Mass deportations of undocumented immigrants

[Doctor Steuss]

Inspector Generals are largely tasked with maintaining the integrity, ethics, and honesty of the entity they oversee. They are usually placed in a position to where they are independent from the organization, so they are insulated from the politics and institutional or party loyalties. The loss of Inspector Generals may be good for the MAGA agenda, but it isn't good for America.

One only needs to look at how many of Trump's key cabinet members had to resign last time in disgrace because of ethics and other violations to realize just how bad of a thing this is... at least to people loyal to America.

Prepare for another smash and grab.

[Doctor Steuss]

What did Pete Buttigieg know about transportation?

What qualifications could an Oxford Rhodes Scholar, with education backgrounds in economics and politics, who interned for the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, former Presidential policy and research specialist, a consultant for economic development and logistics at an international strategy and management company, where a few of his clients were the EPA, US Energy Department, the US Postal Service, and the Defense Department, a longtime member of the board of advisors for the Truman National Security Project, former state treasurer and former mayor?

Gosh, I don't know how any of those could possibly translate into running a US Department that has complicated logistics and spending requirements.

Too bad he wasn't the CEO of a company with 57 employees, and a TV Show Host, or we could put him in charge of over 2 million employees and a $852 Billion budget.

[canpakes]

Ajax, imagine a world where your MAGA friends and neighbors voted on their local optometrists and picked local news anchors who they recognized from TV to work on their eyes. At some point, somebody has to actually know something for the world you live in to function.

What did Pete Buttigieg know about transportation?

He did alright after his college days:

From 2004 to 2005, Buttigieg was conference director of the Cohen Group. In 2006, he lent assistance to Joe Donnelly's successful congressional campaign.

After earning his Oxford degree, in 2007, Buttigieg became a consultant at the Chicago office of McKinsey & Company, where he worked on energy, retail, economic development, and logistics for three years. His clients at McKinsey included the health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, electronics retailer Best Buy, Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws, two nonprofit environmentalist groups, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Energy Foundation, and several U.S. government agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Energy Department, Defense Department, and Postal Service. He took a leave of absence from McKinsey in 2008 to become research director for Jill Long Thompson's unsuccessful campaign for Indiana governor. His work at McKinsey included trips to Iraq and Afghanistan, which he rarely discusses. Buttigieg left McKinsey in 2010 in order to focus full-time on his campaign for Indiana state treasurer.

Buttigieg has been involved with the Truman National Security Project since 2005 and serves as a fellow with expertise in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was named to the organization's board of advisors in 2014.

Buttigieg joined the U.S. Navy Reserve through the direct commission officer (DCO) program and was sworn in as an ensign in naval intelligence in September 2009. He took a seven-month leave during his mayoral term to deploy to Afghanistan in 2014.

Compare that to, as example, Matt Gaetz:

After graduating from law school, Gaetz worked at the law firm Keefe, Anchors & Gordon (now AnchorsGordon) in Fort Walton Beach. In October 2021, the Florida bar suspended Gaetz from practicing law due to unpaid fees. He was reinstated after the $265 fee was paid.

After that, Gaetz entered the Florida House of Representatives in 2010, then was elected as one of Florida’s US House reps in 2016. Now he’s best known as the guy who solicits underage girls at drug-fueled sex parties.


ETA: looks like Stu beat me to the punch. : )

[Doctor Steuss]

One of the wild things about Ajax bringing up Buttigieg, is that I think it's hard to argue that he wasn't at some level a diversity hire. There were probably a lot of people who would have been more qualified for that specific position. He was definitely qualified for a high level position within the administration, but not likely the most qualified for DoT. Yet, here, even with a diversity hire, it was someone vastly more qualified than most of the people Trump is picking.

Maybe that's why they hate DEI so much. Because even when a minority group person isn't the most qualified, they still manage to make the hand-picked Trump MAGA elites look like cartoonish nepo-baby dolts.

[ajax18]

Maybe that's why they hate DEI so much. Because even when a minority group person isn't the most qualified, they still manage to make the hand-picked Trump MAGA elites look like cartoonish nepo-baby dolts.

That's just because you agree with their politics. Let's take Biden for example. I'm not sure anyone would ever argue that Joe Biden was a high IQ person. The fact that he's president houseplant with other unelected officials around him calling the shots doesn't bother you because you agree with his politics and those around him.

[Doctor Steuss]

That's just because you agree with their politics.

This seems to be something MAGA has a really hard time with. Politics to most of us isn't a team sport. We don't sit there and think "yeah, sure that guy is a serial sexual abuser who has a documented history of walking in on kids getting dressed, has defrauded a bunch of people, lies all of the time, but he's on my team, so go-go-rah-rah!"

If Biden were to nominate someone with a BA in French, who is a former executive of a wrestling entertainment entity, to head up education in this country solely because "old white woman = teacher" or a neurosurgeon to head up HUD because "black guy = urban," I'd raise a stink and question what the crap is wrong with Biden.

Just because you're in a political identity cult doesn't mean everyone else functions that way.

I didn't vote "for" Biden. I voted against Trump. I didn't vote "for" Harris. I voted against Trump. I don't worship politicians; especially when they're obviously flawed. Putting politicians on untouchable pedestals just because they are on your "team" is weird. Really weird. I can't think of a single person, even down ticket, that I was enthusiastic to vote for, save a single non-partisan judge that I personally know.

For years I voted for a Democrat senator, and a Republican governor in my state, because they were the most qualified amongst the people running. I don't look and see "that person have letter after name that not my team, I no vote, ooga-booga."

