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Dilbert Endorses Mitt Romney

Oct. 18, 2012 11:00pm Becket Adams

In a somewhat ironic turn of events, humorist and cartoonist Scott Adams, the creator of the wildly popular “Dilbert” comic strip, on Wednesday endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

However, it’s not your typical political endorsement. Adams openly states that he doesn’t “agree with Romney’s positions on most topics,” but argues that Americans “need to set a minimum standard for presidential behavior.”

But what does he mean by that? Let Adams explain [otherwise he’ll get mad at us]:

Let’s say a CEO does a great job for stockholders; he increases profits five-fold, treats the employees well, and causes the stock price to skyrocket. He’s a superstar. One day the public learns that the CEO killed a guy to get ahead in his career, but the CEO doesn’t get convicted because his clever attorney gets him off on a technicality. Assume in this hypothetical situation that the public correctly believes the CEO killed a guy to advance his career. Should the board of directors allow the superstar CEO to keep his job? Or is killing a guy to advance your career always a firing offense?

Okay, keep your answer in mind.

The next question is for supporters of President Obama. Let’s say your political views map closely to the President’s positions. He’s your guy. But suppose you found out he once killed an American citizen in the United States to help his reelection. And assume, as with the CEO example, that the facts of the killing are undisputed and the President found a legal means to avoid prosecution. In that hypothetical case, would you still vote for President Obama? Or would you say it is a firing offense for a President to kill a citizen to advance his career?

I predict that every one of you favored firing the hypothetical CEO for killing a guy to get ahead. My second prediction is that every Republican reader of this blog favored firing President Obama in the hypothetical and imaginary case of him murdering a citizen to get elected. My third prediction is that supporters of President Obama will quibble with the hypothetical example, or my comparison to the CEO, or say President Obama is still a better option than Romney. In other words, for most supporters of President Obama, I don’t think there is such a thing as a “firing offense.”

Indeed, for some of the president’s most ardent celebrity supporters, is there such a thing as a “firing offenses”?

For the record, President Obama did not technically kill anyone to get elected. That was just a hypothetical example. But he is putting an American citizen in jail for 10 years to life for operating medical marijuana dispensaries in California where it is legal under state law. And I assume the President – who has a well-documented history of extensive marijuana use in his youth – is clamping down on California dispensaries for political reasons, i.e. to get reelected. What other reason could there be?

One could argue that the President is just doing his job and enforcing existing Federal laws. That’s the opposite of what he said he would do before he was elected, but lying is obviously not a firing offense for politicians.

Personally, I’d prefer death to spending the final decades of my life in prison. So while President Obama didn’t technically kill a citizen, he is certainly ruining this fellow’s life, and his family’s lives, and the lives of countless other minor drug offenders. And he is doing it to advance his career. If that’s not a firing offense, what the hell is?

Romney is likely to continue the same drug policies as the Obama administration. But he’s enough of a chameleon and a pragmatist that one can’t be sure. And I’m fairly certain he’d want a second term. He might find it “economical” to use federal resources in other ways than attacking California voters. And he is vocal about promoting states’ rights, so he’s got political cover for ignoring dispensaries in states where medical marijuana is legal.

So while I don’t agree with Romney’s positions on most topics, I’m endorsing him for president starting today. I think we need to set a minimum standard for presidential behavior, and jailing American citizens for political gain simply has to be a firing offense no matter how awesome you might be in other ways.

That pretty even-handed (even if you don’t agree with it), but why refer to Adams’ endorsement as “somewhat ironic”?

Well, think about it: The creator of a comic strip dedicated exclusively to lampooning the world of business has offered his support for a candidate whose strongest case for election is, well, his experiences on the world of business.

Come on, that’s at least a little ironic.

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Comments (51)

Klingon00
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:36am
Mr. Addams, Obama DID assassinate an American citizen, without trial in direct violation of the constitution. This was done because of a man’s speech in support for Al Qaeda, not because of any direct action against the US. His name is Anwar al-Awlaki. An American citizen, assassinated with a military drone missile under orders from Obama. Obama claims the same power on US soil as well.

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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 4:09pm
  Oblameus has more blood on his hands than any president before him and I am not talking soldiers. Ambassador, embassy guards, border guards, and who knows about the gay fellows from the Trinity United church in Chicago and Mr. Adams is talking marijuana??
  
