Yup. California has a weird system. It also hurt the GOP that anyone became the frontrunner for them. A Newsom vs. [GOP frontrunner] election was bad for them because it became a choice between two flawed candidates.

But if it had remained a question of replacing Newsom with some generic candidate, then it would have been much better for the GOP--the same way that incumbents always look bad in early polling against Generic Democrat or Generic Republican.

The Dems also pulled from the GOP playbook and nationalized the election. It wasn't about Newsom or Elder. It was about who do you want replacing Feinstein if she has to retire suddenly?

Recall elections tend to be more populist free-for-alls than anything to do with a clearly defined party strategy. It was that way even when Gray Davis lost to the Terminator in 2003. The party wanted McClintock.

How do you elect a movie?

California at least needs a higher threshold for calling a recall vote. 12% of voters is just way too low and allows a small minority to wreck the system.

doa

When people complain about the 3.5 trillion ten-year reconciliation package, remember that the House is about to pass a 778 billion defense bill, n increase of about 5% from last year.

There's always money for the things they find important.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/13/us/ma...ers/index.html

OH GOPers started a new line of argument for extreme gerrymanders. They have won 83% of the statewide office races, so they are entitled to up to 83% of the districts in the state house.

I expect to see this from numerous states before long.

Lexington schools have been canceling 6-12 bus routes a day depending on available drivers. My wife has been pestered daily about subbing (she's having foot surgery as I type this so she's out until November at earliest).

My daughter is in her final semester of college and will be an elementary teacher. Couldn't have picked better timing. She's student teaching and the principal wants her to sub now and they have a position available that she hopes she can get for January. They're using a sub this semester. So many retirements at once and not enough qualified teachers.

We got texts last week in Dekalb County that certain buses were canceled due to lack of drivers. The messages came when those kids were already out waiting for buses. Cluster.

I heard on the radio today that Ohio governor Mike DeWine is mulling bringing in the national guard to drive school buses.

Massachusetts has already called in the guard for drivers.

Incredible, and depressing. There are a lot of potential consequences that have been on my mind over the last year-plus. 'We're not going to have enough bus drivers' wasn't one of them.

I never thought I'd see "national guard serving as school bus drivers"

Then again, I think we need to revamp our service model in this country. There should be compulsory community service for a couple of years, but it shouldn't have to be military. This should be the type of thing that would be right up that alley.

SI

You know what could’ve prevented this from happening?

Trump and gop encouraging mask wearing

Trump might even still be President had he done that


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You know what would fix a lot of these problems?

More immigration!

I don.t think there is any doubt, which just confirms what a stupid fucker he is

Are school bus drivers full time?

With a pandemic and driving around unvaccinated kids, that's a job that needs some hazard pay.

You can put in significant hours, but I don't think it's full time. My brother is coaching JV Girls soccer this year, and he has to drive the van bus (14 seater, so the shorter-bus) to get his team to practice and games because there's just no drivers available, at $19-$26 an hour.

Think about a part time gig, but it is split up from early morning (like 5-8) and then you have to go back to work at like 2-5. During that time you have pick up and drive around a bunch of kids that show you no respect. You are expected to keep them under control though you have very little resources to do so. And everything you do in the job is recorded on a camera.
Or, same money you work the hours you want delivering items to people that you barely have contact with. Which would you rather?
There is no way I'd ever be a school bus driver.

I agree. I have no idea why anyone would ever drive a school bus

When I was in high school, my dad was a math teacher at a private school, but he arranged his schedule so he could drive a public school route before and after school for extra cash.

He will tell you unequivocally to this day that it was the worst job he ever had, and we're talking rural Indiana public school here.

Since the end of the Cold War, presidents of both parties have "talked tough" on China while not really doing anything to actually anger the Chinese.

Biden's decision to help the Aussies build nuclear subs is (1) refreshing action and not bluster, and (2) seems to have actually pissed off the Chinese pretty bad, which makes me think that it really is a much more aggressive move than we've made against them in a while.

Folks can debate how aggressive we should be toward China. But since the general consensus seems to be "pretty aggressive," it is nice to see a President actually commit to that path.

Insurance and boredom. I know a few people who drive school buses. All of them are in their mid 40's to early 50's and have been very successful in their previous business lives. A couple have said that the health insurance costs associated with being a bus driver was cheaper for them and their families compared to not working so they took the job. Others would rather drive a bus then just hang out at home. I don't know what grade levels they transport but none appear too stressed by the job at all. The common thread that binds all of them is that they don't need the job. If they all decided to leave tomorrow, they all would be absolutely fine and the district would have holes they can not filled based on the vacancies they currently have.

Jesus. The NJ FOP have endorsed the local leader of the Oath Keepers for a seat in the NJ legislature.

