Maher Calls Americans 'Morons' Moments Before Blaming Senate Weapons Ban Failure on Gerrymandering

March 23rd, 2013 11:37 AM

NewsBusters readers know that one of my guilty pleasures is demonstrating virtually every Saturday how intellectually challenged the high and mighty Bill Maher is.

On HBO's Real Time Friday, the host perfectly demonstrated this himself by blaming gerrymandering for the Senate's failure to implement an assault weapons ban moments after he called Americans "morons" and "complete idiots" that "don't know anything" (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

After showing a video clip of Tea Partiers in New Jersey not being able to list one thing they’d like cut out of the federal budget, Maher said, “This is the point I'm trying to make is that, you know, that's why I showed it after Obama saying, ‘It has to begin with the people and people have to put the pressure on the politicians.’ It's hopeless here because the people are morons.”

“They don't know what to tell the politicians,” Maher arrogantly continued. “They are complete idiots. Whenever I hear, ‘Oh, you know what? We need a government as good as the people,’ the people are worse. People don't know anything.”

About eight minutes later, Maher perfectly exemplified his point.

During a discussion about why the assault weapons ban died last week, Republican strategist John Feehery said, “The NRA has this bumper sticker, ‘I'm From the NRA And I Vote.’ And you know what? They do…That's why Harry Reid pulled this bill is because he had about nine Senators in red states he was worried about and if he put this vote up, they'd lose.”

“Isn't it also because we are such a gerrymandered country?” Maher actually asked.

“Well this is the Senate,” Feehery corrected. “There's no gerrymandering in the Senate.”

Indeed. Gerrymandering is for House Congressional districts. You can't gerrymander a state.

The look on Maher's face after Feehery corrected him showed he didn't know this.

As such, what was that you were saying about people being “morons”and “complete idiots” that “don’t know anything,” Mr. Maher?