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yohannbiimu
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:07am
When Adams was talking about “killing” someone, I figured he was headed towards either “Fast & Furious,” or the whole Benghazi fiasco. So, when he started talking about some guy selling dope for medical purposes, that threw me off. I don’t know how to process this information, because it almost seems like he’s being satirical about the whole thing. I have no idea whatsoever where he’s coming from.

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- OhioRifleman
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 4:27pm
  Actually, I think he’s sweeping the instances of Ambassador Stevens and Border Agent Brian Terry off the table, even though those are casualties directly related to his policies. Not really out of spite or concealment, but for personal interest reasons. See below.
  
  The thing about the med marijuana dispensaries is probably author filibuster on his part. He could easily have used Brian Terry as an example there, but a lot of people either don’t know about Fast and Furious or don’t give a rat’s arse. The last part is no joke; I’ve talked to people who dismissed his death as pointless, since we should not be guarding our borders anyway.
  
  I do agree with him on abstract principle, but not on the example. Potheads can be just as dangerous as meth-heads, and anyone that says otherwise has not dealt with a lot of potheads in their life.
  
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- OhioRifleman
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 4:44pm
  BTW, Yohan, I wish there was a LIKE button for avatars. Been a while since I saw anyone sporting a pic of Lum.
  
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jungle J
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:58am
Ever notice how burnouts, no matter how suave, begin to babble like each other at some point in time.

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pap pap
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:19am
I was hoping to see a cartoon.

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soap on a rope
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:10am
He doesn’t want to vote Obama because he’s not legalizing marijuana, but he wants to vote Romney who… also does not want to legalize marijuana? It’s not like the only lie Obama’s told involved dispensaries. Surely there’s another lie where Obama and Romney have opposing stances? I do agree on the point that some Obama voters are going to be unswayable no matter what, but his main argument is lame.

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- steelpanther
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:02am
  Yeah, seems he’s mad that O is cracking down on weed. Must not know about the supremacy clause.
  
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- SycamoreFan
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 12:57pm
  Actually his hypothetical argument is better than his actual argument. As I stated before Obama HAS killed an American citizen, the Imam Anwar al-Aulaqi. While we have no proof Obama killed to get elected in 2008, it is indisputable fact that everything Obama has done as president was intended to get himself re-elected, including killing Anwar al-Aulaqi along with many many others.
  
  Does Obama hate terrorist? NO! Terrorist create chaos and fear, and Communist thrive on chaos and fear. The only reason he kills them is to get re-elected.
  
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SycamoreFan
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 9:25am
But Obama did kill an American citizen. He killed the “American Taliban” without a trial using his preferred death sentence method “Death by Drone Strike!” It’s like being judge, jury and executioner.

Obama got elected in large part to his anti-Bush rantings about how horrible gitmo is, and his promise to close it down his first year in office. He thinks it is a terrible thing to hold terrorist (alive) indefinitely without a trial.

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- SycamoreFan
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 9:45am
  Oops Obama killed the American Imam Anwar al-Aulaqi NOT the American Taliban John Walker Lindh
  
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Grand design
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 9:17am
Perhaps Ratbert could be the next Secretary of State!

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SilentRunner
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 8:08am
I read this pathetic editorial up to the point where marijuana was brought in. I then recognized the true subject and quit reading. I’ve got other things to do.

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- Username000001
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:09am
  There is a grander point, Mr. Runner.
  
  I agree with you that there are stronger reasons to vote for Mitt Romney and stronger reasons to fire Barack Obama- however, the broken promises and lack of courage on Obama’s record are sickening. It’s not just an arguement that “He’s a socialist and we’re going to be like France!” There are many reasons why people who once supported him, feel as if they were fooled and are now courageous themselves enough to call out mistruths WHEREVER they may me.
  
  Scott Adams is an artist. He chose a marijuana example. Coal miners would use energy cost and job loss reasons. Doctors would use healthcare and fiscal reasons… But a vote is a vote and I was glad to read this.
  
