POTUS/General Election Thread 2020 + Aftermath

[Hooahguy]

In other words, even after contracting COVID-19, he continued his 'I could care less' attitude towards the disease. I realize, that his opponents can't just come out and say "Serves him right" although I'd bet the farm that's what they are thinking. But I have no such PC convictions. Serves him right.

Relevant:

[Montmorency]

With Covid and how it plays out, there are good days and bad days so I dont think a video or two are indicative of his overall condition.

More info from the briefing:


As Maggie Haberman points out, did they overreact and give him the steroid because he is POTUS or did they actually need to use it? I dont think we will ever get a real answer about it, and I would be shocked if he is released on Monday as they are claiming.

The more troubling thing is that Republicans are still skeptical about mask usage. One would think that after their figurehead gets Covid they would be more accepting of mask usage but nope. And yet they wonder why the virus seems to be primarily affecting Republican politicians and not Democrats.

Controversial as it may be, what I'm trying to convey is that Trump in that (longer) video sounds nice, gracious, for once in his life.

As for masks, the Republican treasurer of Wisconsin said: “If the leader of the free world can get this, I think it’s kind of silly for the rest of us to pretend a $3 handkerchief from Walmart is going to protect us."

'If the leader of the free world could burn his wittle fingah by touching the stove, it's kind of silly for the rest of us to pretend a $3 oven mitt from Walmart is going to protect us. And have you noticed how all these Republicans just turned up with burns, but conspicuously few Democrats? Now I'm not saying it was aliens...'

Notice also that this is the same kind of format of putative futility and absurdity the Right adopts toward all manner of ideas it doesn't like, such as the possibility that humans could have an effect on the climate.

I get it. Fearless Leader is POTUS, and because he is infected with a potentially life threatening disease, that deserves attention. But just as his entire career has been one "spin-doctor" production after another, this current media circus is as boring as it is predictable. What's not being mentioned often enough is that more than likely, Trump knew he had COVID-19 sometime mid-Wednesday, just hours after the presidential debate. And yet----he knowingly attended not just one but two fundraisers, plus a rally, plus an Air Force One flight, plus several staff meetings, all without masks.

I mentioned it as a limiter on our sympathy for his position, but as with so many other things it's beyond Trump: it's the Republican way. Republican lawmakers in Congress and the states have on many occasions maliciously - or minimally negligently - exposed their colleagues to the virus.

If the Amy Barrett reception turns out to have been a superspreader event that incapacitates the POTUS and neutralizes the Senate Republican majority needed to confirm her, that would certainly be good writing for a change.

[Ed. From 9/6/20] Long live King Prospero in his White Palace.

[ReluctantSamurai]

I mentioned it as a limiter on our sympathy for his position, but as with so many other things it's beyond Trump: it's the Republican way. Republican lawmakers in Congress and the states have on many occasions maliciously - or minimally negligently - exposed their colleagues to the virus.

I would put that the other way around---it's beyond the Republicans, it's the Trump way. If Fearless Leader had scared the Be-Jezus out of everyone back when he was interviewing with Woodward, much of this Covid Idiocy doesn't happen. The GOP has long since surrendered any semblance of being it's own conservative entity, and simply licks Trump's boot-heels for whatever he says or wants. If he had come out for wearing a mask and social distancing from the start, the GOP would've fell into line.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Is there any other evidence needed that this man deserves absolutely no sympathy for having COVID-19?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...isit-criticism

James Phillips, doctor of emergency medicine at George Washington University, who is an attending physician at Walter Reed, called the stunt “insanity”.

“Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential ‘drive-by’ just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die,” he wrote in a tweet.

“For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity.”

Trump signalled his intention to visit his flag-waving supporters in a video tweet of his own, released only moments before a cavalcade of black SUVs drove through the gates of the Maryland medical center. Trump was seen waving animatedly through a fully-closed window, before the vehicles doubled back into the hospital grounds.

“This is the real school,” Trump said in the video, describing his experience with Covid-19, and his second full day at Walter Reed after being admitted on Friday. “I get it and understand it. [It is] a very interesting thing and I’m going to be letting you know about it.”

No, Mr. President, you don't "get it", and neither do you "understand it". But your personal bodyguards do:

Secret Service agents expressed their anger and frustration to colleagues and friends Friday, saying that the president’s actions have repeatedly put them at risk. “He’s never cared about us,” one agent told a confidant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal reaction.

Former Secret Service agents said it was unheard of for agents to openly complain about their president but that some currently in the ranks had become convinced during the pandemic that Trump was willing to put his protectors in harm’s way.

Agents who work in field offices around the country complained that since late August, they are no longer being tested when they return home from working at a rally for the president.

“This administration doesn’t care about the Secret Service,” one current agent relayed in an internal discussion group. “It’s so obvious.”

Lends further weight to the "losers and suckers" commentary...

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Is there any other evidence needed that this man deserves absolutely no sympathy for having COVID-19?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...isit-criticism



No, Mr. President, you don't "get it", and neither do you "understand it". But your personal bodyguards do:



Lends further weight to the "losers and suckers" commentary...

