The Trump Presidency: Part 21

[Meadmaker]

Originally Posted by ChrisBFRPKY

Do you think fewer people would be infected if there was no travel ban in place?
How does that work?

Chris B.

The only thing that would have changed is the timing. Once the virus got established in the US, it spread between Americans. The vast, vast, majority of the 600,000 cases in the US were caught from other Americans.

The travel ban probably delayed the onset of community transmission within the United States, but it did not and could not prevent it. It bought time.

And what did team Trump do with that time? Well, you tell me, because reporters have asked that question and Trump's reaction is to sputter and stammer and complain that they are bad reporters. I'm pretty sure that the reason he does that is that he can't point to anything he actually did.

The travel ban could have saved lives, but it didn't. In order for it to actually save lives, there had to be more actions, but those actions didn't happen.

[Horatius]

Originally Posted by ChrisBFRPKY

I agree, and most of those folks were running around NYC infecting as many people as they could. Why would they do that?

It's almost as if someone in a position of authority was telling them that the pandemic was nothing to be worried about, that it would all go away of its own accord, or something.

Of course, that would just be silly.

[Captain_Swoop]

Didn't he say it would go away like a 'miracle'?

[Fast Eddie B]

Originally Posted by ChrisBFRPKY

We will get thru this. Our economy will bounce back as Globalism has finally been revealed for what it is, a shortage of vital interests.

I’m just curious...

...how do you define “Globalism”, and do you think it is, de facto, a bad thing.

[Horatius]

Originally Posted by Meadmaker

The travel ban could have saved lives, but it didn't. In order for it to actually save lives, there had to be more actions, but those actions didn't happen.

This is the point that has to be hammered on until some of these people get it: A travel ban alone does nothing. A travel ban buys you time to do the things that actually will save lives, but if you don't do those other things, you've just wasted the only benefit of the travel ban.

Trump did the easiest, absolute minimum thing he could do, and then did nothing else until forced to. And even then, he still dragged his feet. Nearly two months of time wasted.

If he really thought this was serious enough in January to enact a travel ban, he should have been serious enough in January to start the ball rolling on everything else that's been done since mid-March.

The fact that he did nothing else proves his travel ban wasn't about actually controlling the pandemic. The pandemic was just the convenient excuse he could use to ban Chinese travel to the US, which he wanted to do anyways.

[Horatius]

Originally Posted by ChrisBFRPKY

We will get thru this. Our economy will bounce back as Globalism has finally been revealed for what it is, a shortage of vital interests. I expect to see many major startups and many products that were made elsewhere before will be made in the USA again after all is said and done.

Chris B.

Good luck with that. I for one don't think expecting people making minimum wage after several months of unemployment to start buying more expensive US-made products is going to be quite so successful as you apparently think it will be, but hey, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Or, I suppose you could try selling all that expensive stuff to all the other countries in the world.

You know, the ones that Trump has been deliberately pissing off for the last three years. I'm sure that'll work out, too.

[dmaker]

Originally Posted by Horatius

This is the point that has to be hammered on until some of these people get it: A travel ban alone does nothing. A travel ban buys you time to do the things that actually will save lives, but if you don't do those other things, you've just wasted the only benefit of the travel ban.

Trump did the easiest, absolute minimum thing he could do, and then did nothing else until forced to. And even then, he still dragged his feet. Nearly two months of time wasted.

If he really thought this was serious enough in January to enact a travel ban, he should have been serious enough in January to start the ball rolling on everything else that's been done since mid-March.

The fact that he did nothing else proves his travel ban wasn't about actually controlling the pandemic. The pandemic was just the convenient excuse he could use to ban Chinese travel to the US, which he wanted to do anyways.

Good points. Let's not forget that Trump boasted about knowing that this was a pandemic before anyone else did. Ok, so what did he do about it?

[Craig4]

After last night's press conference I donated another $100 to the Biden Campaign.

[TragicMonkey]

Originally Posted by dmaker

Good points. Let's not forget that Trump boasted about knowing that this was a pandemic before anyone else did. Ok, so what did he do about it?

He looked responsibility right in the eye and declared, publicly, that he wouldn't accept it. What more could we want in a leader?

[BobTheCoward]

Originally Posted by Craig4

After last night's press conference I donated another $100 to the Biden Campaign.

And I'm going to place a 600 dollar bet for Trump to win reelection.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by BobTheCoward

And I'm going to place a 600 dollar bet for Trump to win reelection.

