Josh & Anna Smuggar: A Series of Unfortunate Events

[bigskygirl]

I would pay good money to see someone take on Joshie and his political and religious views. I would laugh for a month.

 

For him to be a good lawyer, he would need a strong work ethic. And lets face it, he does not have one. Plus, book learning is fine, but a person needs street smarts also. Sadly, none of the Duggars have that either. Josh may have said he wanted to be an attorney, but he may have change his mind when he found out the hard work behind becoming one.

[MrMattyMatt]

I often wonder if they basically having him do busy work crap jobs at the office and then on occasion use him as a front man at events.  I also cannot seriously see him holding his own on serious debates such as gay marriage and abortion.  With that said, he's been at FRC much longer than I anticipated.

[Libby96]

It still floors me that families like the Duggars don't even believe in higher education in a Christian college or university. There are many accredited colleges that require a statement of faith from applicants, promote a conservative lifestyle on campus (no co-ed dorms, chapel attendance, etc) and actually encourage real world job skills and critical thinking. But perhaps I answered my own question with the mention of critical thinking. Such a school also would allow the kids to live on campus and out from under their parents' watchful eye. It's a shame, though, because such colleges are of course private, and therefore expensive. The Duggars would actually be in the position to afford such an education for their children who desire a college degree.

[trimthatfat]

At this point, I couldn't see any of the kids going to college. The kids see their wealthy parents and at least one of their siblings has a cushy job with an office, and none of them went to college. All the more reason for Jim Bob and/or Michelle to argue college isn't necessary for success. Now granted, there are successful, wealthy individuals who did not go to college, but it does sadden me that the children have no choice. Even attending a proper Christian university/college isn't an option.

[aunt jen]

Any time I've seen the older kids write anything (I don't follow them on social media but I see things here and elsewhere), they seem to write pretty well, use decent (if more casual) grammar, and spell things correctly.  I'd be interested to see if the younger kids are when they get old enough to be on social media.  Clearly, the older kids were given a good foundation of reading and writing; the big unknown is how much of that has gotten to the little ones.

[Sundaymorning]

I often wonder if they basically having him do busy work crap jobs at the office and then on occasion use him as a front man at events.  I also cannot seriously see him holding his own on serious debates such as gay marriage and abortion.  With that said, he's been at FRC much longer than I anticipated.

Well, with a job like his, he can keep busy if he wants to. I mean, if he would read all the e-mails and letters he gets every day from friends and foes, he could probably fill a lot of his workday. If he answers the easy ones himself (I'm sure, FRC has some model letters he can copy off, so he doesn't have to think too hard), he can fill out a few hours with that.

Then he can "read" some of the FRC statements and papers, attend some meetings, meet with some candidates and their people to plan some appearances, travel around the country to endorse candidates, make some speeches (he doesn't write himself, but still has to practise),  make some episodes with TLC, attend some fundie events in DC...

Any time I've seen the older kids write anything (I don't follow them on social media but I see things here and elsewhere), they seem to write pretty well, use decent (if more casual) grammar, and spell things correctly.  I'd be interested to see if the younger kids are when they get old enough to be on social media.  Clearly, the older kids were given a good foundation of reading and writing; the big unknown is how much of that has gotten to the little ones.

Spell check on the computer can help, also they have the advantage that they grew up using ATI English ("blessing", "jurisdiction", "modest"), and not some slang. For the bigger things (like books) they surely have some professional helpers, who edit their writings for them.  And let's face it, their posts on social media pretty much cover the same things over and over again. I'm pretty sure they have the 100 most used sentences in ATI circles down in their sleep by now, and can use them over and over again.

 

That said, I'm not saying that they can't write on an acceptable level, but I'd like to see them write, let's say, an essay about a slightly more complex subject. Or take a math test that goes beyond the basic arithmetic operations.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Sundaymorning

[Portia]

Having taught university freshman English composition for years, I assure you there are far too many young adults who can write mechanically correct sentences but have abysmal critical thinking skills. Likewise, some can organize a decent essay but have absolutely nothing interesting to say!

