” (Breitbart)
• “We have to pass [ObamaCare] so you can find out what is in it.” (Heritage)
• "I would tell members of my family -- and I have -- I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not that it's going to Mexico in a confined aircraft where one person sneezes, that goes all the way through the aircraft." [re: swine flu] (ABCNews)
• "...as Democrats voted to amend their party's platform to include the word "God" and name Jerusalem as the capital of Israel... When Villaraigosa announced "the ays have it," loud boos erupted across the arena." (ABCNews)
• "We cannot be, we must not be, the party that simply protects the rich so they get to keep their toys." (BusinessWeek)

    Just kidding on that last one.  That wasn't a Democrat.  It was... Bobby Jindal.

    The point is that Republicans do not have a corner on silly, offensive statements.  The difference is that Democrats generally stand behind their gaffes and those who commit them, aided by much of the media.  Republicans generally act like Joe Biden when someone sneezes during swine flu season and drop the offenders into political quarantine. Should we defend nonsense? No. Should we abandon those who saying something dumb? No.

    One more quote:

• "The chances of President Obama's reelection are so remote as to be virtually non-existent." (SWA)

    That was me, last January. We all have our bad days and dumb remarks. Sometimes you just have to wear the "I'm With Stupid" shirt, and sometime you have to walk next to the guy who's wearing it.