JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.8.5/themes/smoothness/jquery-ui.css">
<a href="#" id="datepicker_link">September 26, 2011</a>             
<input id="datepicker" />

CSS

#datepicker {
    position: absolute;
    top: -200px;
}

#ui-datepicker-div {
    top: 2em !important;
    left: 0.5em !important;
}

JavaScript

var picker_link_id = "datepicker_link"
var picker_div_id = "datepicker"

var picker_div = $("#" + picker_div_id)


// initialize the datepicker
picker_div.datepicker({
    onSelect: function(dateText, picker) {
        //picker_div.hide();
        picker_div.datepicker('hide');
        // custom work
    }

});
$('#ui-datepicker-div').hide();

// position & toggle the datepicker on link click
$("#" + picker_link_id).click(function() {
    var $this = $(this)
/*
    // position the datepicker
    picker_div.css('position', 'absolute');
    picker_div.css('left', $this.position().left - (picker_div.width() - $this.width()));

    picker_div.toggle()
*/
		console.log(picker_div);
    if ($('#ui-datepicker-div').is(':visible')) 
        picker_div.datepicker('hide');
    else 
        picker_div.datepicker('show');
    return false;
});

// pressing ESC or clicking outside the datepicker should close it
$(document).bind("keypress", function(e) {
    if (e.keyCode == 27)
    //picker_div.hide();
    picker_div.datepicker('hide');
}).bind("mousedown", function(e) {
    if (e.target.id == $("#" + picker_link_id)[0].id) return;

    if (e.target.id != picker_div_id && $(e.target).parents('#' + picker_div_id).length == 0)
    //picker_div.hide();
    picker_div.datepicker('hide');
});