Friday Talking Points -- Tennis, Anyone?
The stock market is crashing daily, a pandemic is sweeping America, a tornado in Tennessee just killed two dozen people, so of course First Lady Melania Trump decided to reassure the public with a message designed to calm people in these perilous times. The message? Don't worry, everyone -- the construction of the new White House tennis pavilion was still on track. No, seriously -- you just can't make this stuff up. She even donned a hard hat (in order to look fabulous) while making this tone-deaf announcement.
The internet's reaction, as usual, was not kind. Many referenced Marie Antoinette, either directly or indirectly. Perhaps the best response: "Let them lob serves." Just another week in Trump's America, folks.
Of course, as usual, there was a not-so-hidden backstory to this little vignette -- the new tennis pavilion will replace Barack Obama's basketball court. You just knew there had to be a petty and vindictive angle to all this, didn't you?
Tennis pavilions aside, the biggest story of the week by far was the progress of the coronavirus. Sober-minded doctors and scientists issued warnings to the public and helpful advice to follow, all of which was then immediately either directly contradicted or snidely pooh-poohed by President Trump himself. The president is very concerned about the coronavirus, but not the same way everyone else is. Trump is deeply worried about two things, and two things only: the stock market, and his own prospects for re-election. If someone told him that more coronavirus cases would boost either the market or his poll numbers, then he'd be out there urging everyone to get infected -- there is no doubt whatsoever about that. Nothing like a president who feels the public's pain, is there? The even sadder thing is that if Trump did issue an insane suggestion like this, his followers would likely line up for hours in order to get infected.
Meanwhile, the people whose job it is to keep the public safe from pandemics are in a bind. Here's how one of the most prominent of such voices, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, put it in a recent interview: "You should never destroy your own credibility. And you don't want to go to war with a president. But you got to walk the fine balance of making sure you continue to tell the truth." Just think about the implications of that statement for a moment: telling the truth and maintaining your own scientific credibility is walking a fine line that might just land you in a war with the president of the United States. Mind-boggling.
Here's the worst proof of this from the past week, in the form of a Trump phone-in interview with a friendly Fox News host. Trump was asked about the World Health Organization's estimate that the death rate from the coronavirus now stands at 3.4 percent and here's how our Dear Leader responded:
I think the 3.4 percent is really a false number. Now, and this is just my hunch, and -- but based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this. Because a lot of people will have this and it's very mild. They'll get better very rapidly. They don't even see a doctor. They don't even call a doctor. You never hear about those people. So you can't put that down in the category in the overall population in terms of this corona flu or virus. So you just can't do that. So if, you know, we have thousands or hundreds of thousands of people that get better just by, you know, by sitting around and even going to work -- some of them go to work, but they get better. And then when you do have a death... all of a sudden it seems like three or four percent, which is a very high number, as opposed to... a fraction of one percent. But again, they don't -- they don't know about the easy cases because the easy cases don't go to the hospital. They don't report to doctors or the hospital in many cases. So I think that that number is very high. I think the number -- personally, I would say the number is way under one percent.
Now, it isn't all that surprising when conspiracy theories pop up during a crisis. During a pandemic, there will also be plenty of price-gouging and outright snake-oil salesmen peddling miracle cures (such as Jim Bakker is currently doing). But the American people generally want their president to be the one debunking such nonsense, not contributing to it.
The Washington Post pointed this out, in no uncertain terms:
As leading public health experts from across the government have tried to provide clear and consistent information about the deadly coronavirus, they have found their messages undercut, drowned out and muddled by President Trump's push to downplay the outbreak with a mix of optimism, bombast and pseudoscience.
Speaking almost daily to the public about an outbreak that has spread across states and rocked the markets, Trump has promoted his opinions and at times contradicted the public health experts tasked with keeping Americans safe.
The president has repeatedly misstated the number of Americans who have tested positive for the virus and claimed it would "miraculously" disappear in the spring. He has given a false timeline for the development of a vaccine, publicly questioned whether vaccinations for the flu could be used to treat the novel coronavirus and dismissed the World Health Organization's coronavirus death rate estimate, substituting a much lower figure and citing a "hunch."
. . .
The president's running commentary about the coronavirus, untethered to script or convention, indicates that the Trump administration's greatest obstacle to sending a clear message about the outbreak may be Trump himself.
And, of course, there is simply no problem too big to blame on Barack Obama. No, really -- you just knew this was coming, didn't you?