 

I've also held administrative positions with a number of non-profits, and directorship of an agency the size of FRC is no small task. I'd really be curious to see a copy of their staff organizational chart to see whether it's apparent that his is a figurehead position and that another staff person is actually running the show.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Portia

[lookeyloo]

http://www.frc.org/experts

 

Here is what they have on their website.  Don't see him listed, but I'm sure they have more people employed than this crew.

[Marigny]

Does anyone think he does much of his own research into issues, or even look up words he doesn't know?

 

 

This.

I doubt he was hired because of his awesome education or skills, but for PR purposes. His job is to pose for pictures, make some (ATI approved) statements and post it on his social media sites. And if he gets his whole family to participate in an "event", then even better.

He was definitely hired for PR purposes. Any time the show is mentioned, FRC gets free publicity in publications that they wouldn't get into or be able to afford otherwise. I believe that Josh's hiring is no different than a television station hiring a pretty girl with no qualifications to do traffic reporting. 

http://www.frc.org/experts

 

Here is what they have on their website.  Don't see him listed, but I'm sure they have more people employed than this crew.

This is further proof that Josh has no decision making power and his title is a vanity one. 

[mimionthebeach]

http://www.frcaction.org/about-us

 

This is the arm of the FRC that employs Josh. Very impressive bio....  

 

/sarcasm off

[lookeyloo]

Very interesting stuff!!!  

[PecanSandie]

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I think Josh is qualified for his position at FRC. It's mostly fluff and PR and requires him to be comfortable on camera, married to the position he is espousing and have the ability to speak to the issue in an understandable manner. 

 

I think he has those abilities. Even at age 14 or so when he was the first narrator for the shows, he did a good job. I may not agree with all of his positions, but I think he does have the ability to articulate them and he does bring a following with him and it's the following that the FRC wants to attract more of.

[Marigny]

The person that wrote the bio did a good job fluffing it as much as possible. It's still obviously a vanity title. Tony and Connie are doing all the heavy lifting while they send Joshie Pooh out to smile for the camera & get them a mention in the press. 

[mbutterfly]

http://www.frc.org/experts

 

Here is what they have on their website.  Don't see him listed, but I'm sure they have more people employed than this crew.

But this even includes a student intern. I'm surprised Smuggar isn't there too. 

[bigskygirl]

Owned and operated the car lot. I thought daddy own it. I also would not be boasting about his campaigning for candidates since they seem to lose every time.

[starfire]

Probably even many of the FRC people are embarrassed of Josh's credentials and want as little as possible of him mentioned on the main FRC site.

[Skittl1321]

Half of his bio is recapping his Dad's credentials.

And how good is it to have worked on multiple failed campaigns?

[Sew Sumi]

But this even includes a student intern. I'm surprised Smuggar isn't there too. 

He's with FRC Action, the lobbying wing of FRC. His profile has been up there since almost day one.

 

My bad, I just realized I forgot the link!

 

http://www.frcaction.org/josh-duggar

 

I believe the picture has been updated, but the profile looks to be unchanged from what they've always had. I laugh at "Strategic Political Services." That was just a dead website for years. He got his job (and Perkins has admitted this when he's had Smugs on his radio show) because he's one of 19 homeschooled kids. That's pretty much it.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Sew Sumi

[jb0495]

I was watching the re-run this morning where the girls volunteered at the fire department & they made skirts for the uniforms. Anna & Josh were doing a TH about Mackynzie and talking about how babies learn a lot when they are young. They talked about teaching Mackynzie a lot now so it sets her up for middle school and high school!!

Anna was also very frank about the discussion of wearing skirts. I was surprised how much she talked & also how much she spoke her mind!

[Ilovemylabs]

Here's an interesting tidbit about Josh and Anna and kids.

 

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2014/08/josh-duggar-poses-with-children-and-assault-weapon-in-controvers/

[roamyn]

I'm not a gun enthusiast, tho I have shot in inside firing ranges. However, JOSH is holding the weapon, and the baby is touching it. Whoopee...

Teaching toddlers about gun safety is important; and guns are a part of southern culture.

I think the article makes something out of nothing, and is judgmental.

[SusieQZie]

I was showing the "gun picture" to a friend last night and neither of us found anything wrong with it. It seemed to be nothing other than a fun photo op on a family outing.

