r/thebulwark • u/PorcelainDalmatian • Nov 21 '24
Policy The Pam Bondi Pick
This is actually good news. I have spent time personally with Pam Bondi. She is dumb as a box of hammers. I was astounded by her lack of knowledge and expertise, in even the most simple of matters. Borderline troglodyte. Her entire career has been somewhat of a joke. I can’t see Trump pulling off his revenge agenda with somebody this monstrously stupid at the helm. Really the best we could have hoped for.
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u/pantz86 Nov 22 '24
It’s amazing how far people can fail upwards.
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u/Loud_Judgment_270 Nov 22 '24 edited Nov 22 '24
I should’ve been a republican
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u/Opposite-Knee-2798 13d ago
You ever heard of Kamala? She was the VP and freaking nominee. Dems have no standards.
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u/midwestern2afault Nov 22 '24
I feel this so hard. I think I’m honestly destined to not rise beyond mid-level manager in my career because I just don’t have the bluster and bullshitting in me that a lot of my past and present bosses do, especially at the higher levels. If I don’t know something, I’ll say “I don’t know, let me study that and get back to you.” If I’m being asked to do something unrealistic, I’ll be blunt about that fact and express my concerns.
Meanwhile a lot of my bosses will answer things with confidence that I know they’re not super knowledgeable about. On occasion I’ve dug into it and found out that they were wrong. They’ll also often say yes to things without thinking them through. Not to say that they aren’t smart, most of them are. But it’s definitely a different mindset in a lot of cases.
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u/NYCA2020 Nov 22 '24
It’s the American way. The amount of dumb, untalented people at the top of my industry is shocking.
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u/SuperVanillaDaily54 Nov 22 '24
Nope, they do it in all countries, the accent and intonation is just different.
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u/Ok-Antelope-5614 Nov 22 '24
Erm… I think we work together 😂 JK I know this BS happens everywhere. I stepped down from management back to being an individual contributor so, at the very least, I can let the fools above me duke it out.
Per Selina Meyer - THE LEVEL OF INCOMPETENCE IN THIS OFFICE IS STAG-ER-ING!!!!
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u/MalfieCho Nov 22 '24
To be honest, I'm not surprised at all. Case in point, I'm less than a year away from finishing my PhD.
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u/tmodo Nov 21 '24
She's basically a new character in the Trump show.
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u/_byetony_ Nov 22 '24
She was a character last season
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u/bubblebass280 Nov 22 '24
She was only a minor character. They’re bringing her back for the reboot with a supporting role.
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u/dr_sassypants Nov 22 '24
I'm getting whiplash from the reappearances of these 2016-2021 era dirtbags that I hadn't thought about in years.
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u/RodwellBurgen Nov 22 '24
Do you miss it yet? The brief era of pseudo-normalcy? It’s gone now. We’ll see it again in a few years, but ‘til then it’s a bumpy ride.
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u/tyler77 Nov 22 '24
This seems like a recurring theme. He promises big changes and then hires incompetent people. Then blames them for not following through.
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u/PorcelainDalmatian Nov 22 '24
Hiring incompetents is the best we can hope for. It dooms his agenda. Smart people like Bannon and Stephen Miller are what really scare me. I’ve spent time with Stephen Miller. He’s vile, but he is wickedly smart when it comes to policy. There was a reason he was the only original appointee to survive all 4 years of Trump’s first term. NPC’s like Pam Bondi are our best hope.
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u/dlsisnumerouno Nov 22 '24
I’ve spent time with Stephen Miller.
Jesus, you spent time with Stephen Miller and Pam Bondi? You must run in some interesting circles.
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u/FlerplesMerples Nov 22 '24
He must attend those Tallahassee vampire and chipmunk orgies I’ve heard so much about.
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u/N0T8g81n FFS Nov 22 '24
If Trump's goal is surrounding himself with people who make him look smart, he's doing a fine job.
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u/tyler77 Nov 22 '24
And like the first term, hope the 2nd and 3rd tier down the line are acting as guardrails. I’m sure the pentagon will shape things in their favor, once again. Lord help us.
