Trump DoE pick didn't know what the DoE does.

[satimy]

What's the acronym for the department of education because that lady seemed like the female equivalent of Rick perry

[Cosmic Janitor]

I mean .. hmm. It's probably a known thing for the US, but as non-us citizen, I'd consider the DoE a bit of a misnomer. Sitting on your nuke storage is not exactly what I'd associate with a department of energy, I'd put that in the one with the 2 Ds in the initialism.

[Jotaux]

Not to be fair..

You didn't get appointed by the president to lead that place, at the very least he could have looked at the Wiki page which clearly he didn't even do.

No, its perfectly fair to admit I did not know that was part of its purpose. If you think that still makes him an idiot, that is perfectly fair as well.

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http://www.wsj.com/articles/energy-s...ncy-1484827204

This is the sort of incompetence that should end political careers. I don't even care that he didn't know what it does, but to basically profess complete ignorance of a department you were saying you want to eliminate is just inexcusably incompetent. If you don't know what something does, then figure it the fuck out before having an opinion on it.

As much as I dislike his appointment as DoE, I think making that statement will make him more likeable. How many politicians talk about something they know nothing about then when they learn how wrong they were they still stay the course of their idiotic opinions? I don't see why changing your opinion based on facts is the wrong thing to do.

[petej0]

I mean .. hmm. It's probably a known thing for the US, but as non-us citizen, I'd consider the DoE a bit of a misnomer. Sitting on your nuke storage is not exactly what I'd associate with a department of energy, I'd put that in the one with the 2 Ds in the initialism.

You could make that argument. Until 2003 the Secret Service was a function of the Department of Treassury. Who would have guessed

[Paranoid Android]

I seriously bet he did not know that the DOE was in control of our nuclear arsenal. Another fucking moron pick by Trump. GG

[petej0]

As much as I dislike his appointment as DoE, I think making that statement will make him more likeable. How many politicians talk about something they know nothing about then when they learn how wrong they were they still stay the course of their idiotic opinions? I don't see why changing your opinion based on facts is the wrong thing to do.

Its like all the idiot politicians and new media spouting shit about firearms that they clearly know nothing about. Nobody calls them out on that. Nobody calls politicians out on legislation to ban something they dont know about.

[Belize]

What's the acronym for the department of education because that lady seemed like the female equivalent of Rick perry

She's arguably worse than Perry, since her plans would objectively hurt the education system.
At least Perry doesn't have any plans, so at worse no progress will be made.

[Jotaux]

Forming strong opinions before taking the time to educate yourself is a disastrous habit to have.

Which seems to afflict every politician. I would rather they change their opinions than being delusional.

[Jotaux]

Its like all the idiot politicians and new media spouting shit about firearms that they clearly know nothing about. Nobody calls them out on that. Nobody calls politicians out on legislation to ban something they dont know about.

Yeah its not like places that have stricter gun control have a lot less gun related crimes, accidental shootings, school massacres, etc. per capita. /s

[Cosmic Janitor]

You could make that argument. Until 2003 the Secret Service was a function of the Department of Treassury. Who would have guessed

Do you guys roll a dice to decide which department goes where? :P

[Redwyrm]

So, just checking...

It's ok that Trump is unknowledgeable about the job he was elected to because he's a figurehead and he'll pick the "best" people under him to do the job.

It's ok that his cabinet appointees are unknowledgeable about the job they are appointed to because they're figureheads and they have people under them that really do the work.

How far down the ladder are we accepting ignorance of the job, so that when something goes wrong we know who to blame?

[petej0]

Forming strong opinions before taking the time to educate yourself is a disastrous habit to have.

Not going to deny it isnt. But we see this ALL the time, so lets not pretend Perry is the only one. Second I would have to look it up and see if this was part of gotcha journalism where they just hound the person for an answer.

example:
"What departments would you abolish or cut?"
"I dont know, I would have to research it."
"You cant just name one department?"
"I dont know, I would have to research it."
"What department would you cut?"
"I dont know, maybe DoE."
"You would cut the DoE?"
"I dont know, I would have to research it."
"But the DoE would be on that list to look at?"
"I dont know, I would have to research it."