Trump has made several misleading claims that have forced government scientists and officials to navigate publicly contradicting a president who has placed a premium on loyalty.
On Wednesday, Trump said the Obama administration was responsible for the inability of the federal government to ensure widespread testing for potential coronavirus patients, an unsubstantiated claim that even his own administration officials could not back up.
"The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we're doing," Trump said during a briefing at the White House in which he boasted that he "undid" that decision.
The unsupported claim, made for the first time publicly by the president, put Trump administration officials in the uncomfortable position of responding to questions about its accuracy.
When asked about this by Congress, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar reportedly said (according to Nancy Pelosi): "nothing about the prior [administration's] policy had worsened our response, and nothing about any change in policy is going to dramatically improve our response." In other words, just another bald-faced lie from Trump.
Trump is even lying about the small stuff, because of course he is. He claimed that he hadn't "touched his face in weeks," which was immediately proven false by all those photos of him touching his face over the past few weeks, including him touching his own face during meetings about the coronavirus.
But not to worry, everyone. The White House tennis pavilion is still on schedule!
The other big political story of the week came from the Democratic presidential race, which reached a crescendo on Super Tuesday. Since our article last Friday, an astonishing number of developments have taken place: Joe Biden won a commanding victory in South Carolina, capturing almost half the vote. Pete Buttigieg immediately dropped out of the race, followed one day later by Amy Klobuchar, who also announced she was endorsing Biden. Pete then followed suit, and the two of them (together with Beto O'Rourke) appeared at a Texas Biden rally in support of Joe Biden.
The moderate lane got a lot clearer as a direct result. Joe Biden then romped through Super Tuesday, winning 10 out of 14 states, although Bernie Sanders did manage to chalk up the biggest win of the night, in California. The political media went through a U-turn of whiplash-inducing force, pivoting from: "Bernie is inevitable!" to quickly replace it with: "Biden is inevitable!" O fickle press....
Elizabeth Warren then dropped out of the race, and pointedly did not endorse anyone.
All of this, obviously, led to Joe Biden having the best week of his political life. His comeback was one for the ages, and will be oft-quoted by future presidential candidates who do poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire (that's our guess, at any rate). This political resurrection also earns Biden our very own Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award. This week, there really was no other choice.
Of course, the primaries aren't over and we've already seen several radical twists and turns, so while Biden does have a slight lead in the delegate count (something nobody foresaw), the race is nowhere near over. But no matter what happens in the end, Biden's very good week was indeed one for the history books.
[Joe Biden is technically a private citizen, and it is our standing policy not to link to campaign pages, so you'll have to search his contact information on your own if you'd like to let him know you appreciate his efforts.]
Before we get to our second big award, we have a (Dis-)Honorable Mention award to hand out, to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. An abortion rights case came before the Supreme Court this week, and it is very important because it is the first one they've heard since Justice Fratboy joined the court. Abortion rights in this country are what is at stake, because if the court rules that the new state law requiring admitting privileges for abortion doctors is upheld, it will put access to the procedure at risk for tens of millions of women. And so far, the signs look pretty bad.
So the pro-choice side held a rally in front of the court. Schumer spoke, which is to his credit, but what was not to his credit was when he went too far in speaking to the two newest justices, both nominated by Donald Trump. Schumer issued what many considered to be a threat, telling them they would "pay the price" if they voted to gut Roe v. Wade. He later tried to walk this back by saying he really meant Republican senators would pay a political price (for confirming Justice Fratboy in the first place), but if you listen to his initial remarks that obviously wasn't what he was saying. Even if you insert the word "political," it kind of makes it worse because then Schumer would have been threatening Supreme Court justices with political retribution -- which is exactly what the idea of an independent judiciary is supposed to prevent.
But once again we are going to interpret "most disappointing" as "having disappointed the most people." And while Bernie's poor showing on Super Tuesday -- losing states he was predicted to win such as Minnesota, Maine, Massachusetts, and Texas -- was indeed disappointing, it also came as a result of the voters themselves speaking. So while Bernie disappointed many; many others weren't disappointed, because Biden won.
Instead, we are going to award the Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week to Elizabeth Warren. Not only did she disappoint millions of her own voters by not even placing second in her home state on Tuesday, she then disappointed them again by dropping out. But in doing so Warren also disappointed all the Bernie Sanders voters by withholding her endorsement.
