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-   -   Will Trump See Covid-19 as an Opportunity? (https://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=342327)

dann 26th February 2020 10:02 AM

Will Trump See Covid-19 as an Opportunity?
 
I'm not thinking of a business opportunity. The virus is probably going to affect the whole tourist and hospitality industry negatively: travel agencies, airlines, cruise lines, theme parks and hotels.
We also know that he has no idea whatsoever what a virus or a pandemic is.
But he has already stated several times that he might try to stay in office if he is not reelected in November.
Declaring a state of emergency could be the way for him to cancel or postpone the primaries as well as the presidential election altogether - at least until a vaccine is ready if it ever is.
Having to cancel his own ego-boosting rallies might be the only thing preventing him from doing so.

Ziggurat 26th February 2020 10:06 AM

Step away from the koolaid.

theprestige 26th February 2020 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dann (Post 13002171)
I'm not thinking of a business opportunity. The virus is probably going to affect the whole tourist and hospitality industry negatively: travel agencies, airlines, cruise lines, theme parks and hotels.
We also know that he has no idea whatsoever what a virus or a pandemic is.
But he has already stated several times that he might try to stay in office if he is not reelected in November.
Declaring a state of emergency could be the way for him to cancel or postpone the primaries as well as the presidential election altogether - at least until a vaccine is ready if it ever is.
Having to cancel his own ego-boosting rallies might be the only thing preventing him from doing so.

What if the CDC actually recommends postponing elections due to risk of contagion?

The Great Zaganza 26th February 2020 10:09 AM

Last thing Republicans want is more people voting by mail.
Much harder to harass voters or keep impossible voting hours.

TragicMonkey 26th February 2020 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theprestige (Post 13002178)
What if the CDC actually recommends postponing elections due to risk of contagion?

Isn't the CDC down to three interns working out of a Starbucks? Nobody ever listens to the CDC, especially these days.

eeyore1954 26th February 2020 10:24 AM

I suspect he is working with Putin to bring the virus to the US and then he will declare himself dictator for life.

TragicMonkey 26th February 2020 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore1954 (Post 13002198)
I suspect he is working with Putin to bring the virus to the US and then he will declare himself dictator for life.

Well, it's a possibility as apparently the virus is transmissible by the fecal-oral route.

Belz... 26th February 2020 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore1954 (Post 13002198)
I suspect he is working with Putin to bring the virus to the US and then he will declare himself dictator for life.

The thing is, that doesn't sound as crazy as it did would have a year ago.

The Great Zaganza 26th February 2020 10:39 AM

If there is one country I doubt can deal with Corona it's Russia.

Meadmaker 26th February 2020 10:52 AM

The first time I ever heard about Presidential Derangement Syndrome it was Clinton Derangement Syndrome. However, for the varieties labelled Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Hillary (an honorary title), it was just a mildly sarcastic was of saying, "Oh, get over it. Not everything bad is caused by (insert politician's name here)".

But with Trump Derangement Syndrome, I think it really has reached the level of mental illness for some people.

Is the OP author one of those? Well, that depends. Was the OP meant to be taken seriously? Then yes. The idea that Donald Trump is going to declare himself dictator is simply nuts.


Uhmmmm…..let me revise slightly. The idea that Donald Trump will successfully declare himself dictator is simply nuts. I don't know what goes on in his head. He might just imagine that he could do it, but no. Even with a Coronavirus pandemic going on, there will still be elections, and Donald Trump will still respect the results of those elections.

I shiver to think what he might do during his lame duck period, but come January 20, 2025, there will be a President of the United States, and he won't be named Donald Trump. Hopefully, January 20, 2021, but that's not as easy to foretell.

Belz... 26th February 2020 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
The first time I ever heard about Presidential Derangement Syndrome it was Clinton Derangement Syndrome. However, for the varieties labelled Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Hillary (an honorary title), it was just a mildly sarcastic was of saying, "Oh, get over it. Not everything bad is caused by (insert politician's name here)".

But with Trump Derangement Syndrome, I think it really has reached the level of mental illness for some people.

Gee, if it's true for Trump, it was ten times true for Obama and Hillary.

plague311 26th February 2020 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
But with Trump Derangement Syndrome, I think it really has reached the level of mental illness for some people.

What are you basing this on? He's said that he wants to stay in the White House and he's floated the idea to get a reaction more than once. It's not like this is some "out of left field" type of idea. Calling someone mentally ill should require them to at least contradict the words spoken by the target of their ire.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
Is the OP author one of those? Well, that depends.