[Mekh]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/energy-s...ncy-1484827204

Or to paraphrase "I've been Governor of Texas for years, but have no idea what federal departments do. I suggested getting rid of stuff I do not understand and now thoroughly regret putting my foot in my mouth. At least two members of my staff have been fired for not warning me more urgently."

[Cosmic Janitor]

She's arguably worse than Perry, since her plans would objectively hurt the education system.
At least Perry doesn't have any plans, so at worse no progress will be made.

Well he is an oil/gas monger, so he probably did have some plans for that which usually aren't that great for any form of energy competing with it.

Edit:Even ignoring the nukes. Saying you want to cut a department that has one of the major key factors for infrastructure in it is never a smart move. So unless he thought it was the department that decided how to heat the white house and only the white house, he was always a moron. There is no reason why you would want to get rid of a department like that as a western industrial type nation.

[Jotaux]

That's better than nothing, but still worse than we should accept.

It reminds me of the safe injection sites. I hate that we are giving a place for addicts to shoot up illegal drugs but its been shown to reduce crime, drug use, and deaths. And I have to ask myself am I more concerned about the method or the results.

[Mad_Murdock]

Which seems to afflict every politician. I would rather they change their opinions than being delusional.

I don't know that they are really that delusional. In most cases, they are there for an agenda. In Rick's case, probably to pump up the sales of gas and oil. It makes me think of a work meeting where the boss was to cut out X, the employees said X was the worse thing to cut, we had meetings to talk about it, but at the end of the day, the upper-upper level management said to get rid of X, and so regardless of whether it was good or bad, it was going to get cut.

I will say, Perry struck me as a knucklehead the last time he ran. I'm not sure how people in Texas even like him. But then I only know about the handful of debates he was in.

[petej0]

Do you guys roll a dice to decide which department goes where? :P

To be honest, I dont know how they decided that, I am sure it says so in the wiki, probably has something to do with not having a better place to put it at that time. Or having something to do with Treasury then protecting the President at the time.

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Yeah its not like places that have stricter gun control have a lot less gun related crimes, accidental shootings, school massacres, etc. per capita. /s

Thats NOT what I am talking about. I am talking about the idiots who want to BAN "Assault Rifles" based on looks when a "hunting rifle" is as dangerous or more dangerous then what is on the BAN list. I am talking about media heads and politicians using the term "Semi-Automatic firearm", which stokes fear, when most firearms ARE semi-automatic.

[Trassk]

Making your country great again

It's like watching a burning building from a distance as the trumpetes inside pretend there is now smoke and fire.

[petej0]

So, just checking...

It's ok that Trump is unknowledgeable about the job he was elected to because he's a figurehead and he'll pick the "best" people under him to do the job.

It's ok that his cabinet appointees are unknowledgeable about the job they are appointed to because they're figureheads and they have people under them that really do the work.

How far down the ladder are we accepting ignorance of the job, so that when something goes wrong we know who to blame?

Most Presidents are "unknowledgeable". Obama was Senator for only two years and is a lawyer with no real accomplishments. We have typically elected people with Executive experience (State Governors) who have experience with budgets and working with State Senators and House Members. Most Presidents surround themselves with political "hanger-ons" it isnt much different here. It is just sad that Trump will just be more of the same.

Although I do wonder how much these appointments are a function of people not willing to accept the job because they dont want to be associated with Trump so he is left with these clowns.

[Kasierith]

Not going to deny it isnt. But we see this ALL the time, so lets not pretend Perry is the only one. Second I would have to look it up and see if this was part of gotcha journalism where they just hound the person for an answer.

If memory serves, it was during one of the primary debates when the question was asked about big government and what parts of it could be seen as excessive.