Strom Thurmond collapses in Senate.
October 2, 2001 8:17 AM Subscribe
yeah, I can't wish him ill, but geezus the man must be farting dust by now.
I plan on being dust at that age, screw working! Especially in that snake pit known as the US Congress.
posted by themikeb at 8:31 AM on October 2, 2001
I plan on being dust at that age, screw working! Especially in that snake pit known as the US Congress.
posted by themikeb at 8:31 AM on October 2, 2001
According to the Washington Post Thurmond "appear[ed] to recover" shortly after his collapse and has regained consciousness
posted by terrapin at 8:42 AM on October 2, 2001
posted by terrapin at 8:42 AM on October 2, 2001
yeah, i read that terrapin. i just hope that it isn't a sign of something worse. i know he's 98, but whenever someone randomly collapses it's never a good sign. i think farting dust might be a cool thing, though. like a superpower. would give a new meaning to leaving your enemies in the dust.
posted by mich9139 at 8:49 AM on October 2, 2001
posted by mich9139 at 8:49 AM on October 2, 2001
And, not only that, Swissair has gone bust!
Is this the end of the world as we know it?
(Excuse tangent, terrapin. BTW, does anyone know of a good link to Thurmond's less than commendable past?)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:59 AM on October 2, 2001
Is this the end of the world as we know it?
(Excuse tangent, terrapin. BTW, does anyone know of a good link to Thurmond's less than commendable past?)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:59 AM on October 2, 2001
Do a google search for "Evil Bigoted Scumbag". I'm sure he's in there somewhere.
posted by Optamystic at 9:02 AM on October 2, 2001
posted by Optamystic at 9:02 AM on October 2, 2001
BTW, does anyone know of a good link to Thurmond's less than commendable past?
Good point! Somebody must. Anybody? Can someone look?
posted by luser at 9:15 AM on October 2, 2001
Good point! Somebody must. Anybody? Can someone look?
posted by luser at 9:15 AM on October 2, 2001
As much as I differ with him politically, I hope he is OK!
posted by Lanternjmk at 9:43 AM on October 2, 2001
posted by Lanternjmk at 9:43 AM on October 2, 2001
I hope he still has time to change his mind.
*hides from the MeFi police*
posted by thewittyname at 9:45 AM on October 2, 2001
*hides from the MeFi police*
posted by thewittyname at 9:45 AM on October 2, 2001
Worse, mmmkay? And that other difficult-to-spell, equally unmentionable guy...
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:49 AM on October 2, 2001
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:49 AM on October 2, 2001
I can't wish the guy ill, but isn't anyone bothered by the fact this animated corpse is still in the Senate? Do the voters in North Carolina have any shame at all? He's a shuffling, half-dead meat puppet animated by his aides. This is literally true -- they stand at his side and whisper his responses into his ear. I think all the aw-shucks-ing over his work ethic hides a pathetic truth about the abuse of not only a senile old man but a position of public office.
posted by nance at 10:16 AM on October 2, 2001 [1 favorite]
posted by nance at 10:16 AM on October 2, 2001 [1 favorite]
South Carolina, nance. Bunch of rednecks. Not like us in North Carolina, where we elect only fine, upstanding, liberal Senators.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:30 AM on October 2, 2001
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:30 AM on October 2, 2001
No, the voters in North Carolina have no shame. They continue to elect Jesse Helms. It's the shameless voters in South Carolina who have continued to elect Strom Thurmond.
posted by jdbanks at 10:32 AM on October 2, 2001
posted by jdbanks at 10:32 AM on October 2, 2001
It's South Carolina by the way, and no most of the voters there have no shame. So long as it isn't one of those gay-lovin', tree-huggin' liberals they don't care. I spent 23 years there and could wait to get out.
posted by auzten at 10:34 AM on October 2, 2001
posted by auzten at 10:34 AM on October 2, 2001
South Carolina. (*Sigh*) Our state motto: "It's not the heat; it's the stupidity."
posted by alumshubby at 10:41 AM on October 2, 2001 [1 favorite]
posted by alumshubby at 10:41 AM on October 2, 2001 [1 favorite]
I know it's a typo, auzten, but I adore "I could wait to get out" as a way of saying you really love a place.