His concept is no more crazy than claiming someone is mentally ill without any ******* evidence to support the claim at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
Was the OP meant to be taken seriously? Then yes. The idea that Donald Trump is going to declare himself dictator is simply nuts.

Even if it's a hypothetical, again, it's not far off the mark. Trump has floated the idea more than once (with regards to staying in office). You guys just calling someone mentally ill isn't really refuting a ******* thing. It's the actual definition of an ad hom attack. You didn't contest anything about his argument. You said he was deranged and nothing else. That's the antithesis of skepticism.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
Uhmmmm…..let me revise slightly. The idea that Donald Trump will successfully declare himself dictator is simply nuts. I don't know what goes on in his head. He might just imagine that he could do it, but no. Even with a Coronavirus pandemic going on, there will still be elections, and Donald Trump will still respect the results of those elections.

LoL the OP never said it would be successful, just that Trump would try it. How do you know he'll respect the elections? There's way more evidence to support the OP saying Trump will try to stay in office than your claim that he will respect the elections. Do you have actual evidence Trump will respect the elections? He respects absolutely nothing else. I think what you mean is Trump will be forced to adhere to the election results.

I'd say it's more deranged and mentally ill to think Trump would adhere to any respected norm as he hasn't shown any evidence he will up to this point.

eeyore1954 26th February 2020 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
The first time I ever heard about Presidential Derangement Syndrome it was Clinton Derangement Syndrome. However, for the varieties labelled Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Hillary (an honorary title), it was just a mildly sarcastic was of saying, "Oh, get over it. Not everything bad is caused by (insert politician's name here)".

But with Trump Derangement Syndrome, I think it really has reached the level of mental illness for some people.

Is the OP author one of those? Well, that depends. Was the OP meant to be taken seriously? Then yes. The idea that Donald Trump is going to declare himself dictator is simply nuts.


Uhmmmm…..let me revise slightly. The idea that Donald Trump will successfully declare himself dictator is simply nuts. I don't know what goes on in his head. He might just imagine that he could do it, but no. Even with a Coronavirus pandemic going on, there will still be elections, and Donald Trump will still respect the results of those elections.

I shiver to think what he might do during his lame duck period, but come January 20, 2025, there will be a President of the United States, and he won't be named Donald Trump. Hopefully, January 20, 2021, but that's not as easy to foretell.

I first saw it with Clinton. All of the murder conspiracies. My sister said he had a red nose because of his cocaine use.

TragicMonkey 26th February 2020 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore1954 (Post 13002257)
I first saw it with Clinton. All of the murder conspiracies. My sister said he had a red nose because of his cocaine use.

Plainly ridiculous! Everyone knew he got his cocaine injected directly into his scrotum during swinger parties. Ah, the 90s! When journalism was about facts and Facebook wasn't a thing!

Armitage72 26th February 2020 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
Even with a Coronavirus pandemic going on, there will still be elections, and Donald Trump will still respect the results of those elections.


He screamed voter fraud at the top of his lungs and demanded an investigation when he WON. Do you genuinely think he'll quietly accept a loss?
But that's not really the topic of this thread.

johnny karate 26th February 2020 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore1954 (Post 13002257)
I first saw it with Clinton. All of the murder conspiracies. My sister said he had a red nose because of his cocaine use.

The only way that this would be comparable to so-called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is if Clinton was on record implying multiple times that he committed murder and snorted cocaine.

I think a more appropriate term to use during the Trump era is Head-In-Sand Syndrome.

eeyore1954 26th February 2020 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belz... (Post 13002210)
The thing is, that doesn't sound as crazy as it did would have a year ago.

In my opinion it should sound crazy.

Cainkane1 26th February 2020 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dann (Post 13002171)
I'm not thinking of a business opportunity. The virus is probably going to affect the whole tourist and hospitality industry negatively: travel agencies, airlines, cruise lines, theme parks and hotels.
We also know that he has no idea whatsoever what a virus or a pandemic is.
But he has already stated several times that he might try to stay in office if he is not reelected in November.
Declaring a state of emergency could be the way for him to cancel or postpone the primaries as well as the presidential election altogether - at least until a vaccine is ready if it ever is.
Having to cancel his own ego-boosting rallies might be the only thing preventing him from doing so.

I remember the Asian flu which I had at age 11 and had there been a way to avoid that level of misery I certainly would have done it. I doubt if this current virus is as bad as that one was. These things come along and people get hurt even if they are able to avoid the virus themselves. You lose money and that's all there is to it. The misery level of being sick is what scares people away and I don't blame them.