If the odds are even anything approaching evens then that's probably not a bad shout.

The GOP will do everything it can to stop anyone who might vote Democrat from being able to do so.

[dmaker]

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

He looked responsibility right in the eye and declared, publicly, that he wouldn't accept it. What more could we want in a leader?

To be fair, cheerleaders are not expected to take responsibility.

Don Lemon put it well when he pointed out that the President claims no responsibility while declaring all the authority.

[TragicMonkey]

Originally Posted by dmaker

To be fair, cheerleaders are not expected to take responsibility.

Cheerleaders are expected to look good in a tiny skirt, though.

[dmaker]

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

Cheerleaders are expected to look good in a tiny skirt, though.

Ewww, that's my fault I suppose in welcoming such comparisons.

[Resume]

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

He looked responsibility right in the eye and declared, publicly, that he wouldn't accept it. What more could we want in a leader?

No responsibility, only praise please. Remember, if it were anybody else at the helm, we probably wouldn't even have a country left. We know this because he told us. It's also going away in April; which April is anyone's guess.

[plague311]

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

Cheerleaders are expected to look good in a tiny skirt, though.

To be fair, I've never seen Trump's bare legs. I'll need some evidence the man doesn't look good in a tiny skirt. After all, he sucks at everything else. Maybe all that golfing gives him some defined legs.

[uke2se]

Originally Posted by plague311

To be fair, I've never seen Trump's bare legs. I'll need some evidence the man doesn't look good in a tiny skirt. After all, he sucks at everything else. Maybe all that golfing gives him some defined legs.

Not a skirt, but still...

https://www.google.com/search?q=trum...ehxW3kyOvdrclM

[plague311]

Originally Posted by uke2se

Not a skirt, but still...

https://www.google.com/search?q=trum...ehxW3kyOvdrclM

I stand corrected, and slightly horrified. I don't know whether to thank you or run screaming.

[newyorkguy]

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie B

...how do you define “Globalism”...

Good question but I think the average Trump supporter has no idea what it means other than, "I care about Americans, I don't care about foreigners." The Globalist, a website that has been around for twenty years, defines globalism ("it's not the same thing as Globalization") as:

Quote:

Globalism, at its core, seeks to describe and explain nothing more than a world which is characterized by networks of connections that span multi-continental distances. It attempts to understand all the inter-connections of the modern world — and to highlight patterns that underlie (and explain) them. Link

What I find truly astounding is, that a man like Trump with business interests all over the world, who does things like bringing foreign workers in to serve as employees at Mar-a-Lago (local people say when they apply for jobs they never even get interviewed) and brags about all his terrific international trade deals, is somehow praised by people who are against "globalism." They're convinced Trump is against globalism, too, but based on...?

[BobTheCoward]

Originally Posted by The Don

If the odds are even anything approaching evens then that's probably not a bad shout.

The GOP will do everything it can to stop anyone who might vote Democrat from being able to do so.

It is more of an emotional hedge. Won't vote for him, though.

[Captain_Swoop]

Trump Tweets

The Democrats don’t want to approve more money for our great workers under the incredibly successful “Paycheck” plan. Replenish Account Now!

Tell the Democrat Governors that “Mutiny On The Bounty” was one of my all time favorite movies. A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy!

Cuomo’s been calling daily, even hourly, begging for everything, most of which should have been the state’s responsibility, such as new hospitals, beds, ventilators, etc. I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence! That won’t happen!

GET RID OF BALLOT HARVESTING, IT IS RAMPANT WITH FRAUD. THE USA MUST HAVE VOTER I.D., THE ONLY WAY TO GET AN HONEST COUNT!

[timhau]

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie B

I’m just curious...

...how do you define “Globalism”, and do you think it is, de facto, a bad thing.

Many fine people define it as anything (((globalists))) do, and that makes it bad.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Trump Tweets

Tell the Democrat Governors that “Mutiny On The Bounty” was one of my all time favorite movies. A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy!

Can anyone explain this one? Does he see himself as Captain Bligh? Can we put him in an overloaded open boat and see if he can navigate 3000 miles across the Pacific?

[quadraginta]

Originally Posted by Guybrush Threepwood

Can anyone explain this one? Does he see himself as Captain Bligh?

Lets hope nobody ever lets him find out that one of the criticisms other Captains in the Royal Navy had of Bligh at the time was that he was too easy on his crew.

