Also, there has been a trend for various state and local office-holders and their staff to affect a pseudo-uniform of a polo or a jacket of whatever’s your office’s brand color, with the name and office seal of the big cheese embroidered or printed on it, as a way to emphasize that all these people you see at the event are Team JoeBlow. Heck, local agencies that have a uniform will often custom-make one for the big boss (wo)man for when s/he shows up.
Yeah. In my city the mayor and our several district councilmen typically wear matching white polos with the city crest on the left breast. It’s kinda funny to see them all up on the dias at a council meeting dressed alike. You’d sort of expect politics to have more individuality to it.
Then again, this is a town that mostly prides itself on a collegial usually unanimous leadership style, not the bare-knuckle brawling of implacably opposing factions.
Nah, we’ll see his name printed in reverse, so he can read it in his compact.
Now jokes about “politicians” needing to repair makeup.
Dan
Because a lot of linoleum had asbestos as an ingredient, that’s quite apropos.
I think politics is one field where a total lack of shame and self-awareness can be an advantage. While a normal human being will realize how other people perceive them and hold back, someone like Cruz or DiSantis will forge ahead and sometimes, luck out.
Sure, but “driven and hateful” is one thing, but “Driven and hateful and entirely unlikable” is something else.
I mean, in the entire US, can’t they find someone who is both driven and hateful, but can actually laugh like a real human being, and who doesn’t just sit in silence when around other people?
Hell, even Hitler went to the beer halls to hang out with his brown shirts.
But, but, but … asbestos-ified linoleum is dangerous on the inside and pretty on the outside. DeSantis is dangerous on the outside and ugly on the inside. He’s the Bizarro opposite evil twin.
I think it’s two things (and here we are, being analytical and reasonable in the pit again) - one, very few people actually like politicians. We’re predisposed to dislike people put new rules in place, or taxes, or any of the other things government good and bad do as a matter of course.
Sure, we have preferences, but it’s normally some variant on “Well, they’re not who I’d prefer, but they’re not completely evil/stupid/useless/corrupt!”
The second is, of course in the USA, the -cost-. Both financially and emotionally, a bunch of people who could be qualified, and still recognizable as human beings rather than a giant insect in an Edgar-suit, but don’t want to put themselves and/or their families through the wringer for what is a thankless job. And if you’re not corrupt, one while lucrative, isn’t often the best paying option.
But if you’re a waste of skin that is corrupt, and so self-absorbed or callous as to not care, you can make it to the top of the list for those big donors.
Like calls to like in other words.
And in this thread’s guest of dishonor’s continuing effort to remove all value of a Florida diploma, we have this latest example of intelligent behavior:
DeSantis Appointee Laughs at College’s Gender Studies Head After Voting to End Program
And who is this joker?
Among DeSantis’ appointees is Christopher Rufo, the far-right activist credited by the New Yorker with “inventing the conflict” targeting critical race theory and creating racist panics in school districts across the country. In March 2022, Jezebel reported on Rufo’s misinformation and hysteria campaign that led to a group of Appalachian sex educators being forced to hide in safe houses.
And his reaction to an actual expert’s, an actual educator’s testimony?
When Reid offered impassioned remarks about the importance of her program, the Times reports that Rufo could be seen visibly laughing at her.
These are not adults you have in charge in Florida. “Be better, do better” is gibberish to them.
Federal laws protecting employees on maternity leave? Not on Ron’s watch!
After DeSantis suspends Worrell, new leadership fires staffer on maternity leave
Within days of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ suspension of Monique Worrell, an executive staff member at the State Attorney’s Office who was on maternity leave was notified of her termination when investigators with the office accompanied by law enforcement made an unexpected visit to her home.
Keisha Mulfort, the former chief of staff for the State Attorney’s Office and Worrell, went on leave on May 30, the day her daughter was born. She has spent time in the hospital due to birth-related complications, she told the Sentinel.
Her leave, according to her lawyer Fritz Scheller, is pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a federal law providing certain workers job-protected leave when taking time off for medical reasons including pregnancy or birth. Scheller contends that her firing as well as the demands made to her after Worrell’s suspension may violate federal law protecting workers.
“Sure, Disney, I accused you of being sexual predators and unconstitutionally used my political power to punish you for an expressing an opinion, but that was weeks ago! Can’t you just accept that I’ve gotten what I needed from you and get over it?”
I sure hope The Most Litigious Place on Earth doesn’t let this one go that easily!
Their response
"Oh Ronnie-boy, if it were only those pesky little accusations and smack talk, we’d have forgiven you long ago! You know we love money and only reluctantly and with minimal investment of effort caved to the demands of employees to at least speak to you about the whole ‘Don’t say gay thing.’ It’s forgiven!
On the other hand, we had an understanding about our perpetual kingdom of self rule, something you and your predecessors understood in the past. And you took that from us, our preciousss… that we will never forgive, and never forget. When your charred legal remnants are finally removed from the the field, after your little ‘presidential’ stunt is done, we will move on, and make sure your successor understands that we OWN your little state - and you? You will not even be remembered."
There’s a story out there about how the people who ran the bumper car ride at the Iowa State Fair let the De(mon)Santis family jump the line, and only allowed them to participate in that cycle. I actually didn’t see what the problem was, due to security issues. They DID have their 3 children with them, children I really feel sorry for due to who their sperm and womb donors are.
The problem was that it made him look like an entitled asshole (or rather more like an entitled asshole). When you are a candidate visiting the state fair with your family you are not there to enjoy yourself, you are on the job, and your job making yourself look folksy regular guy by mixing with the plain simple farmers common clay of the new west. Closing down the ride for the hoi paloi while you and your family are granted exclusive access sends a message that is the exact opposite of what you are trying to send. If there is a security concern with engaging in an activity where collisions are encouraged with people who may despise you and everything you stand for, then you leave the bumper cars alone and find an alternative ride.
Admittedly, the whole state fair exercise is bullshit, but this reinforces the notion that DeSantis is really bad at trying to behave like a normal human being.
And that his campaign is really bad at making him look like a human being.
There is only so much that handlers can do if the star of the show won’t let himself be handled.
He’s really bad at making HIMSELF look like a human being, or a decent one at least.
I repeat this again, because, well, it applies. Again.
“hyperalloy combat chassis”? It’s probably made of tofu or balsa wood.