Its been 61 years since the Asian flu was around but it was a serious illness that cost the lives of thousands of elderly patients and young children with compromised immune systems or weak in some way already.

Prior to to getting sick I was healthy as a horse but I will never forget the fever, the aches, the pains and the overall feeling of agony that coame with the Asian flu.

eeyore1954 26th February 2020 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armitage72 (Post 13002274)
He screamed voter fraud at the top of his lungs and demanded an investigation when he WON. Do you genuinely think he'll quietly accept a loss?
But that's not really the topic of this thread.

He may not quietly accept a close loss but I don't think he would do anything other than legal channels to contest it.

Horatius 26th February 2020 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
The first time I ever heard about Presidential Derangement Syndrome it was Clinton Derangement Syndrome. However, for the varieties labelled Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Hillary (an honorary title), it was just a mildly sarcastic was of saying, "Oh, get over it. Not everything bad is caused by (insert politician's name here)".


And that's the part where you got it wrong. Obama Derangement Syndrome was so significant, it literally took over the mainstream of the Republican Party, got Trump elected, and still dictates a large part of their agenda. The earlier examples of Presidential Derangement Syndromes were largely confined to the Alex Jones type fringe nutcases.


Quote:

But with Trump Derangement Syndrome, I think it really has reached the level of mental illness for some people.
And this is wrong again.

ODS was based on virtually nothing. It was drawn entirely out of the minds of the people who went nuts seeing Obama in the Oval Office.

In contrast, "TDS" is based on things that Trump has actually done and said. Oh, sure, he's "just joking"; oh sure, his agenda "isn't as bad as you make it out to be". But there's worlds of difference between concerns based at least somewhat on reality, and concerns pulled entirely out of thin air.

The Great Zaganza 26th February 2020 11:51 AM

The issue is that Trump is entirely transactional, and he no longer has any adults around him that might stop him from doing something that, at first glance, looks like it would give him a short-term advantage.
We can see right now how he tries to manipulate the Stock Market by lying about the scope of the Pandemic.
It's not that Trump would plan to use the virus scare to delay elections, but neither is there reason to believe he wouldn't do so if given the opportunity and motivation; Trump hasn't shown any restraint of his own so far.

Armitage72 26th February 2020 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore1954 (Post 13002308)
He may not quietly accept a close loss but I don't think he would do anything other than legal channels to contest it.


Legal channels, while he's currently saying that two Supreme Court Justices should recuse themselves from any cases involving him because they aren't his subservient toadies.

RecoveringYuppy 26th February 2020 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
Even with a Coronavirus pandemic going on, there will still be elections, and Donald Trump will still respect the results of those elections.


I agree Trump will get out of office, but Trump doesn't respect elections. He didn't even respect the election that put him in office. Millions of illegal votes was his claim.


ETA: Ninja'd I'm not surprised to see.

Meadmaker 26th February 2020 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plague311 (Post 13002248)
LoL the OP never said it would be successful, just that Trump would try it.

Fair enough.

I think that is far fetched, but not nuts.

johnny karate 26th February 2020 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002337)
Fair enough.

I think that is far fetched, but not nuts.

Which part do you find far-fetched? The part where Trump has expressed the desire and will to do it? Or just the part where he would actually try it?

Meadmaker 26th February 2020 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny karate (Post 13002350)
Which part do you find far-fetched? The part where Trump has expressed the desire and will to do it? Or just the part where he would actually try it?

Just the part about actually trying it.

Horatius 26th February 2020 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002356)
Just the part about actually trying it.



The problem is, everything about his presidency is far-fetched. You simply can't make a prediction about what he might do, or what might happen, based on previous presidencies. We're in uncharted waters, here.

smartcooky 26th February 2020 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
I shiver to think what he might do during his lame duck period...

Well, we can probably start with

1. Nominate as many unqualified partisan sycophants to the Federal benches as he can and have Moscow Mitch jam them through Senate confirmation just as fast as possible.

2. Pardons galore for all the criminals who were loyal to him - Manafort, Flynn, Stone.

3. Withdraw from NATO

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002235)
...but come January 20, 2025, there will be a President of the United States, and he won't be named Donald Trump. Hopefully, January 20, 2021, but that's not as easy to foretell.