Quote:

Can we put him in an overloaded open boat and see if he can navigate 3000 miles across the Pacific?

I would be in favor of this experiment. The other eighteen in the boat should be Trump's closest loyal supporters.

[lomiller]

Originally Posted by Stacyhs

Because the virus knows a Dem from a Republican and the virus targets libs. Ask a silly question and get a silly answer.

Let's see if I can walk you through this:

1. Urban areas tend to be largely Democrats while rural areas tend to be Republican.

2. Urban areas are densely populated while rural areas are not.

3.Large cities tend to have a lot of commuters traveling some distance on
crowded public transportation that rural areas do not.

4. Covid 19 spreads from person to person by close contact to an infected person. (See where this is going?)

5. Cities, regardless of being Democrat or Republican, will always have the
highest number of cases/deaths from a highly contagious virus.

Conceivably there is a common underlying cause. Eg, people in more closed, insular, environments lean Republican while people in more open socially connected areas lean Democrat. The former would offer some protection from the virus, at least initially. Once someone in their social bubble was infected the virus would spread just as quickly, but it could take time to make it into the social bubble in the first place.


There is also a potential confound with seasonality. If COVID-19 spreads more slowly in warm conditions, the largely Democrat North East would be expected to be hit harder than the more southerly areas which tend to lean Republican.

[GlennB]

Any bets on when, in one of these weird pressers he gives, he unleashes a word 'bomb'? The S-bomb, F-bomb ... worse? He's behaving like a kid on the autistic spectrum that has few inhibitions, and it's almost as if he's unaware millions of people are tuned in.

[Lurch]

It warms the cockles of my heart to learn of the election to a seat on WI's State Supreme Court of the Dem challenger. The scandalous perfidy of the Rs to ram through an election during a pandemic, in the belief that more of the brain-dead deplorables would turn out for their creature than would the Dems has backfired. Pretty spectacularly. Another loss for Trumpy to absorb. And for the rest of the Grifters Only Party to reflect upon as they watch their prospects continually dwindle due to an electorate activated by that anti-Midas they did hoist to power and cleave so slavishly to. An unholy, Faustian bargain that I fervently hope comes to the ruinous end it richly deserves.

[Captain_Swoop]

Democrat Jill Karofsky has ousted Justice Daniel Kelly from his seat at Wisconsin's top court in a shock win.

Quote:

The election went ahead despite Democrat calls for it to be postponed, or held by postal voting, owing to coronavirus fears.

Justice Kelly is just the second incumbent state Supreme Court justice to be voted out since 1967. He had the support of President Donald Trump.

Wisconsin is expected to be crucial in the presidential election in November.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52279608

[Captain_Swoop]

Trump Tweets

My Administration is committed to protecting the Homeland from the scourge of narco-terrorists and traffickers seeking to destabilize the United States and our Hemisphere. Our military deployments in the Caribbean & Eastern Pacific will endure until these threats are neutralized!

[Stacyhs]

Originally Posted by ChrisBFRPKY

There was a lot of misinformation about the virus coming from China and the WHO. I wouldn't say that New Yorkers infecting each other was an "arsefact" as alternatively you'd have to argue that every new case of Covid-19 arrived on a plane.

Neither would I. But that's not what you claimed which was:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisBFRPKY
I agree, and most of those folks were running around NYC infecting as many people as they could. Why would they do that?

That is an arsefact. Did you seriously think no one would notice?

Quote:

I suspect the large scale infection was due to the early misinformation about the virus.

You 'suspect'? Who was the 'cheerleader' spreading that misinformation about the virus? I 'suspect' it was Trump.

Quote:

However, Coastal cities have been hardest hit in the US.

I suppose it could be horribly bad luck that these particular cities are marked in Blue during elections but whatever the reason I'm sure glad to be in a "flyover state". It's difficult to accept but this virus may end up making a change to voter demographics in some areas.

Why cities have been the hardest hit has been explained to you several times. As has the fact that cities tend to be Blue rather than Red even in traditionally Red states like Georgia. It has nothing to do with 'bad luck' but common sense and logic.

Quote:

We will get thru this. Our economy will bounce back as Globalism has finally been revealed for what it is, a shortage of vital interests. I expect to see many major startups and many products that were made elsewhere before will be made in the USA again after all is said and done.

Chris B.