Did the Service somehow believe that their status in protecting him would have him caring about them differently? He cares about them no less than he cares about the rest of us and no more. We are all merely "extras" in the only "show" that he frets about.

[rory_20_uk]

I would put that the other way around---it's beyond the Republicans, it's the Trump way. If Fearless Leader had scared the Be-Jezus out of everyone back when he was interviewing with Woodward, much of this Covid Idiocy doesn't happen. The GOP has long since surrendered any semblance of being it's own conservative entity, and simply licks Trump's boot-heels for whatever he says or wants. If he had come out for wearing a mask and social distancing from the start, the GOP would've fell into line.

I don't think it is that one way.

The "religious right" get their Federal Judges. They know he's dreadful but they're life appointments
The very rich have got their tax breaks. Sure, he's scum but money is money.
The white racists have got it as good as they'll ever get it. Yeah he has a long history of being a racist so they can see a kindred spirit.
The second amendment-maxers have broadly not had any issues with gun control so they're happy.
Individuals in the Senate know what the polls say about how their constituents will vote. And therefore will play to keep their seat. The only "rebels" are from states that are Republican but don't like the President


Each group above might love, despise or be indifferent to Dopey Donnie and don't have to agree with each other either. But they all are very aware that their interests are closest to him than anyone else.

All the above groups probably in the main don't have a fixed view on the whole mask / COVID thing. And so probably would have followed his lead.

[Montmorency]

We are lucky that Trump is too stupid and narcissistic to realize that excessively alienating the Armed Forces, state intelligence, and one's own quasi-Praetorians is not conducive to securing one's enduring power in office.

The only security forces Trump might be popular with are disparate swathes of local police - over whom Trump has no jurisdiction - and the Department of Homeland Security (e.g. ICE) jackboots, of whom there are only thousands.

The second amendment-maxers have broadly not had any issues with gun control so they're happy.

Hehehehehe

“I like taking the guns early, like in this crazy man’s case that just took place in Florida ... to go to court would have taken a long time,” Trump said at a meeting with lawmakers on school safety and gun violence.

“Take the guns first, go through due process second,” Trump said.

<laughtears.emoji>

Imagine those words attributed to Obama - who didn't really take any action, such as was within executive authority, against guns.

Each group above might love, despise or be indifferent to Dopey Donnie and don't have to agree with each other either. But they all are very aware that their interests are closest to him than anyone else.

I would say that the pre-existing (since at least Newt Gingrich's Contract with America) Republican consensus that Democrats are illegitimate socialists, the New Deal must be retrenched, wealth and power are more important than country and democracy, etc. has certainly not diminished under Trump. As we can see. Don't underestimate the depth of fanaticism or delusion among Republican officials, not necessarily for Trump's own sake but for the overlapping worldview. Which worldview will persist even if Republicans try to flush Trump down the memory hole next year.

[Hooahguy]

Interesting polling coming out of Michigan regarding demographic movement-

"There has been a major shift among voters over the age of 65 towards Joe Biden. Older voters now support Biden over Trump by a margin of 59.1%-29.2% -- a nearly 30-point lead for Joe Biden. Biden led senior voters by 7.5% in the Post-Convention survey. Senior voters have shifted by 22 points since early September."

Fascinating. Would not have thought the debate would impact that much. Also crucial since senior citizens are one of the more reliable voting groups.

On another topic, a friend of mine brought this up to me: what happens if Covid takes its toll on Trump and he dies right before the election, or otherwise incapacitated? And With less than a month to go, anything can happen. I guess Pence would take his spot but Im not sure how it would really impact the race. Would the trumpists be turned off because their leader is gone or would they be driven even more to "avenge" him? I could see some violence happening if he dies, as I've seen some trumpists say that they think the Dems purposely infected Trump with Covid.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Interesting polling coming out of Michigan regarding demographic movement-

"There has been a major shift among voters over the age of 65 towards Joe Biden. Older voters now support Biden over Trump by a margin of 59.1%-29.2% -- a nearly 30-point lead for Joe Biden. Biden led senior voters by 7.5% in the Post-Convention survey. Senior voters have shifted by 22 points since early September."

Fascinating. Would not have thought the debate would impact that much. Also crucial since senior citizens are one of the more reliable voting groups.

On another topic, a friend of mine brought this up to me: what happens if Covid takes its toll on Trump and he dies right before the election, or otherwise incapacitated? And With less than a month to go, anything can happen. I guess Pence would take his spot but Im not sure how it would really impact the race. Would the trumpists be turned off because their leader is gone or would they be driven even more to "avenge" him? I could see some violence happening if he dies, as I've seen some trumpists say that they think the Dems purposely infected Trump with Covid.

Right-wing terrorists groups would get violent. They just lost their figurehead. Turnout would collapse at the polls since Trump is the Republican party and there is no one who could fill in the enthusiasm gap.
It's not really a hot take to say that when the leader dies, voters get disillusioned.