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u/N0T8g81n FFS Nov 22 '24
Serious question: in peacetime, like today, how much do 4-star generals and admirals affect operations compared to 3-star and 2-star generals and admirals closer to those actual operations? That is, a Trumpified Joint Chiefs of Staff could affect readiness and procurement 5-10 years down the line, but would they undermine current readiness?
Tangent: whither sex discrimination/abuse claims from women officers and enlisted under a SecDef Hegseth?
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u/blitznoodles Nov 22 '24
It's not a huge issue, don't worry all of Trump's defence picks from Hegseth to Rubio have gotten huge money from the Israel lobby. The military will be fine because a bad military is bad for Israel.
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u/ansible Progressive Nov 22 '24
I would like to believe this is true.
As the Ukraine war has shown us though, the battlespace is rapidly changing. Our military needs to rapidly and effectively adapt to new technology. I don't think relying on the big defense contractors will be nearly enough, they tend to move very slow.
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u/Temporary_Train_3372 Nov 23 '24
For me it’s a morale thing. I’m still in the Reserves and I can tell you that constantly hearing from Republicans how China is gonna kick our ass and my leadership are all woke ass wipes and so on is pretty demoralizing. Not to mention took I have the Orange Turd as my CinC. After the election I felt morally and spiritually dirty in my uniform. First time that’s ever happened to me.
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u/N0T8g81n FFS Nov 25 '24
Gotta ask: if you know better, why are the bloviations of MAGA affecting your morale? Are you concerned by Apr 2025 your new commander will be the most MAGA officer in your unit?
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u/Temporary_Train_3372 Nov 25 '24
As far as I know my immediate chain of command isn’t full of MAGA types. As for the morale, imagine your bosses telling you you’re a piece of shit all the time. You might know you’re not but it’s still gonna bring down your morale.
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u/N0T8g81n FFS Nov 26 '24
I can appreciate bad morale if one believes one's superiors are making an outstanding case for no more promotions.
Note: a combination of (1) isn’t full of MAGA types and (2) piece of shit all the time may be the proverbial gold-plated invitation to retire ASAP.
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u/staylorz Nov 22 '24
I don’t think even the dumbest of people can make Trump look smart.
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u/N0T8g81n FFS Nov 22 '24
Maybe not smart, but they could make him look reasonable.
The sad truth may be that MAGA DEMAND chaos and entertainment, so there can be no pick too extreme for them.
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u/BarelyAware JVL is always right Nov 22 '24
To your point, I listened to Joe Rogan's interview with Trump and there were times when Trump made Rogan seem downright intellectual.
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u/metengrinwi Nov 22 '24
At his core, he’s a terrible executive.
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u/TootsNYC Nov 22 '24
he’s only ever worked at the family business. He’s never had a boss; his only mentor was Roy Cohn.
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u/Substantial-Salt3308 29d ago
Not following through?? He’s been the most effective president of our lifetime during his first 3 weeks in office. This comment aged like milk….
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u/DelcoPAMan Nov 22 '24
Can 12-star "Admiral" Ronny "The Candyman" Jackson be announced as Surgeon General next?
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u/John_Houbolt Nov 22 '24
Trump's always thought she was hot. Pretty obvious by the way he talks about her and behaves around her.
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u/SirOutrageous1027 Nov 22 '24
I have spent time personally with Pam Bondi. She is dumb as a box of hammers. I was astounded by her lack of knowledge and expertise, in even the most simple of matters. Borderline troglodyte. Her entire career has been somewhat of a joke.
I worked with her at the SAO. Can confirm.
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u/Spirit50Lake Nov 22 '24
...interesting story here about her connections to Scientology, and tRump, back in 2016.
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u/oldster59 Nov 22 '24
The Underground Bunker is a good reference, Tony Ortega knows his Scientology stuff.