Hey, Idaho put a vaccine denier on their health board, why not an Oath Keeper in a legislature?

I did Nazi that coming

Update: N.J. police union endorses, then drops, Oath Keepers leader seeking State Assembly seat - New Jersey Globe

Though, apparently they backed out of it

SI

Chicago Police hold fundraisers with our local Nazis.

Calling the murder of 7 kids a mistake seems to understate things a bit.

"It was a terrible mistake and we certainly regret that," Gen. McKenzie about drone strike that killed civilians and no one from ISIS-K, but refutes framing of question calling the strike a total disaster.

— Zach Haberman (@ZHaberman) September 17, 2021

If it wasn’t a disaster what is?


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France is mad. Is there an American food item popular in France that they could rename? Like the Big McTraders or something?

PARIS (AP) — France recalls its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia in submarine deal backlash, French foreign minister says.

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) September 17, 2021

It will be delicious watching conservatives effortlessly pivot to being francophiles.

My guess is this will just get the silent treatment

I expect Tucker and Ingraham to be all over this. They'll play it the same way they do, "even the liberal New York Times..."

It is funny how Ingraham wrote a book called "Shut up and Sing" about how celebrities need to shut up and now she's spending half her show talking about how important it is to hear Nikki Minaj's cousins testicle story.

I’m not sure how high up or low down the chain, but someone has to be held accountable for this, right?

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/17/polit...hnk/index.html

Now do the previous 20 years of drone strikes.

Mistakes definitely happen but it was suspiciously quick (and convenient) in the retribution attack. How we got it wrong will be an interesting read. But yeah, someone should be held accountable.

The French hoopla is confusing.

The Biden strategy to get Australia-UK-US alliance vs China is good. But it would have been better with France also.

Did we really need to scuttle the $40B French deal? Why not get a 4 partner alliance and still have French sell/build the subs.

I don't think we have the full story yet.

This drone strike absolutely deserves the attention, but its fascinating how we gloss over the past 20 years. 700 innocent people were killed by drone strikes in Afghanistan in 2019. We have been averaging 5 dead or wounded kids a day in the country over the past decade from our assaults.

We've slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent Afghan citizens since the war started.

I don't mind the scrutiny on this strike, I just want it on all the other strikes as well.

Totally agree. The only reason this drew scrutiny is because the withdrawal pissed off the media.

And right-wing media feels like they can attack Biden for it, led of course, by Trump.

You know as well as I do this is how it works with military fuckups. Other side immediately screams.

As far as the France thing goes ... France is trying to pretend they are still relevant, when they are not. They're rightfully pissed they're losing out on a boatload of money, but the US and the Aussies don't need them for any sort of power play in SE Asia. US/Aussie relations and US/Japan relations are the keys in that region.

Sure. I just wish we were really going to scrutinize the drone program from Bush through Obama and Trump and now to Biden. We have been killing civilians for twenty years.

Can't question anything that would threaten the almighty military budget.

I don't disagree that France is "less" relevant (just like the UK is less relevant) but that doesn't mean you screw around close allies. Biden is building a counter-China alliance in SEAsia. He is also trying to maintain/upgrade a counter-China economically, we want France's help.

I wonder if we are paying back in kind or something. Did France undercut US in selling military weapons to X country. Were we snubbed by France in some sort of decoupling-from-China deal etc. There may have been good reasons but, right now, seems like an avoidable diss to me.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/17/polit...eal/index.html

Don't know if its me but there seems to be a dearth of reporting from civilians that made it out of Kabul after the US military left (or the 2 weeks before). You would think we'd be flooded by personal stories by now.

I can easily believe MSM avoid highlighting those stories but I check Drudge and Fox once in a while also. Seems weird to me.

More info on the drone strike that killed civilians & kids. The article gives a timeline of events and describes some of the rationale.

TBH if that is all there was - guy picking up other guys, dropping by at a suspected ISIS place, carrying around 3 jugs etc. Doesn't seem to rise to level of a hellfire.

But yeah, we should be make reparation payments ... no considering about it.

Countdown to death: Minute by minute, how the Pentagon killed innocent aid worker and seven kids | Daily Mail Online

The Biden Presidency - 2020
 

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All depends on if you believe these stories will appeal to American audiences.

I don't know who wants to make the Qataris out to be sympathetic figures who helped get Americans out of Afghanistan. I don't think that we want to dig too deeply to find out who the Americans that remain in Afghanistan are and why they were still there. See Jon's question earlier in the thread. I am absolutely positive we don't want to bring any more attention than necessary that we promised to bring the Afghans to the United States and yet they are in Qatar and many of our representatives are against them coming to their respective states.

The stories will come out but they won't be personal as much as they will be a part of a greater narrative.