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barber2
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:33am
Hey, everyone, but don’t forget that Putin, Chavez, and the Castro family all endorse Obama. ( shhh, the Democrats don’t mention that ! LOL )

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Mapache
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:29am
The real reason is that with four more years of Obama there would be no more business and Dilbert wold be irrelevant.

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- barber2
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:38am
  MAP: Agree. Four more years of the Democrats’ War on Capitalism and we’ll be ” out of business.” Welcome to Third World America .
  
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voting-for-romney
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:19am
Should we keep in mind, Dilbert explained the process of elimination was the thesis of the article, using the legalization of hemp as an example to say we have a clear choice of character to choose from?

The best argument that I heard recently from those against legalizing hemp was that it burned hotter as though that is beyond control, forcing you not to think? The last best argument I heard made no mention of the receptors found all over the body that are related to substances in hemp they don’t understand fully yet? How many people do mental studies of people that smoke tobacco, a common substance used by gardeners as an insecticide?

Yes, I will take the endorsement for Romney, not because I think he will legalize hemp, or that I think hemp is going to be legalized like tobacco anyway, but because we have a clear choice and opportunity, to give someone who is clearly very talented, very dedicated to helping others, something that really looks like it will make us all very happy?

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- SERUM
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 8:06am
  Sorry to say this, but HEMP is not marijuana. Hemp is still illegal though because they believe if hemp is legalized marijuana is next.
  
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voting-for-romney
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 6:53am
That covers a lot of territory, and I believe Dilbert is successful because his audience is (underline that word) the business world he makes fun of? He connects with the terrified employees that go to work every day, look at the mandates of upper management, balanced against their skills and education, and wonder just how to get through the day, plan for the next, and silently plot to take over the company by becoming the new leader of the free world with their sense of humor?

Irony only occurs if you fail to see the genius of his work? Well, maybe there are some fans that don’t work in the business world that take comfort in the fact they chose a different profession, and I can see where irony would then become a decent observation? Maybe Dilbert will give us more to think about, and that is what good writers always do?

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Case_Logic
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 4:50am
Hope is for campaign promises to be upheld; Change is for when they are not. That should be true for all candidates.

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- bobdiamond
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 5:18am
  This reflects what I have been telling fmily and friends, Mitt Romney has looked and acted more Presidential, especially in the debates. Read political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
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DrKev
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 3:20am
Tweet
@ When Biden gaffes he mostly just shows a lack of thought~~When Obama ‘gaffes’ he shows a lack of heart.

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Metallicat
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 3:02am
Obama took away a mans first amendment rights on a technicality for political gain as well. to perpetrate a lie on the public. its obvious Obama has failed to uphold the oath he has taken to protect and defend American rights here and abroad.

When Mickey Mouse endorses Mitt,then we will know Obama is really in trouble.

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DouglasJBender
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 2:59am
Here’s another hypothetical for Scott Adams:

Suppose your favored candidate allowed four Americans, including an Ambassador, to be murdered by Al Qaeda terrorists. Further suppose your favored candidate then immediately began blaming that terrorist act on an obscure, short, Internet video, even mentioning it six times during a speech to the United Nations. And further suppose that it eventually came out that this candidate and his administration KNEW the day after the attack that it had NOTHING to do with that Internet video, and yet they continued for roughly two weeks to lie about the nature of the attack, for political purposes.

Question: Would THAT be a “firing offense”?
Second Question: Just how “awesome” would said “favored candidate” really be to do such things?

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OperationNorthwoods
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 2:42am
How about the border agent and all the others in Mexico that got killed so Obama could further his anti 2nd amendment ideology.

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- barber2
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:28am
  And don’t forget Zimmerman who was targeted and witch hunted by the Democrats and by their Lap Dog Media the media so that Obama could stir up racial and class divide in the swing state of Florida with that ridiculous Sharpton/Jackson Praise the Hoodie campaign.
  
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- barber2
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:42am
  And don’t forget that goofy Coptic who was entrapped into that Innocence of Muslims/ The Real Life of Mohammed ( with George and Condaleza character parts !? ) video scam. People are just bumps in the road to the Far Left and their dedicated power agenda.
  
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Jenasus
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 2:07am
The only difference between Obama Romney are that Obama will lie to your face and Romney will lie behind your back.

Wake Up America.