There are rumors that Team Warren and Team Bernie are in talks to secure her endorsement, but then again there are rumors that Team Biden is also pursuing it. Warren, at this point, has only three choices: endorse Bernie, endorse Joe, or remain neutral until the winner is declared. Endorsing Joe is going to be a shock to a lot of her supporters, if it happens, because it will run counter to her entire reason for running -- "dream big and fight hard." Refusing to endorse will also be seen as pretty self-serving. But even delaying an endorsement of Bernie Sanders -- the Democratic candidate whose agenda is almost identical to her own -- would be seriously disappointing for every Democrat who favors a progressive platform.
The window for Warren to endorse Bernie is closing fast. If she doesn't do so by the next round of primaries next Tuesday, then her endorsement's value is going to go way down -- especially if Bernie doesn't win Michigan. To be really effective, in fact, Warren should endorse before the Sunday morning political talk shows air. Or perhaps during one of them -- that would certainly make a news splash in the best possible way.
But for the time being, Warren is our Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week, for playing the game of being coy. What happened to fighting hard for what you believe in, after all? The clock is ticking....
[Contact Senator Elizabeth Warren on her Senate contact page, to let her know what you think of her actions.]
Volume 564 (3/6/20)
For anyone thinking that that last section was a little too harsh, we're going to open the talking points with a quote Elizabeth Warren made while announcing the end of her presidential campaign. She was asked a "gotcha" question from the media, and she responded more brilliantly than I think I've ever heard any politician manage to do in such a situation. In one short statement, she pointed out the minefield nature of the question and how no matter what she said in response, it would then be misleadingly spun. In other words, she pointed out the rigged nature of the question in a way that made her look good while making the questioner look very bad. As I mentioned, this was a bit of political jiu-jitsu that should become just as memorable in the Warren legacy as the "she persisted" line has now become. It really was that good.
However, after that, we're just going to kick Trump around for the rest of the program. Because he so richly deserves it this week. To do so, we're sticking with a very simple theme, which works well for any Democrat right now, from supporters of Michael Bloomberg to supporters of Andrew Yang. Doesn't matter whether you're for Bernie or Joe, because it works equally well no matter who you imagine should sit in the Oval Office next. And because this theme is such a simple and easy one to use, we've kept them as short as possible this week, because really anything more is just icing on Marie Antoinette's cake.
Oh, we should also mention (by way of giving full credit for where this theme came from), that those of you old enough to remember the old Beach Boys song can sing the refrains in your own head.
The no-win nature of the question
As promised, though, our first talking point is from Elizabeth Warren. When asked the question of whether sexism played a part in why her campaign hadn't been more successful, Warren absolutely nailed her answer:
Gender in this race, you know, that is the trap question for every woman. If you say: "Yeah, there was sexism in this race," everyone says: "Whiner!" And if you say: "No, there was no sexism," about a bazillion women think: "What planet do you live on?"
Wouldn't it be nice?
Of course, the Beach Boys song was really just a randy teenage boy wondering how nice it would be to have sex with his girlfriend every night (after they were married, of course), but that doesn't stop it from being a powerful refrain that can be used in purely political ways.
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could all believe what our president says once again?"
Remember when?
Yeah, it would be nice, wouldn't it?
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could all trust the president to do the right thing for the American people no matter what it meant for him politically? Those days are obviously gone."
It wasn't that long ago
And again...
"Wouldn't it be nice if we all knew the president of the United States spent a lot of time studying complex problems in great detail and was briefed extensively and minutely by his own experts so that he could gain sufficient knowledge about the problem to know what the correct next course of action should be? Remember that? It wasn't that long ago, after all."
Even the worst presidents were better than this
Well, except for that whole "weapons of mass destruction" thing, we suppose....
"Wouldn't it be nice if scientists could tell the truth without worrying about political retribution from the petulant man-baby that is their boss? Remember when the truth was the truth, and nobody know what the phrase 'alternative facts' meant?"
Hurricane-force petulance
Can't forget this one, of course.
"Wouldn't it be nice to have a president whose immediate response to being contradicted by scientific fact was to admit he was mistaken rather than pick up a Sharpie and try to alter reality? I remember when the White House was corrected by scientific experts, instead of the White House forcing scientific experts to lie -- in order to back up the president's claims that of course everyone could see his new invisible clothes."
Tennis, anyone?
And we'd like to end where we began.
"Wouldn't it be nice to once again have a first lady with at least a tiny shred of human empathy? One who wouldn't go visit disaster victims wearing a coat proclaiming to the world how little she cared? One who might have the slightest perception that her own husband was the biggest online bully in the entire world when she launched an anti-bullying campaign? Or maybe just one who didn't resemble Marie Antoinette quite so much? I mean, really, to ask: "Tennis, anyone?" while people are dying of a pandemic certainly reaches the "let them eat cake" level, wouldn't you say?"