There might be one named Donald Trump Jr though. I have no doubt that Dump will try to create a presidential dynasty by grooming Junior to become his successor. Of course, he would have to win the Republican nomination first, but I am sure Dump's base would support Junior 100%.

johnny karate 26th February 2020 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadmaker (Post 13002356)
Just the part about actually trying it.

Okay, even though we've down-graded from "mental illness" to "far-fetched", I am curious to know why you think it is far-fetched.

Trump has expressed a desire and willingness to stay in office beyond the legal term limit (I acknowledge that these are supposed to be "jokes", but that he said it cannot be denied). Trump has also exhibited a flagrant disregard for norms, protocols, and even the law.

So where is the far-fetched part?

Skeptic Ginger 26th February 2020 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theprestige (Post 13002178)
What if the CDC actually recommends postponing elections due to risk of contagion?

Not likely given there will be an anti-viral med if not a vaccine by then.

TragicMonkey 26th February 2020 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horatius (Post 13002361)
The problem is, everything about his presidency is far-fetched. You simply can't make a prediction about what he might do, or what might happen, based on previous presidencies. We're in uncharted waters, here.

When stupid, crazy, and evil intersect, anything is possible!

That's a great tagline for a movie.

plague311 26th February 2020 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey (Post 13002375)
When stupid, crazy, and evil intersect, anything is possible!

That's a great tagline for a movie. Trump Documentary

FTFY

TragicMonkey 26th February 2020 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plague311 (Post 13002385)
FTFY

Who'd watch that? I was thinking a comedy with David Mitchell in it.

Ziggurat 26th February 2020 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny karate (Post 13002364)
So where is the far-fetched part?

The part where Trump goes full retard.

Do you think he could succeed in what would amount to a coup? No, he couldn't. Do you think he doesn't know he couldn't succeed? Of course he knows. Do you think he doesn't know that he would pay a price for trying and failing? Again, of course he knows. So even with the worst reading of Trump's motives, why would he do something so obviously self-destructive?

RecoveringYuppy 26th February 2020 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcooky (Post 13002362)
There might be one named Donald Trump Jr though.

When does Pence officially become Trump's running mate for 2020?

Belz... 26th February 2020 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ziggurat (Post 13002390)
The part where Trump goes full retard.

Do you think he could succeed in what would amount to a coup? No, he couldn't.

So far, Congress hasn't been great at stopping him, and he's getting bolder.

theprestige 26th February 2020 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny karate (Post 13002364)
Okay, even though we've down-graded from "mental illness" to "far-fetched", I am curious to know why you think it is far-fetched.

Trump has expressed a desire and willingness to stay in office beyond the legal term limit (I acknowledge that these are supposed to be "jokes", but that he said it cannot be denied). Trump has also exhibited a flagrant disregard for norms, protocols, and even the law.

So where is the far-fetched part?

Here you go:
Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcooky (Post 13002362)
There might be one named Donald Trump Jr though. I have no doubt that Dump will try to create a presidential dynasty by grooming Junior to become his successor. Of course, he would have to win the Republican nomination first, but I am sure Dump's base would support Junior 100%.


Meadmaker 26th February 2020 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RecoveringYuppy (Post 13002392)
When does Pence officially become Trump's running mate for 2020?

At the convention

Meadmaker 26th February 2020 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ziggurat (Post 13002390)
The part where Trump goes full retard.

Do you think he could succeed in what would amount to a coup? No, he couldn't. Do you think he doesn't know he couldn't succeed? Of course he knows. Do you think he doesn't know that he would pay a price for trying and failing? Again, of course he knows. So even with the worst reading of Trump's motives, why would he do something so obviously self-destructive?

Zig correctly stated my response to several related queries.

ponderingturtle 26th February 2020 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plague311 (Post 13002248)
What are you basing this on? He's said that he wants to stay in the White House and he's floated the idea to get a reaction more than once. It's not like this is some "out of left field" type of idea. Calling someone mentally ill should require them to at least contradict the words spoken by the target of their ire.



His concept is no more crazy than claiming someone is mentally ill without any ******* evidence to support the claim at all.



Even if it's a hypothetical, again, it's not far off the mark. Trump has floated the idea more than once (with regards to staying in office). You guys just calling someone mentally ill isn't really refuting a ******* thing. It's the actual definition of an ad hom attack. You didn't contest anything about his argument. You said he was deranged and nothing else. That's the antithesis of skepticism.

Next we will see Meadmaker posting about how no man in this nation ever meant anything serious when mentioning how funny it would be to have a threesome.


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