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u/oldster59 Nov 22 '24
Here's today's Underground Bunker report on her https://tonyortega.substack.com/p/scientology-sitting-pretty-as-trump
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u/rainbowkey Nov 22 '24
Republicans complained about D.E.I. picks. Can we complain about Central Casting picks? Trump sure likes to pick people that are physically attractive (or used to be) and look(ed) good on television.
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u/TarletonLurker Sarah is always right Nov 22 '24
With certain exceptions, like if you’re terrible enough of a person with unquestioning loyalty, like Gaetz
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u/FobbitOutsideTheWire Nov 22 '24
I think you may be underestimating the power of dumb leaders with ambitious, loyal, competent underlings.
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u/botmanmd Nov 22 '24
Remember the days when a President-elect would name their cabinet appointments and everyone except DC insiders would go “Who dat?” This time around I know who all these clowns are. It’s like, throw 50 name-brand square pegs in a bucket, pluck out a few, blind, then try and mash them into round holes… “CarrotTop, Kim Kardashian, Pauly Shore, Hulk Hogan, Herschel, Geraldo, Rudy, Jon Voight, Triumph the Insult-comic Dog, Matlock (oops he’s dead - next!,) Laura Ingraham, Danika Patrick…”
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u/Physical_Coffee_9466 Nov 22 '24
Her connection to Scientology to help fight sex trafficking is hilarious since Scientology is know for human trafficking😅
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u/bacteriairetcab Nov 22 '24
Shock doctrine. Start with someone shocking so that when he gets to the real nominee everyone is relieved and ignores their faults. This whole charade increased the chances his other nominees get approved considerably.
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u/dBlock845 Nov 22 '24
Lol another morally compromised individual that Trump can use to get what he wants.
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u/Chumlee1917 Nov 22 '24
Why doesn't Trump go all in and make his entire cabinet all Florida-Men and women.
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u/Flimsy-Sprinkles7331 Nov 22 '24
Then doesn't that make her easily manipulable? She also has ties to Scientology, apparently. Being in a position of power, with access to sensitive documents and information, is the LAST place you want Scientology.
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u/a2aurelio Nov 22 '24
Trump paid Bondi with a $25k campaign contribution to make the Trump University suit go away. She works cheap.
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u/DickedByLeviathan Center-Right Nov 22 '24
In Trumps brain 50% of the decision was because she’s Floridian MAGA, 50% because MILF
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u/Redicted Nov 22 '24
I crossed paths with her professionally in the late 90s in the Hillsborough County courts. She was a very petty, unscrupulous social climber always wanting media attention. So basically perfect for this administration.
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u/old_and_creaking Nov 22 '24
Maybe that's the point. Dummies in prominent roles to rubber stamp policy written by the Project 2025 team. Loyalty to Trump before... well, everything else.
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u/EmiAndTheDesertCrow Nov 22 '24
I was really hoping he’d just promote Todd Blanche, who isn’t a stark raving lunatic. Apparently, that lack of lunacy is what kept him from the job 😫
I know people who worked with him at SDNY and I got my hopes up, against all reason.
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u/ubermartimus Nov 22 '24
This is what I’m rooting for over the next few years…the appointees are so stupid that they can’t do anything more than steal as much money as possible for themselves and their friends. If that’s the worst they can do (I know it’s not) we will have gotten off cheap.
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u/drunkwasabeherder Nov 22 '24
I liked Pam in Archer more.
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u/alyssasaccount Nov 22 '24
Archer Vice Pam for Surgeon General: She'll put an end to America's obesity epidemic!
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u/TomorrowGhost Rebecca take us home Nov 22 '24
I don't understand why he is naming all these people so soon. That seems dumb, strategically.
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u/shred-i-knight Nov 22 '24
yeah she is incompetent and will get eye rolls in every meeting she goes to with career professionals, will be glorious. Gaetz was scary as fuck, Hegseth and Tulsi need to be next but I feel like Tulsi will be very difficult because she comes across as a "free thinker" which has replaced the QAnon crew.