I am doubtful that for the next 4 years, you're going to see Biden/Harris flags flying on people's homes, impromptu Biden/Harris "parades," people wearing Biden/Harris hats everywhere, or a DNC-adjacent organization creating a golden Biden/Harris statue for an event. If it were to start happening... it'd be weird. Because that kind of thing is dysfunctional as all get-out.

[ajax18]

I didn't vote "for" Biden. I voted against Trump. I didn't vote "for" Harris. I voted against Trump. I don't worship politicians; especially when they're obviously flawed. Putting politicians on untouchable pedestals just because they are on your "team" is weird. Really weird. I can't think of a single person, even down ticket, that I was enthusiastic to vote for, save a single non-partisan judge that I personally know.

If you have to agree with the candidate 100% of the time, the only person you'll ever be able to vote for in good conscience is yourself.

For years I voted for a Democrat senator, and a Republican governor in my state, because they were the most qualified amongst the people running. I don't look and see "that person have letter after name that not my team, I no vote, ooga-booga."

I know where you're coming from on this. Iin a perfect world we'd know every detail about every candidtate. But with the political ideologies so far apart, it doesn't really matter to me if Matt Gaetz had sex with a minor if he goes in and cleans out the deep state. Trump was better for the economy. That's

This was more pertinent in local elections. The reason I voted to make school board member elections partisans is because most people have no clue what they are voting on in our local elections. The amendments are written in a purposefully vague manner and the media doesn't exactly educate people on the issues. Nobody knew what an at large versus single member district meant or what it meant for their own personal agenda or that of the entire county. But yeah, if I see a (D) after their name, I'm going to assume they're in favor of teaching critical race theory, putting biological boys in girls bathrooms, and teaching my children that homosexuality is a moral and normal lifestyle choice that they might want to try as well. Usually it means that violent and dangerous kids will not be expelled from public schools as well. And more often than not, these stereotypes turn out to be correct.

[Doctor Steuss]

If you have to agree with the candidate 100% of the time, the only person you'll ever be able to vote for in good conscience is yourself.

Incredibly wise words. It reminds me of something my mom once said to me when I was young, and blinded by young love. She told me "If you think she's perfect, you're not in love with her, you're in love with the idea of her."

One of the grand ironies with the wisdom regarding voting and applying it to me, is how often I end up realizing I disagree with myself. I'd never be able to be a politician. Mostly because of the target it automatically puts on your family, but also because with weighty issues that impact others, I would be incredibly indecisive. Making decisions for myself is one thing, because if I'm wrong, only I deal with the negative consequences. Making decisions for thousands if not millions of people... ooph.

I had a friend who worked with Hillary Clinton (and later Obama). One of her biggest pet peeves while working with Clinton is that she listened to everyone -- and I mean everyone. Often it felt like nothing was getting done because Clinton was still getting feedback on the issue at hand. It was almost like a pathological aversion to making a choice until every possible angle had been voiced... which meant a lot more inaction than was healthy. I could totally see myself falling way (way, way) into that trap.

[...] it doesn't really matter to me if Matt Gaetz had sex with a minor if he goes in and cleans out the deep state. [...]

A swamp creature doesn't clean out the swamp, it merely removes inhabitants so its kind of swamp creatures can take their place. I don't want someone who violates kids in charge of protecting kids. That makes no sense to me. There's a reason he was the only person, in the entire federal legislative branch, that voted against a bill to prevent human trafficking, and it wasn't some kind of "clean out the deep state" reason.

[dantana]

I would vote for you Stu. And not because the media opinion-ed me into it. But because I've watched you talk. Not sure why this system isn't more widely used.

[ajax18]

Incredibly wise words. It reminds me of something my mom once said to me when I was young, and blinded by young love. She told me "If you think she's perfect, you're not in love with her, you're in love with the idea of her."

So true.

One of the grand ironies with the wisdom regarding voting and applying it to me, is how often I end up realizing I disagree with myself. I'd never be able to be a politician. Mostly because of the target it automatically puts on your family, but also because with weighty issues that impact others, I would be incredibly indecisive. Making decisions for myself is one thing, because if I'm wrong, only I deal with the negative consequences. Making decisions for thousands if not millions of people... ooph.

I had a friend who worked with Hillary Clinton (and later Obama). One of her biggest pet peeves while working with Clinton is that she listened to everyone -- and I mean everyone. Often it felt like nothing was getting done because Clinton was still getting feedback on the issue at hand. It was almost like a pathological aversion to making a choice until every possible angle had been voiced... which meant a lot more inaction than was healthy. I could totally see myself falling way (way, way) into that trap.

[...] it doesn't really matter to me if Matt Gaetz had sex with a minor if he goes in and cleans out the deep state. [...]

A seventeen year old girl who Gaetz didn't know was seventeen until afterwards. When he found out he discontinued the relationship until she turned eighteen. Sleezy? Sure, but so was Bill Clinton. And I'll admit that Democrats were right that whether or not Bill Clinton had an affair with Gennifer Flowers or Paula Jones shouldn't have precluded a believing Latter Day Saint from voting for him if they leaned left of center in their politics. I wouldn't want my daughter working for WJC, but to say that WJC was responsible for every act of sexual harassment, infidelity, and dishonesty committed by men across America because of his example? No. WJC was moderate enough that when the Republicans took back Congress, he compromised and pivoted to the right and it led to an era of economic prosperity. We saw miracles such as border enforcement, wage increases, and welfare reform. That's what the American people hired him to do and WJC delivered.