# Holy shit, DeVos was confirmed **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 7, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266 "2017-02-07T19:35:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/241 "2017-02-09T15:59:15Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > A real Right wing problem solving method: Run away! Hahahaha. What’s the Left wing solution? Force all students to go to failing public schools and then chastise them for not treating the gang bangers more respectfully? How dare parents strive to do better for themselves and the children. How dare parents move to better school districts where their children will get a better education. It’s not as if it should be the parent’s choice as to where they chose to live. The government should take care of everything for you. How dare Arne Duncan, and Barack Obama, advocate for charter schools. DeVos is in favor of charter schools. All of these people must be deplorables. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/242 "2017-02-09T16:01:45Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Hahahaha. What’s the Left wing solution? Force all students to go to failing public schools and then chastise them for not treating the gang bangers more respectfully? > > How dare parents strive to do better for themselves and the children. How dare parents move to better school districts where their children will get a better education. It’s not as if it should be the parent’s choice as to where they chose to live. The government should take care of everything for you. > > How dare Arne Duncan, and Barack Obama, advocate for charter schools. DeVos is in favor of charter schools. All of these people must be deplorables. 😉 Yep, take a bimbo who’s political experience is “has contributed substantially to a political campaign” and put her in charge of education. What an awesome idea. Republicans should be proud there are such fine people in their ranks. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/243 "2017-02-09T16:02:08Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > (post shortened) > > I’m not responsible for the Democrat Party’s inability to retain seats in Congress. DeVos is under attack because the Democrat collective is still hurt, and embarrassed, about Hillary’s losing the WH. Sux to be them. DeVos is under attack because she was nominated by a Republican President. A Republican President who happens to be Trump, but the same thing would occur regardless of which Republican kicked Hillary’s ass. > > This is the standard operating procedure for the foreseeable future. The Republican administration will do something, the Democrats will whine that they don’t understand, life will go on. > > As you’ve probably noticed, this thread was started after DeVos’s confirmation. After. When it was too late to do anything but whine about sour grapes. \*How-oh-how did we lose again? What is wrong with us/U.S.? SSDD. > > You don’t know if DeVos’s service will be a failure or not. You assume she will fail. Or maybe you just hope she will fail. Either way, regardless of the nominee, the Democrat collective will drag their feet, suck their collective thumb, and beg the voters to return the Democrat Party to power. > **[The 9 Most Damning Moments From Betsy DeVos's Confirmation Hearing](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a8610516/betsy-devos-education-secretary-confirmation-hearing/)** > > The education secretary nominee stumbled over some basic questions. 9 Damning Betsy DeVos Quotes - - - -JUST from her “interview for the job”. Oh, and welcome to “ignore” you fucking troll. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/244 "2017-02-09T16:08:38Z")
> [@arfurvirus](#): > > if you want a better community, make yours better, contribute to a good one, or wallow in your shit. > don’t cry to me. Wait, don’t you mean: "if you want a better community, move to a better one, or wallow in your shit. don’t cry to me ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/245 "2017-02-09T16:09:59Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Master her brief? Dumb that down for us poor uneducated colonials. > > I object to her mainly because > > 1. She is a religious fanatic, a Dominionist. > 2. She has already said some incredibly stupid things. > 3. She is a Dominionist. > 4. She wants to completely gut the agency she will “head”. > 5. She is a Dominionist. > 6. Educators in her own state know her and HATE her - I’ve learned to listen when that happens. > 7. Dominionist. > Dominionist. > > Dominionist. > > Dominionist. > > Dominionist. > > Dominionist. > > Dominionist. > > Dominionist. > > Dominionist. What’s wrong with liking to play Dominoes? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/246 "2017-02-09T16:11:38Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > We tend to be ok with giving some cush jobs to cronies. Jobs like ambassador to Bermuda. > > Bush II got caught out when hurricane Katrina wiped out New Orleans and it turned out his crony, Michael Brown, who headed FEMA didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing and a big disaster became a bigger disaster. > > We’d rather not have the incompetent in positions where they can do real harm. You’d think it was obvious but Katrina drove that lesson home. > > Secretary of Education is a place where someone can do harm. We have seen that harm done in Michigan at the urging of Betsy DeVos. It’s right there for all to see. She has no useful experience and her meddling has caused real and apparent harm pushing her personal agenda. The only reason for getting the appointment was massive amounts of money she gave to politicians. > > So yeah, there is good reason for anyone to oppose her appointment. Surely there is another conservative out there who would meet muster. DeVos was one of the most