-- Chris Weigant
All-time award winners leaderboard, by rank
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Cross-posted at: Democratic Underground
Why wouldn't Warren endorse Biden? No reason I can think of.
Of course, the primaries aren't over and we've already seen several radical twists and turns, so while Biden does have a slight lead in the delegate count (something nobody foresaw), the race is nowhere near over.
Yeah, well, just let me know when Biden gets blown out in Cal. Heh. That was a little joke.
But, I suppose I shouldn't laugh too hard or long - it still may turn out to be true. Ahem. :)
When asked the question of whether sexism played a part in why her campaign hadn't been more successful, Warren absolutely nailed her answer.
Let's be clear about why Warren is out of the race and why Bernie will be soon. Their prescriptions for the problems facing America would never be implemented. I mean, if either of them had won the presidency, they wouldn't be royalty.
If Warren wishes to be relevant, she will endorse Biden, yesterday.
Let me apple-a-gize for my sudden streak of snarkiness. I have no idea where it's coming from … except to say that I've around here too long. :)
Elizabeth Miller [2]
Why wouldn't Warren endorse Biden? No reason I can think of.
No reason I can think of either.
But I can think of reasons why she would not want to endorse BS and they coalesce around the way she's been treated by BS and his obnoxious supporters. Of course that's not saying all his supporters are obnoxious but those who are exceed the worst of the trump cultists and include members of his own campaign.
PS: I apologise for not getting back to you a couple of weeks ago. I ended up back in hospital - nothing so serious that it's going to kill me (and certainly nothing anywhere near as bad as Michale's heart attack!) but a bother all the same.
all this about "let them eat cake," and not one single mention of pie! for. shame.
Mopshell,
What were you supposed to get back to me about?
Reply to Elizabeth Miller [3]
I produce the Delegate Tracker series for Daily Kos and I can tell you that, after putting together Delegate Tracker 5: Super Tuesday Final Results (which will post at 10:30am ET and I'll come back and provide you with a link then), the news is especially good for Joe Biden!
The D-Trackers not only provide results from the 14 states plus American Samoa but also the delegate and vote counts, cumulative tallies, the number of delegates each candidate needs to get to that magic 1990 number, and the percentage of the remaining delegates they need.
Reply to Elizabeth Miller [8]
Damned if I can remember now!
I think it was possibly just to say that I was looking forward to finding out who you thought Joe Biden would choose to be in his cabinet. From memory (a very poor memory these days!), I think you said you'd tell us your thoughts after he wins.
I can't reveal my picks for his cabinet until after the general election for reasons that will be clear enough. :)
CW:
But for the time being, Warren is our Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week, for playing the game of being coy. What happened to fighting hard for what you believe in, after all? The clock is ticking....
Elizabeth Warren gets the MDDW this week??!!?? Really? Over Schumer saying something so stupid about conservative justices getting “payback” for their actions? WTF?!?!
And what’s with this crap:
For anyone thinking that that last section was a little too harsh, we're going to open the talking points with a quote Elizabeth Warren made while announcing the end of her presidential campaign. She was asked a "gotcha" question from the media, and she responded more brilliantly than I think I've ever heard any politician manage to do in such a situation. In one short statement, she pointed out the minefield nature of the question and how no matter what she said in response, it would then be misleadingly spun. In other words, she pointed out the rigged nature of the question in a way that made her look good while making the questioner look very bad. As I mentioned, this was a bit of political jiu-jitsu that should become just as memorable in the Warren legacy as the "she persisted" line has now become. It really was that good.
You start this paragraph saying “For anyone thinking that that last section was a little too harsh, we're going to open the talking points with a quote Elizabeth Warren made while announcing the end of her presidential campaign,” but why would I feel any different in believing you were being too harsh on Warren simply because you then go on to give her a compliment??? The latter does nothing to change my opinion of the former.
How do you blame Warren for not winning the nomination? How is that her fault? I am disappointed that Warren did not win the nomination, but I am damn proud of Elizabeth Warren and the campaign that she ran! No candidate came close to her when it came to producing well thought out plans for solutions to our country’s problems.
You fault her for ending her campaign now, but would you have preferred that she stayed in a race that she knows she no longer had a chance of gaining enough delegates to win?