E.g.: That weekend I spent at the Bushmill's Distillery as a special guest of the owners? I could wait to get out, I tell ya!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:58 AM on October 2, 2001
E.g.: That weekend I spent at the Bushmill's Distillery as a special guest of the owners? I could wait to get out, I tell ya!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:58 AM on October 2, 2001
...good for him working till 98...
If he were a spry and, more to the point, competent 98, then yeah, maybe. But he's not, and he should have stepped down years ago. It's one thing not to be pushed out just because you're old. It's quite another not to realize when you really are too old to do your job effectively.
You've got to wonder about the poor saps who've run against him in recent years and lost.
posted by UnReality at 11:26 AM on October 2, 2001
If he were a spry and, more to the point, competent 98, then yeah, maybe. But he's not, and he should have stepped down years ago. It's one thing not to be pushed out just because you're old. It's quite another not to realize when you really are too old to do your job effectively.
You've got to wonder about the poor saps who've run against him in recent years and lost.
posted by UnReality at 11:26 AM on October 2, 2001
I'm not normally an advocate of saying politicians should be dead -- but honestly! Strom Thurmound should be dead! Nonogenarians (notice we say octogenarians, but never septa- or nona-?) are usually being cared for by trained nurses, not making decisions that affect people's lives. Oh, and plus he's a bigot.
I also read somewhere that his father fought in the Civil War -- for the south! Ok, so the math doesn't add up, but here are some other fun Strom Facts:
He was 17 when women were granted the right to vote
He was 24 when the first movie featuring spoken dialogue (The Jazz Singer) was released
He won an election 18 years before Bill Clinton or G. W. Bush were born
No wonder Europe gives us no respect!
Check out the above link -- it has a clock displaying how many seconds Strom has been alive (three billion plus and counting), as well as how many days it has been since his last hospital stay (as of right now, 0.6) and how many days he has left in his term (486. 486??)
posted by tweebiscuit at 11:42 AM on October 2, 2001
I also read somewhere that his father fought in the Civil War -- for the south! Ok, so the math doesn't add up, but here are some other fun Strom Facts:
He was 17 when women were granted the right to vote
He was 24 when the first movie featuring spoken dialogue (The Jazz Singer) was released
He won an election 18 years before Bill Clinton or G. W. Bush were born
No wonder Europe gives us no respect!
Check out the above link -- it has a clock displaying how many seconds Strom has been alive (three billion plus and counting), as well as how many days it has been since his last hospital stay (as of right now, 0.6) and how many days he has left in his term (486. 486??)
posted by tweebiscuit at 11:42 AM on October 2, 2001
You've got to wonder about the poor saps who've run against him in recent years and lost.
I checked. They were all much too young and far too left-wing.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 12:16 PM on October 2, 2001
I checked. They were all much too young and far too left-wing.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 12:16 PM on October 2, 2001
Folks ... could we please not South-bash?? I'm from South Carolina and while I'm not proud of Strom (I have never voted for him) I don't think this is the proper place for offensive gross generalizations. Thanks!
posted by Johannahh at 12:53 PM on October 2, 2001
posted by Johannahh at 12:53 PM on October 2, 2001
Get use to it Johannahh. We're still free game (one of the last). Now if you'll excuse me, I left my tractor running.
posted by justgary at 1:08 PM on October 2, 2001
posted by justgary at 1:08 PM on October 2, 2001
Excuse me, but I'm not sure that the current state of national emergency has got to make us blind to political differences: during wartime it's cool to support the president even if you're not one of his biggest fans. But Senator Thurmond is a pretty embarrassing presence in Washington: his background is, well, actually segregationist, not conservative -- quite different I'd say.