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- barber2
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:35am
  JEN: Blah. Blah. Tell your Obama friends that your false flag comments are ” not optimal.”
  
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Jenasus
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 2:02am
Dilbert is as dumb as Obama because Romney is the same book as Obama with a different cover.
Romney and Obama are both puppets of the Luciferian New World Order.

If Dilbert had any common sense at all he would vote for Gary Johnson because Gary Johnson is the only presidential candidate that is of the people, by the people and for the people.

Romney or Obama will make you a slave in the Luciferian New World Order.

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- Gorp
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 2:42am
  WoW!
  
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- Chuck Stein
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 3:07am
  @ Gorp — you made me laugh. Thanks.
  
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- barber2
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:32am
  CHUCK: Once again the old Democrat Divide the Dumb Conservatives and the Crazy Tea Party people with that ” Obama and Romney are the same so you might as well not vote ” rhetoric. DUH. That and the Mormon cult theme are oft repeated by the crafty Lefties. Desperation.
  
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- Chuck Stein
  Posted on October 21, 2012 at 6:03am
  @ Barber2
  Sure, I know those themes and I am pretty tired of them. But how often do you get to read such an over-the-top self-parody of that stuff? And then Gorp simply says “WoW” I thought it very funny. I wonder if the spelling (“WoW”) has something to do with World of Warcraft. Never played it, but the “Luciferian New World Order” might as well be something out of a fantasy game.
  
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cliffattheblaze
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:26am
This brings up a point that never, ever gets discussed. If Obama or Bill Clinton had been caught and jailed for their drug use, neither would have been elected president. Ironic?

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:43am
  Excellent point. The same would have gone for Bush 43 as well. There are a few things that I liked about Bush, but he was my last choice as the candidate in 2000. We certainly could have done much better.
  
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PATTY HENRY
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:19am
EVEN THE ORLANDO SENTINEL ENDORSED MITT today. This is the major newspaper in CENTRAL FLORIDA from the ATLANTIC to the GULF ! WOW. I guess it’s really getting difficult to back a lying phony who calls the murder of 4 PATRIOTS “not OPTIMAL” … I mean…there comes
a point when the fact that he’s been a major liar is exposed; that he is the filthiest politician ever to
be in the WH; that he has wrecked our economy; is trying to gut our Military and here’s a message just for you OBAMA: Bringing our CORPORATE TAX RATE down to 20% WILL make USA competitive again (Ireland is 15%) and will bring tons of jobs/money back into USA…where as you are either so stupid or so anxious to finish off AMERICA that your quest to add more to the tax burden of the tiny 1% would not bring in enough revenue for 3 months!!!
YOU have YET to say anything about cutting spending. YOU do NOT know what you are doing and then your silly flea-bag man AXELROD thinks he can “get women” by trying to make a big deal out of the BINDER WOMEN??? YOU dumb do do!! IF anyone has ever worked they know that BINDER is another name for FILE …. I’ve never seen more IGNORANT people in one group in my life. YOU know -0- about how business works and your binder project just proved that again. ROMNEY wanted women to get the jobs!! I mean…it’s head-spinning dumb. 18.5 more days.

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mdavid
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:16am
My brother in law was a drooling vegetable for Obama 4 year ago. Would not shut up about the idiot. Today he is completely disillusioned from him for – startlingly – the exact same reason as Adams; Obama’s underhanded prosecution of legal marijuana practices.

I can respect a liberal that has standards and holds leaders to them. I’m tired of the no-excpectations crowd getting their way.

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MisterB
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:07am
Sound reasoning for a liberal. At least through whatever means he had, he still came to the right conclusion.
Don’t forget, the President had a hand in jailing that video guy, albeit on a technicality.. That was purely a political arrest as well.

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SingerGuy
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:02am
Well thought out, sound logic. So of course the left will come unglued over this. In 3, 2, 1…

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wetblanket
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:02am
Adams loves to posit hypothetical scenarios on his blog, and have readers weigh in. I used to participate quite a bit about four years ago. He is extremely smart and very, very logical. After awhile I realized I wasn’t clever enough to keep up with his ardent and extremely smart followers. Somehow I can’t believe that he’s going to actually vote for Romney. He only said that he would endorse him based on the posited scenario.

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