And Warren is not required to endorse either of the remaining candidates if she does not wish to! I have no doubt that she will put her full support behind the person who becomes the Democrat’s nominee for President, which is more important than endorsing either of the candidates.
If you didn’t see Rachel Maddow’s interview of Warren after she dropped out, I highly encourage you to watch it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmiaNwnSw68
Not to worry EM you are almost never snarky. And it's kinda refreshing when you occasionally are snarky.
Heh.
I'm with LWYH on this: Warren was my choice (absentee ballot sent in last month) and I am very disappointed that she has had to drop out. She doesn't owe Sanders her backing, and may well query whether a Sanders administration would equally benefit the people on whose behalf she has spoken and campaigned, like the girls she greeted and had selfies with. She may well query his electability in any case.
As a member of the same generation, let me point out that one of the drivers of the women's movement of the 70s was the way the male-led left treated their female counterparts and largely disregarded--were unaware of--the difficulties and prejudices most women faced.
Mezzomamma,
If Senator Warren plays her cards right, she will have a prominent and influential role in a Biden administration.
And, always remember, Hillary won the popular vote.
The Perfect Storm:
The GOP kills off a large chunk of their voters after Trump holds rallies after he’d convinced his base that the coronavirus was “No Big Deal!”! Republicans lose the Senate and the White House in November!
Elizabeth [16]
If only we could clone Warren and have one still in the Senate and another, or another few, in a decent Administration, since we can't have her in the White House.
FPC
JL,
JL,
ou and I both know you have a habit of posting opinions and predictions and referring to them as facts, sometimes in all caps.
No.. Not ALL caps... But that's not relevant to anything.
As I have explained before, some predictions ARE close enough to be facts to be called facts..
Regardless, ALL my opinions are based on facts.. So that's where yer probably confusing things.. :D
Maybe you're right about don doing the same, but it sure is funny you should say so.
I am sure I am right about Don doing the same thing..
I usually am in these things. :D
FPC
Don,
How do you get me providing the facts of your comments as me saying I can't substantiate my claims when you substantiate my claims with your comments?
And again, you talk in circles...
You DON'T provide any facts... Either about my comments OR about your own claims.. Or your claims about my comments..
If Michale says up is down it must be true!
"There you go again.."
-Saint Ronald Reagan
It's not about TRUTH, Don... It's about FACTS...
And I have yet to hear ANY coming from you that are substantiated...
I am not throwing my lot in with everyone else. I am pointing out how even those fooled the the Dems bullshit are not fooled by your bullshit.
I have no bullshit to be fooled by... Just the facts..
That's what you don't seem to understand...
And yes.. When you start using phrases like "Everyone knows" blaaa blaaa blaaa, you are throwing your lot in with the crowd..
FPC,
say what you will about him, but at least michale is rarely boring.
Thank you... That's one of the nicest things ya have ever said about me.. :D
I concur with those who have said Warren is under no obligation to endorse EITHER of the remaining candidates. She will be even more disappointing to the supporters either Joe or Bernie if she endorsed the other.
And speaking of endorsements, I couldn't believe how many post-South-Carolina analyses defined Rep. Clyburn's endorsement as the decisive factor in Biden's success in S Carolina! As though there hadn't been dozens of breathless articles after his disastrous performance in Iowa and New Hampshire about how Biden had 'a lock' on the African-American vote in the state!
For example: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/04/joe-biden-jim-clyburn-endorsement-super-tuesday
The stock market is crashing daily, a pandemic is sweeping America, a tornado in Tennessee just killed two dozen people, so of course First Lady Melania Trump decided to reassure the public with a message designed to calm people in these perilous times. The message? Don't worry, everyone -- the construction of the new White House tennis pavilion was still on track. No, seriously -- you just can't make this stuff up. She even donned a hard hat (in order to look fabulous) while making this tone-deaf announcement.
Translation:
We want to be hysterical and fear mongering so we can bet President Trump over the head, but things are just so damn NORMAL... It's really pissing us off!!!
Com'on, CW.. Channel yer old Alfred E Neuman... I know you have one.. :D
Of course, as usual, there was a not-so-hidden backstory to this little vignette -- the new tennis pavilion will replace Barack Obama's basketball court. You just knew there had to be a petty and vindictive angle to all this, didn't you?
Oh wow.. NOW President Trump has stepped in it, eh??
NOW he has gone and bitch-slapped down the messiah!!