Of course we'll get through this. That is not in question. If you think you can turn back the clock and globalism is going to go away, you are going to be sadly mistaken. Whether you like it or not, the world is irretrievably interconnected.
I would personally like to see more products made in the US, but there is a reason stores like Walmart are so popular: they provide goods at lower costs. And most of those products are Made in China or elsewhere around the world.

[thaiboxerken]

Originally Posted by Meadmaker

The only thing that would have changed is the timing. Once the virus got established in the US, it spread between Americans. The vast, vast, majority of the 600,000 cases in the US were caught from other Americans.

The travel ban probably delayed the onset of community transmission within the United States, but it did not and could not prevent it. It bought time.

And what did team Trump do with that time? Well, you tell me, because reporters have asked that question and Trump's reaction is to sputter and stammer and complain that they are bad reporters. I'm pretty sure that the reason he does that is that he can't point to anything he actually did.

The travel ban could have saved lives, but it didn't. In order for it to actually save lives, there had to be more actions, but those actions didn't happen.

He did plenty. He played golf and held campaign rallies.

[lomiller]

Originally Posted by Lurch

It warms the cockles of my heart to learn of the election to a seat on WI's State Supreme Court of the Dem challenger. The scandalous perfidy of the Rs to ram through an election during a pandemic, in the belief that more of the brain-dead deplorables would turn out for their creature than would the Dems has backfired. Pretty spectacularly. Another loss for Trumpy to absorb. And for the rest of the Grifters Only Party to reflect upon as they watch their prospects continually dwindle due to an electorate activated by that anti-Midas they did hoist to power and cleave so slavishly to. An unholy, Faustian bargain that I fervently hope comes to the ruinous end it richly deserves.

The Republicans running the election cut the number of polling stations in Democrat leaning Milwaukee from 185 down to 5. Ultimately only 18 800 people got to vote on election day in Milwaukee. Republicans are only a small step behind Soviet Russia in terms of “we’ll allow you to vote, but only if you’re going to vote for the candidate we want”.

While it's good to see these tactics didn't work this time, US elections in Republican controlled areas are very much about who is allowed to vote. government of the people, by the people, for the people is dead in the US.

[Cain]

Originally Posted by lomiller

While it's good to see these tactics didn't work this time, US elections in Republican controlled areas are very much about who is allowed to vote. government of the people, by the people, for the people is dead in the US.

It's been pointed out that if the Greed Over People Party is willing to take such measures for a State Supreme Court seat, then what will they do for a presidency?

[Regnad Kcin]

Originally Posted by thaiboxerken

He did plenty. He played golf and held campaign rallies.

Your tax dollars at work.

[Babbylonian]

Originally Posted by lomiller

There is also a potential confound with seasonality. If COVID-19 spreads more slowly in warm conditions, the largely Democrat North East would be expected to be hit harder than the more southerly areas which tend to lean Republican.

Seasonality seems like a fantasy to me. The map linked below shows plenty of infections in the warmer climes.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map

[dmaker]

The Mutiny on the Bounty tweet is resonant of his comment yesterday when challenged about retweeting something with the FireFauci tag. Trump's response was that he likes controversy.

Is controversy what people suffering right now want or need? Of course not, but if it tickles Agolf Twittler's cruelty centers in his tiny lizard brain, then he will delight in causing some.

Truly tone deaf beyond the pale.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Democrat Jill Karofsky has ousted Justice Daniel Kelly from his seat at Wisconsin's top court in a shock win.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52279608

Trump always said it shouldn’t have gone ahead but the Democrats and fake media wouldn’t let it be postponed.

[Stacyhs]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Democrat Jill Karofsky has ousted Justice Daniel Kelly from his seat at Wisconsin's top court in a shock win.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52279608

Hopefully this indicates Wisconsin voters are fed up with the GOP and will vote Dem in Nov.

[ChrisBFRPKY]

Originally Posted by Horatius

It's almost as if someone in a position of authority was telling them that the pandemic was nothing to be worried about, that it would all go away of its own accord, or something.

Of course, that would just be silly.

I agree, Bill de Blasio needs to be fired.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020...ity-mayor.html

Chris B.

[Babbylonian]

Originally Posted by Stacyhs

Hopefully this indicates Wisconsin voters are fed up with the GOP and will vote Dem in Nov.

I'd place it in the 50/50 range. I suspect that the Republicans' insistence on holding the election on time pissed people off, which affected their votes. Whether that anger holds to November will probably depend on how long the overall economy remains closed.