ardent critics of Trump on the republican side. She was right up there with Romney in the never trump camp. Just throwing that out there. I almost wish she were incompetent. Like forget to show up at work on Monday incompetent. I think the government can survive 8 years without any cabinet members, I don’t think it will do very well with 8 years of cabinet members like this. But if you want to drown it in a bathtub, this is a good way to start. And I think that some Republicans want to do exactly this. Once again, the argument that I am objecting to is that Republicans are putting party before country by not shooting down their President’s nomination for secretary of education. I do not object to any negative characterization of her. but why the fuck would a modern day Republican stick their neck out to object to someone like her? I think we have been spoiled by Obama. He was notorious for appointing people based on competencies rather than political affiliation. Sure there were a few exceptions (Colin Powell’s son becoming the chairman of the FCC) but mostly he appointed people that were experts. I understand the notion that we should persist in our opposition to Trump. And I agree that we should be attributing Trump’s foibles to “the Republicans” (the Republicans are arguing about the attendance at the inauguration; the Republicans are banning refugees and immigrants from 7 muslim nations; the Republicans are silencing Democrats from quoting Coretta Scott King because it makes them look bad; Republicans are damaging our relationship with Australia, the EU, NATO, our asian allies and pretty much the entire fucking world; etc.). We can even say that the Republicans have put a spoiled socialite in the cabinet. But it seems silly to say the Republicans have put party before country by confirming their own goddam nominee. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/247 "2017-02-09T16:13:58Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Oh, and welcome to “ignore” you fucking troll. Hahahah **PLONK** ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/248 "2017-02-09T16:20:30Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > DeVos was one of the most ardent critics of Trump on the republican side. She was right up there with Romney in the never trump camp. Just throwing that out there. > > I almost wish she were incompetent. Like forget to show up at work on Monday incompetent. I think the government can survive 8 years without any cabinet members, I don’t think it will do very well with 8 years of cabinet members like this. But if you want to drown it in a bathtub, this is a good way to start. And I think that some Republicans want to do exactly this. > > Once again, the argument that I am objecting to is that Republicans are putting party before country by not shooting down their President’s nomination for secretary of education. I do not object to any negative characterization of her. but why the fuck would a modern day Republican stick their neck out to object to someone like her? > > I think we have been spoiled by Obama. He was notorious for appointing people based on competencies rather than political affiliation. Sure there were a few exceptions (Colin Powell’s son becoming the chairman of the FCC) but mostly he appointed people that were experts. > > I understand the notion that we should persist in our opposition to Trump. And I agree that we should be attributing Trump’s foibles to “the Republicans” (the Republicans are arguing about the attendance at the inauguration; the Republicans are banning refugees and immigrants from 7 muslim nations; the Republicans are silencing Democrats from quoting Coretta Scott King because it makes them look bad; Republicans are damaging our relationship with Australia, the EU, NATO, our asian allies and pretty much the entire fucking world; etc.). We can even say that the Republicans have put a spoiled socialite in the cabinet. But it seems silly to say the Republicans have put party before country by confirming their own goddam nominee. The republicans put party before country in every fucking thing they do, so I guess it is redundant to point out that this confirmation was one more in a long list of things that the republican party has done to prop itself up at the expense of the people that actually have to live here. So, you are correct in that it is not a useful criticism to point out that the republicans are doing what they always do, as if it were new and unexpected. But there is still value in pointing it out each and every time that they show that their agenda is not one in which the people of this country come out ahead. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/249 "2017-02-09T16:29:28Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > What’s wrong with liking to play Dominoes? After a few beers, it’s hard to see those damn dots, let alone try to count them all up. Grrrr. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/250 "2017-02-09T16:38:51Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > I don’t think she cares about education, and she will be mostly absent from her office. Education is one of the few things she demonstrably DOES care about; much of her adult life has been dedicated to attacking public schools. She has never held a regular job, so far as I can tell; most of her time has been spent funneling money into Republican politicians and religious extremists, much of it specifically to buy reductions in public school funding and more funding for “charter schools.” It is hardly surprising DeVos was initially an opponent of Trump; Trump is not a Christian, and DeVos is a fanatic, so they’re not natural allies. But her mission in life to get rid of public education requires some compromises, which is why she paid Trump for the appointment. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/251 "2017-02-09T16:40:37Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > So the DoE already has [a new seal](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/02/09/this-must-be-the-new-department-of-education-logo/). Wait–is that real? Or is that satire? I CAN’T TELL! **Quartz** , help me out, please! I NEED YOUR HELP!!! ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/252 "2017-02-09T17:09:46Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > You do realise that that’s marked as satire, don’t you? What i love about this comment is that the article includes a quote from Delores Umbridge (from Harry Potter) and yet Quartz read it and then went, hmmm, I need to make sure everyone knows that this is marked as satire. Becasue we all know Umbridge would never say that, right? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/253 "2017-02-09T17:12:13Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > What’s wrong with liking to play Dominoes? He misspelled “dominatrix”. And playing the strict school mistress and the naughty, naughty school boy is not his thing. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/254 "2017-02-09T17:25:50Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Wait–is that real? Or is that satire? I CAN’T TELL! > > **Quartz** , help me out, please! I NEED YOUR HELP!!! Fake News, that’s not a real seal. [This is.](https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/seal/) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/255 "2017-02-09T18:24:53Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > What i love about this comment is that the article includes a quote from Delores Umbridge (from Harry Potter) and yet Quartz read it and then went, hmmm, I need to make sure everyone knows that this is marked as satire. Not everyone follows links. And will that link still work in 5 years’ time? Possibly not. So someone reading it then might see that it was a link to the Huffington Post - not normally a satire site - and conclude that it was genuine. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/256 "2017-02-09T18:31:53Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Not everyone follows links. And will that link still work in 5 years’ time? Possibly not. So someone reading it then might see that it was a link to the Huffington Post - not normally a satire site - and conclude that it was genuine. Translation: I’m too embarrassed to admit I fell for it and I’m too lazy to follow links. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/257 "2017-02-09T18:50:50Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > There is no lack of complaints about them. > > I think DeVos is getting more scrutiny because it’s our kids we’re talking about. Perhaps. Or it could be because she is actively trying to undermine part of the core support for the democratic party (teachers unions). I personally don’t have a problem with teachers unions 99% of the time but it shouldn’t be surprising that republicans support someone who wants to kill teachers unions. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/258 "2017-02-09T18:53:58Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Apparently “thinking” isn’t your thing. Or reading. Or understanding. But by god, you do love to post. > > Instead of asking stupid questions, focus your energy on understanding what people are saying, Mr. 20%. So this wasn’t you: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19983884&postcount=5](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19983884&postcount=5) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19985764&postcount=125](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19985764&postcount=125) You weren’t expressing shock at the nearly treasonous attitude of the Republicans in confirming their own nominee for Secretary of Education? When you find yourself arguing almost exclusively with insults, perhaps you don’t have much of an argument. What is mr. 20%? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/259 "2017-02-09T19:02:02Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > The republicans put party before country in every fucking thing they do, so I guess it is redundant to point out that this confirmation was one more in a long list of things that the republican party has done to prop itself up at the expense of the people that actually have to live here. I don’t agree with republicans on almost anything but I don’t think they put party before country on almost everything they do. I think they do so when they threaten to default on the national debt unless they get something for it. I think they put party before country when they actively cheer for a failed presidency so that they can score political points. But reasonable people can disagree about the role of government in education and shit like that. Do you also think that Republicans are putting party before country by confirming Betsy DeVos? > [@](#): > > So, you are correct in that it is not a useful criticism to point out that the republicans are doing what they always do, as if it were new and unexpected. But there is still value in pointing it out each and every time that they show that their agenda is not one in which the people of this country come out ahead. The conclusion that people will suffer (particularly those in failing inner city school that will be the subject of her experiments) is an opinion I share with you but its still an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266/260 "2017-02-09T19:07:05Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > He misspelled “dominatrix”. And playing the strict school mistress and the naughty, naughty school boy is not his thing. > > Regards, > Shodan you kinky devil! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-shit-devos-was-confirmed/779266.md?page=14)