"The 5 Biggest Scoundrels in American History are..." Topic

You were asked – TMP link

Who Are the Biggest Scoundrels in American History?

And in the final round:

14% of the votes: "L Ron Hubbard"
12% of the votes: "Benedict Arnold"
12% of the votes: "Joseph McCarthy"
10% of the votes: "Charles Ponzi"
10% of the votes: "J. Edgar Hoover"

Yeah, RIGHT!

NEXT…

Where's Aaron Burr???
James Wilkinson???

Somebody, naming no names, got paid off.

I got some relatives that should have made the list

As a Brit, I must take issue with Benedict Arnold being on the list, to us he is a patriot of the crown

Arnold was NOT considered a patriot of the crown at the time. Even the British viewed him with distaste.

Redcurrent, if he's such a patriot, how come you all let him die in poverty and obscurity? You didn't treat him any better than a traitor yourselves!

And I have to second Aaron Burr – a complete scoundrel if ever there was one.

Where's Al Gore's name? He's been perpetrating that climate change hoax now for over 30 years, he's made millions, so he can buy new jets and SUVs for his caravan. L. Ron Hubbard just took an old Sci-Fi series and made a religion out of it BFD!
Also, I somewhat agree with Redcurrant, and I am a true red, white, and blue American. Benedict Arnold was the best American general in the Revolution and an American hero. There are several others I can think of who started out heros only to end up zeros, and much much more contemporary.

This took longer then I thought for modern politics to make its way in.

Naaaah.
Al Gore slides past the "10 year rule", if it still exists. Too many polls with contradictory results.
I THINK we just had a poll result that would have made attacking Crassus a TMP felony, and ditto Aaron Burr for that matter.
I can't be sure any more.

Al hasn't been relevant in politics for more than 10 years, if that criterion still applies. If you want to accuse him as a Science Fraud, that's not politics.

WS, Horse pucky. Gore is still active today and a relevant voice in today's politics, even his grandstand issue is primarily climate change. The ten year loophole doesn' apply. Even von Schwartz uses the word "now" in reference to him. It is a pretty clear violation to me.

Being an activist is not the same as being a politician. Gore is inactive as a politician, as he does not hold public office and is not running for office.

Maybe not but naming the true scoundrels in the climate debate would involve current politicians. And if client science is not modern politics then nothing is.

Foul. I guess then Wayne La Pierre, Ann coulter, Hannity, Alex Jones and Rush Limbaugh are fair game too. They are the greatest living scoundrels. Bah! The loophole you just created would be big enough to drive a Russian tank army through!

And if client science is not modern politics then nothing is.

Our membership has previously voted to allow discussion of global warming/climate science.

The loophole you just created would be big enough to drive a Russian tank army through!

I would rule that Coulter, Hannity, etc., were political commentators.

If you want the rule changed, start a poll suggestion.

Shaving hairs there, Bill.

I'll add the Koch bros. if Gore is to be fair game.

Fine. Add them to your own list, but the poll is over.
Start a new Poll Suggestion if you want a do-over.

I never give any credence to the poll silliness, so why would I bother to start one, but when someone else starts a right wing rant such as Von Schwartz did, it invites a rebuttal.

It's dubious to me to allow current political figures even if their activity began more than 10 years ago. For example, besides Al Gore and the hard-right commentators mentioned, this would allow nominating the current US president.

If we're talking about specific incidents that occurred more than 10 years ago regardless of whether the figure is still in contemporary politics, I don't agree but I guess possibly that fits. This would allow nominating say, Ted Kennedy due to Chappaquidick (1969), or Al Gore due to "An Inconvenient Truth" (2006) but not Hilary Clinton due to Benghazi (2012) or Donald Trump for promoting the Barack Obama "birther" conspiracy (2010).

I never give any credence to the poll silliness…

And yet you are ranting over results of a poll. Curious.

No, I am not, I am chastising a rant— that was the one who did not like the poll omission.

I would think you would see the difference, but I suspect that you would rather not. Pearls wasted.

I'm not even going there anymore having just gotten out of the "Dawghouse" for a political opinion a couple weeks ago. I'm walking away from the prison gates with $20 USD in my pocket from the warden and I plan to go straight!

No one even noticed my little pearl of wisdom regarding Benedict Arnold.

Awf, your rant seems far more emotional and angry than the rant you were attempting to chastise.

Take a deep breath.

Shaving hairs there, Bill.

That's why I get paid the big bucks. Don't try this at home…