General Discussion

EarlG

(23,589 posts)

25. I don't like the coastal elite stereotype

Fri Mar 6, 2026, 03:50 PM

Mar 6

It plays into the right wing's claims that experts are useless, which has led us to the shitshow we're in now.

Markwayne Mullin has proven that he's a good plumber -- he inherited his dad's plumbing business, and he grew it and sold it for a profit. He also has an Associate's degree in construction technology.

Meanwhile, the last serious head of DHS was Alejandro Mayorkas. Here's his resume before getting the job:

He graduated from UC Berkeley in history with honors, subsequently earning his J.D. from Loyola Marymount University. After law school, Mayorkas worked as an assistant United States attorney and as the United States attorney for the Central District of California in Los Angeles from 1998 to 2001.

In 2009, Mayorkas was a member of the presidential transition team for Barack Obama, leading the team responsible for the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division. He was appointed by President Obama as the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. As USCIS director, Mayorkas implemented the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process in 60 days.

He led U.S. government efforts to rescue orphaned children following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and led the advancement of a crime victims unit that, for the first time, made it possible for the agency to issue the statutory maximum number of visas to victims of crime.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_Mayorkas

Here's the thing: if Alejandro Mayorkas tried to do Markwayne Mullin's job for a day, he'd be laughed out of town. He's not a plumber, he's not trained as a plumber, so why on earth would anyone take him seriously if he showed up and tried to be a plumber?

But if Markwayne Mullin is appointed to do Alejandro Mayorkas's job, for some reason, the general cultural opinion seems to be that we should treat it as serious business, because we don't want to offend people with our "elitism."

It doesn't make sense to me. Good plumbers are experts. So are heads of the Department of Homeland Security. It doesn't mean that they're qualified to do each other's jobs.

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Highlight:

Pic Of The Moment: Let's Meet Trump's New Pick For Head Of DHS [View all] EarlG Mar 6 OP

I assume he was hated by his fellow Senators Johonny Mar 6 #1

It misses the part about how MWM went 3-0 in his MMA fighting career AZJonnie Mar 6 #2

A degree in drywallogy UpInArms Mar 6 #3

OT: your icon is sadly appropos -War is Indeed a Racket jfz9580m Mar 6 #5

yes, I read the book a long time ago UpInArms Mar 6 #6

Ah yes - the plot by those industrialists against FDR jfz9580m Mar 6 #9

Here's some real truth....War makes rich men richer. Bengus81 Mar 6 #11

the guy is a total dumbass Kali Mar 6 #4

TBH I just don't think a home improvement expert is qualified to run the Department of Homeland Security EarlG Mar 6 #7

in general I agree, and specifically him I TOTALLY agree Kali Mar 6 #14

I don't like the coastal elite stereotype EarlG Mar 6 #25

I am just saying the college/law degrees Kali Mar 6 #28

"I am just saying the college/law degrees TBF Mar 6 #36

His post is about those in Congress,not every Liberal everywhre having a college degree Bengus81 Mar 6 #8

is a law degree a requirement for being elected to office? Kali Mar 6 #16

I want Cabinet Appointments to be educated leftstreet Mar 6 #15

a doctor and a senator are not the same thing Kali Mar 6 #18

But we can always use another plumber, especially so close to the White House FakeNoose Mar 6 #23

wonder if he had anything to do with all the marble they inflicted on the Kali Mar 6 #29

Watch the flare up in a Senate meeting wanting to fight a guy testifying. No wonder a Trump likes Bengus81 Mar 6 #10

Maybe he'll at least fund FEMA recoveries. intheflow Mar 6 #12

I wonder if he would hire a cashier at 7-Eleven to do his plumbing? Why does he think... Ol Janx Spirit Mar 6 #13

He's the only one from a truly safe state Figarosmom Mar 6 #17

Well, he's got that kind of face. You just want to Exp Mar 6 #19

Only the best people twodogsbarking Mar 6 #20

So the guy is Tim Allen, right? Remember the episode of Home Improvement where Tim juiced up a garbage disposal PatrickforB Mar 6 #21

Let's bring out Weird Al... BumRushDaShow Mar 6 #22

In other words, he is less qualified for the position than I am. LoisB Mar 6 #24

This made me smile LetMyPeopleVote Mar 6 #26

He is very very anti.immigrant..that and how much he flatters trump, thats all trump cares about BlueWaveNeverEnd Mar 6 #27

I only have a high school degree and so does my husband crimycarny Mar 6 #30

As an aside, I am an engineer also with a BSEE. I work for an MEP firm and madinmaryland Mar 6 #32

Oh puhleeze crimycarny Mar 6 #33

Education definitely has a role in not breaking other people's shit jfz9580m Thursday #41

Education comes in many forms crimycarny Thursday #42

Re jfz9580m Thursday #43

Ah, I misunderstood crimycarny Thursday #44

Roid Raging Senator 2na fisherman Mar 6 #31

The only qualification..... SergeStorms Mar 6 #34

Plumb Dumb. Period! czarjak Mar 6 #35

TSF replaced LilElf70 Mar 6 #37

He's a lunatic. An ex-MMA fighter. BlueTsunami2018 Mar 6 #38

"Meet the new boss.... same as the old boss" - The Who Jack Valentino Mar 6 #39

What a douchebag jfz9580m Thursday #40