Stupidity of an Unbelievable Magnitude

There is a strange phenomenon in American politics whereby something is true just because one said it, even if what says is observably false. We often miss it, and tend to notice it when the tacit standard spectacularly fails.

For instance, here’s a statement from a politician, as reported by Ed Mazza of Huffington Post:

“I just wanted to know what oath (the military) took,” Dunnegan told St. Louis Public Radio in a telephone interview. “I’m not calling the president a domestic enemy. I’m not calling the president anything. He is the president. Do I agree with what the president is doing? Absolutely not. Anybody that asks me, I’ll be happy to tell you that.”

In the first place, what, is this a helluva scandal, or just some petty back and forth? And in truth, flip a coin. Heads, it’s scandalous. Tails, it’s just another Republican in Missouri.

Debbie Dunnegan Waters the Jefferson County Recorder, also tweeted, “The rest choose to hate me w/o cause. Judge me on half truth and spins.”

So, we’re all up to date? She’s not calling the president a domestic enemy. People are hating on her without cause, and judging her according to half-truths and spins.

Yeah. You know there’s a punch line, right?

The statement in question:

I have a question for all my friends who have served or are currently serving in our military … having not put on a uniform nor taken any type military oath, there has to be something that I am just not aware of. But I cannot and do not understand why no action is being taken against our domestic enemy. I know he is supposedly the commander in chief, but the constitution gives you the authority. What am I missing? Thank you for your bravery and may God keep you safe.

(Boldface accent added)

Yes, really.

This is one of those times when a politician is supposed to claim the account was hacked. And, sure, it might be a lie to say so, but ….

• “But I cannot and do not understand why no action is being taken against our domestic enemy. I know he is supposedly the commander in chief, but the constitution gives you the authority.”

• I’m not calling the president a domestic enemy. I’m not calling the president anything.

Let us spell this out slowly, then, for Ms. Dunnegan Waters’ sake: If you ask why no action is being taken against “our domestic enemy”, and then say, “I know he is supposedly the commander in chief”, then you are lying if you turn around and say, “I’m not calling the president a domestic enemy”.

So Debbie Dunnegan Waters is a liar. So what? After all, she’s a Republican officeholder from Missouri, which pretty much amounts to the same thing. No news, or, what killed the dog.

The idea of an elected official calling for an American coup is pretty strange. The idea of a politician lying about calling for an American coup is … er … well, it’s strange because it involves calling for a coup. Other than that? Well, okay, that’s the really spectacular part, the incredible magnitude of stupidity invested in the lie. That is, it’s not even an effective lie. After all, generally speaking effective lies are not so easily disproved as simply looking at the words in question.

And therein lies the problem. Calling for a coup is incredibly stupid in the first place. But trying to say that one did not say what one said while everyone else is looking at the the words that say what one said? No, really, just how stupid is Ms. Dunnegan Waters?

And is her stupidity of the sort that she still can’t comprehend her mistake? Or is it that stupidity of confidence that, hey, she’s a politician, and she says so, so everybody has to believe her despite the unmistakable evidence to the contrary?

Debbie Dunnegan Waters has demonstrated herself transcendentally stupid. This really does seem an extraordinary degree of stupidity.

And there are only so many Missouri jokes we can make. Debbie Dunnegan Waters really is a new standard of stupidity unto herself. Maybe this is what sells in Jefferson County, Missouri. We’ll find out soon enough.

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Mazza, Ed. “Debbie Dunnegan Waters, Missouri Official, Wonders Why Military Can’t Launch Coup Against President Obama”. The Huffington Post. 14 October 2014.

Dunnegan Waters, Debbie. “The rest choose to hate me w/o cause”. Twitter. 10 October 2014.