 

For as much as Josh gets on my nerves, I fail to see what the big deal was this time.

[Absolom]

I think it's cultural.  Growing up in the south, it was nothing for me to touch or handle guns as a child.  Where I live now, it would be appalling to see someone let a child handle a gun. 

[Sew Sumi]

Well, Smug is doing his "job" at the FRC. He's trying to drum up twitter and IG followers for FRC Action. Not quite sure why, other than a show of solidarity (that's all I can really figure out from his posts) for "family values."

 

So yeah, he's there for the visibility factor, not much else.

[roamyn]

It could be part of his job description to bring new members on board.

[ariel]

I could see Josh, the baby, & a gun possibly getting more membership for the hate group that employs him.

[Sew Sumi]

It could be part of his job description to bring new members on board.

I don't think you "join" the FRC more than support their agenda. They're basically a conservative DC lobby group. Smuggar's arm supports politicians running for office with the same values, claiming "grassroots" status. Of course, we know the outcome of everyone he's backed on behalf of the FRC this past year.  Oops!

[Nysha]

So, one of Josh's bosses is a woman? How unbiblical! I thought part of why the ATI group had work for themselves is so they didn't end up having a boss who was anything but white/male/Christian?

[ariel]

It could entice donations to his employer

Edited August 7, 2014 by ariel

[Sew Sumi]

@ariel, I agree. A poster at FJ claims she got a call from the FRC "on behalf of Josh Duggar" to support what is basically the Tea Party agenda. So, they apparently have interns doing this "grassroots" work somewhere in Smuggar's name, which they obviously believe gives the FRC a more visible profile. I'd pay to see Smuggar debate on C-SPAN with someone from a liberal think-tank. (That's the terminology I failed to conjure up in my previous post.)

[roamyn]

Smuggar debate? Bwahahaha!

Would they sell box tickets?

[Ivy26]

. I'd pay to see Smuggar debate on C-SPAN with someone from a liberal think-tank. (That's the terminology I failed to conjure up in my previous post.)

 

Hell, I'd pay to see Smuggar go up against even moderate Conservatives or Libertarians with half a brain.  They would talk circles around him. 

Kind of burns me that while I really dislike the FRC, there are dozens of college educated people who could benefit the company (again I don't like them, roll with me on this) in more creative and intelligent ways than some backwoods (barely) homeschooled hick who's only claim to fame is he was #1 out of Mommy's slip n' slide vag.  People with way more political savvy and PR skills than someone who thinks Instagramming meals is "neat fun". 

[Lillybee]

Josh's latest speech as a FRC rep. I think that he might be dissing Derick's missionary work in it.

 

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/11/reality-tv-star-josh-duggar-warns-conservative-christians-of-obamas-gay-friendly-agenda/

[Ljohnson1987]

Not surprising that Smuggar would diss someone with a college education, and who did real missionary work. Derrick is a hundred steps ahead of Smuggar. I bet he's jealous. He likes people on his own level, like TFDW. 

[starfire]

I could be wrong, but I don't think he is dissing Derick or missionary work. I think he is dissing Obama and saying Washington DC is full of headhunters and cannibals.

[starfire]

He said: “I had a friend who went and lived among headhunters and cannibals, and so I prayed to the Lord, ‘Please don’t send me among headhunters and cannibals.’ So He sent me to Washington.”

 

He is saying, in my opinion, that he prayed to God not to have to work among headhunters and cannibals, and God sent him to Washington DC...where he is working amongst headhunters and cannibals (not literally of course) so God got the last laugh.

[barbedwire]

He is trying to be funny and he is failing.

[starfire]

I actually didn't think it was too bad of a joke for the anti "Obama's gay agenda" crowd.

[riverblue22]

I thought it was a dull speech.  If I were in the crowd, I would snooze until Sarah Palin or Michele Bachman showed up.

[GEML]

Eh, I'm a Christian, liberal Democrat, who lives just outside DC, and I thought the joke was pretty funny. The rest of his speech? Not so much....he certainly doesn't speak for me with his brand of Christianity and morals.

[mbutterfly]

Do you think smuggar wrote the joke because it seems at a level beyond his writing abilities?