And the fact that he hasn't resigned despite his extremely frail health (the man is a tiny bit senile, even sympathethic colleagues admit that) is an example of a politcal party unwilling to lose a key seat in the Senate, not a profile in courage or dedication to public service.
posted by matteo at 1:20 PM on October 2, 2001
And the fact that he hasn't resigned despite his extremely frail health (the man is a tiny bit senile, even sympathethic colleagues admit that) is an example of a politcal party unwilling to lose a key seat in the Senate, not a profile in courage or dedication to public service.
posted by matteo at 1:20 PM on October 2, 2001
Folks ... could we please not South-bash?? I'm from South Carolina and while I'm not proud of Strom (I have never voted for him) I don't think this is the proper place for offensive gross generalizations. Thanks!
Sure it's gross, but how is it a generalization when a majority of voters in your fine state decide that a racist, segregationist ex-Dixiecrat is the best choice for senator, regardless of his age? It's not like he's pulled a coup or anything; he's in the senate because the people of your state voted him there (8 times at last count).
posted by boaz at 1:24 PM on October 2, 2001
Sure it's gross, but how is it a generalization when a majority of voters in your fine state decide that a racist, segregationist ex-Dixiecrat is the best choice for senator, regardless of his age? It's not like he's pulled a coup or anything; he's in the senate because the people of your state voted him there (8 times at last count).
posted by boaz at 1:24 PM on October 2, 2001
he's in the senate because the people of your state voted him there (8 times at last count)
The wonder of democracy: undeniable arguments based on people's actual choices.
Why in the hell did you keep voting for him? A mystery to the world, if ever there was one.
Was it a stubborn sort of pity or what?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 1:34 PM on October 2, 2001
The wonder of democracy: undeniable arguments based on people's actual choices.
Why in the hell did you keep voting for him? A mystery to the world, if ever there was one.
Was it a stubborn sort of pity or what?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 1:34 PM on October 2, 2001
What % of S. Carolinians even vote?
A good chart showing voter turnout can be found here. The summary for SC: 46th in registration %, 36th in turnout %.
I'm sure Strom's connections, budget, etc dwarf any other Republican contender's resources
True, but his political baggage dwarfs any contender's too.
posted by boaz at 2:30 PM on October 2, 2001
A good chart showing voter turnout can be found here. The summary for SC: 46th in registration %, 36th in turnout %.
I'm sure Strom's connections, budget, etc dwarf any other Republican contender's resources
True, but his political baggage dwarfs any contender's too.
posted by boaz at 2:30 PM on October 2, 2001
does anyone know of a good link to Thurmond's less than commendable past?
links have all been removed out of sensitivity in the wake of the horrendous attack and subsequent collapse of Senator Strom Thumond.
posted by quonsar at 5:09 PM on October 2, 2001
links have all been removed out of sensitivity in the wake of the horrendous attack and subsequent collapse of Senator Strom Thumond.
posted by quonsar at 5:09 PM on October 2, 2001
Strom is a Republican placeholder in the US Senate. The South Carolina governor is a Democrat and would likely replace a fully dead Thurmond with a living Democrat, so Republicans take good care of the old bastard. He doesn't have to think. He doesn't even have to stand. Nervous Republicans check his pulse, wipe his bum, and tell him how to vote.
posted by pracowity at 11:28 PM on October 2, 2001
posted by pracowity at 11:28 PM on October 2, 2001
much like Rehnquist, Thurmond has been dead for a couple of decades. they just prop him up in his seat most of the time, and when he actually has to do something, they have these very thin yet strong wires to animate him, like a marionette. the biggest question is who's the puppetmaster?
posted by tolkhan at 7:30 AM on October 3, 2001
posted by tolkhan at 7:30 AM on October 3, 2001
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posted by mich9139 at 8:28 AM on October 2, 2001