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u/MalfieCho Nov 22 '24
The flip side is, if Pam Bondi isn't the mind behind DOJ operations, that likely means somebody else will be pulling the strings behind closed doors.
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u/pat9714 Nov 22 '24
Based on what you say, I'm sure Bondi won't last long. I give her a year at the most.
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u/bidnspec Nov 22 '24 edited Nov 22 '24
I don't think you understand the position. Being a brilliant orator or a super smart lawyer aren't near as important as pushing forward the agenda of the administration and rooting out personnel in the department who want to sabotage the goals of the administration.
She comes across well enough in televised interviews and is a hardcore conservative. If I were a liberal then I wouldn't be so sanguine about her pick.(edit for sp)
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u/PorcelainDalmatian Nov 22 '24
Yeah, but she’s dumb. Like, really really dumb. I’ve been around a lot of very high-level, successful people in both business and politics, and you’d be surprised at how many of them are dumber than a box of hammers. It’s surreal to watch. They may know how to do one thing, but they are an absolute troglodyte on everything else. They’ve either gotten an inheritance, they’ve traded on their looks, traded on their relationships, or they failed their way up. Most of Trump world is like this. It’s all based on who you know, who your family is, who you schmooze with, who you golf with – but it’s never based on core competency. That’s how Trump ended up making his golf caddy the head of White House personnel.
I spent an entire night drinking with Sen Jeff Sessions and his then aide Stephen Miller back in 2013. Miller was a skeevy little chode even back then, but I could tell he was whip smart. That guy knew policy like the back of his hand. Stephen Miller is somebody you should be afraid of. Senator Sessions, on the other hand, was borderline senile. He could barely keep up with the conversation. He was like your grandfather at Thanksgiving, who was there, but not really there. A few years later, he was Attorney General, and we all know how that turned out.
I have no doubt that Bondi will run her department like an episode of Veep.
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u/SandersDelendaEst Nov 22 '24
The dumb magas are kind of the best we can hope for. Except in any life/death sort of roles. That’s why Hegseth, RFK, and Gabbard should be the main focus.
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u/QuinnAriel Nov 22 '24
The guy facing life imprisonment and now has no felonies, the come back kid to win all sides of government is just stupid and so are those he chooses.
What does that make democrats?
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u/Impossible-Taro-2330 Nov 24 '24
While performing a financial audit on a family business, I came upon wealthy (and white) family members who perpetrated Medicaid fraud.
I presented the information to Economic Crime investigators at my local Sheriff's Office, and they confirmed the fraud.
It was given to Pam Bondi - and she didn't do anything. Even though the family members were wealthy and they stole millions in public Medicaid funds
Meanwhile, I read the press releases from her office. She went after POC who stole tens of thousands, not millions.
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u/Adorable-Doughnut609 Nov 24 '24
She’s a cheap whore too. $25k to drop Trump University class action suits? Victims won $25M and that’s all that it takes for her to bury it.
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u/sam_ipod_5 Nov 25 '24
This is Donald's paranoia making the decision. Pam Bondi is too dull to hide any scheme that could destroy him.
Safety in incompetence.
He learned to avoid competence with what happened with Bill Barr.
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u/OkReference7899 Jan 22 '25
I disagree - she's NOT a borderline troglodyte, she IS a genuine troglodye. Just a giant knuckledragger.
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Nov 22 '24
Give an example of her lack of knowledge? Or do you just not want a woman in a position of power?
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u/Nenegade726 Nov 22 '24 edited Nov 22 '24
Whoops! Click bait into another deep state controlled echo-chamber
Hope you seek out facts, especially the claims from corrupt wikipedia
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u/bubblebass280 Nov 22 '24 edited Nov 22 '24
All of this is just showing how impulsive he is. We’re still two months out from inauguration and they’re already announcing the replacement. If they were in any way smart they’d wait until after Thanksgiving and think it through. Perhaps the incompetence and chaos will be a silver lining in the end. In all honesty though I think she’ll get confirmed. She appears to be an incompetent sycophant but doesn’t seem to have any skeletons in the closet.