[JessDVD]

I'm 95% sure I've heard that joke before. I was going to call it old and tired but still moderately humorous.

 

I forgot to mention, also the sort of joke that will cause a lot of people I know to laugh hysterically... so in that case, well played, Josh.

Edited August 14, 2014 by JessDVD

[Sew Sumi]

Do you think smuggar wrote the joke because it seems at a level beyond his writing abilities?

No. I am pretty sure it was ghost-written. And the cannibal joke? Smuggar said HE knew someone who was a missionary in New Guinea...blah blah blah...

 

Last documented cannibalism in New Guinea was in the early '50's. So no Smuggar, you didn't know anyone and are too young for that joke to work.

 

The rest of his speech was pure sewage. He needs to get back to me when he suffers REAL persecution, not even on the scale of the ISIS crisis. No one is trying to take his religion away, as much as he seems to think he's under some sort of attack.

[mythoughtis]

I could be wrong, but I don't think he is dissing Derick or missionary work. I think he is dissing Obama and saying Washington DC is full of headhunters and cannibals.

 

 

Similar jokes have been made for years, regardless of which party is in office.  Think the annual Press dinner.   It's similar to the jokes made about rooms full of lawyers.  I'm actually impressed that Josh would make a joke that used God in any way.

[SunnyBeBe]

Can someone please help me refresh my memory. Josh says he struggled as a teen with his desire to stay pure.  I recall early in the series Josh's parent's talked about this incident they had to address with Josh and his problem.  It seemed to be something of a touchy nature, but I can't recall the details.  Does anyone know?

[Almost 3000]

Can someone please help me refresh my memory. Josh says he struggled as a teen with his desire to stay pure.  I recall early in the series Josh's parent's talked about this incident they had to address with Josh and his problem.  It seemed to be something of a touchy nature, but I can't recall the details.  Does anyone know?

I don't remember the Duggars or Josh in particular talking about this but I may just have missed it. There was an internet rumor that never had any substance though.

[floridamom]

Just re-watched the Mackynzie birth episode...

1. Why was it Michelle who had to absolutely be there instead of Anna's own mother? Why didn't Mrs. Kellar fly over? She was kept on the outside, IMO.

2. Does Anna think that she gets some kind of extra medal for enduring an agonizingly long labor without any medical personnel or equipment on hand nor any pain meds?

3. Josh gets the idiot medal for keeping her at home during such a labor.

4. Anna gets the stupidity award for not going to a hospital to deliver.

5. Did you see the size of Mac's head? No wonder that poor girl was suffering so much.

6. Camera crew people breathing all over a newborn without any surgical masks in an unsterilized room.

7. Anyone with any birth experience knows that you don't give a laboring mother water to drink... it's ICE CHIPS only... (that's YOU, Michelle) and I'm NOT a nurse, just a mom who has had a mere TWO deliveries. Michelle should have known better from her years of labor experience.

I am also rapidly growing quite disgusted with anytime one of the females comments on their own opinion, which might not be totally a positive one, they seem to have to quickly correct themselves and end on a positive. Anna seems quite uncomfortable speaking about her own feelings and opinions OR experiences that might not have been so positive...very annoying. She, at 21, was quite a child. It's more like a 15 year old delivering a teen out of wedlock baby. Her demeanor was quite the junior high level.

[BitterApple]

floridamom, Michelle is the same woman who fed babies laying flat on their backs, so yeah, I agree she's remarkably inept considering how many children she's had.

[alt0233]

My hospital gave me water during my labor - ice chips only is generally in the case of a labor where they think they may need emergency surgery with general anesthesia. I had also talked to my doctor and gotten the okay for saltines if I felt I needed them - she said that it was a call we could make at the time depending on how I was progressing, but I ended up not wanting them. Ice chips only is in no way a hard and fast rule.

[GEML]

Quite a few midwives discard the ice chips only rule, actually encouraging women to eat and drink lightly during labor to keep their strength up. If you are almost certain there will be no reason for a C-section, and given that most c-sections are done with the woman fully conscious and this able to vomit if necessary, not eating/drinking may fall by the wayside as overly cautious in the years to come.