NOW he must be impeached, right!!?? :^/
Tennis pavilions aside, the biggest story of the week by far was the progress of the coronavirus. Sober-minded doctors and scientists issued warnings to the public and helpful advice to follow, all of which was then immediately either directly contradicted or snidely pooh-poohed by President Trump himself. The president is very concerned about the coronavirus, but not the same way everyone else is. Trump is deeply worried about two things, and two things only: the stock market, and his own prospects for re-election. If someone told him that more coronavirus cases would boost either the market or his poll numbers, then he'd be out there urging everyone to get infected -- there is no doubt whatsoever about that. Nothing like a president who feels the public's pain, is there? The even sadder thing is that if Trump did issue an insane suggestion like this, his followers would likely line up for hours in order to get infected.
Can you find me one commentary where you were so worried and fear-mongery about over 12,000 Americans dying in the Swine Flu Pandemic under Odumbo???
I am betting you never even mentioned it..
So, the ****ONLY***** reason you are into Pandemics this time around is because you think it's a new shiny you can beat President Trump over the head with...
Seriously.. The only medical issue ya'all need to worry about is HHPTDS....
It's twenty times worse than Coronavirus.. With Coronavirus, there is a SLIGHT chance you lose your life..
With HHPTDS, it's 100% guaranteed that you lose your soul.. And your mind...
Yep, I'de worry more about HHPTDS if I were you..
Before we get to our second big award, we have a (Dis-)Honorable Mention award to hand out, to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Chucky threatens SCOTUS Justices with actual physical VIOLENCE and all it warrants is a dishonorable mention!!!
Shirley.... Yer jesting out yer arse..... :^/
Schumer issued what many considered to be a threat, telling them they would "pay the price" if they voted to gut Roe v. Wade
He ALSO said 2 Justices (BY NAME) "would not know what hit them"
Actual physical violence..
And to you, that's just a dishonorable mention??? Who is the Most Disappointing Democrat?? Someone who murdered a bunch of newborn babies??
Oh, that's right.. THAT would be a Most Impressive Democrat... :^/
But for the time being, Warren is our Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week, for playing the game of being coy. What happened to fighting hard for what you believe in, after all? The clock is ticking....
Wow.... Just... wow..
Warren is Most Disappointing for playing coy...
But Chucky??? Who threatened 2 Supreme Court Justices BY NAME with actual physical violence??!!
That's just a dishonorable mention???
OK OK.. I should forgive such an obvious abdication of reality...
It's obvious a symptom of HHPTDS...
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could all trust the president to do the right thing for the American people no matter what it meant for him politically? Those days are obviously gone."
Oh, those days were gone with Barack IF YOU LIKE YOUR DOCTOR YOU CAN KEEP YOUR DOCTOR/I WELCOME PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON OUR DOMESTIC SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS Odumbo..
Ya'all just didn't care because Odumo has a -D after his name..
In the week after Sanders stunned 'the Democratic Establishment' with his wins in the first 3 states, I noticed many negative posts on Facebook about Sanders' comments on Cuba. This was from both Trump supporters and my friends who supported other Democratic candidates. It made me wonder why this clip was never 'exposed' in 2016 and who was saving it for release at 'the perfect time' to sink his candidacy.
As typical, Venezuela and Cuba (or other 'disastrous socialist' dystopia ) are popular topics only as long as they serve a political purpose. Once the bomb has dropped, everyone goes back to ignoring them. I will never forgive Obama and the 2009-10 Congress for not even trying to fully repeal the Cuban embargo.
DH,
Unless he is talking about impeachment (assuming it's not called something else in regard to SCJs), it's an idle threat.
Not in the eyes of the law..
Try threatening the President in a public forum or a SCOTUS Justice... See if authorities take it as an "idle" threat..
Oh.. You mean "idle" in the sense of not being any big deal because it's a threat to men you don't like politically.. Ahh...
THAT'S what you mean by "idle threat".. As in "it's no big deal if Gorsuch and Kavanaugh get hit hard, they are only Trump nominated Justices, so it's no biggie"...
I get it now.. :^/
Russ,
Elizabeth Warren gets the MDDW this week??!!?? Really? Over Schumer saying something so stupid about conservative justices getting “payback” for their actions? WTF?!
Did you just totally and 1000% agree with me???
Please don't do that.. :D
"Stuart, don't agree with me.. It just makes me doubt myself.. "
-Michael J Fox, SPIN CITY
:D
And I know it's nonsense to ascribe stock market behavior to any single news item, but I get a thrill to imagine that Trump believes it, blowing his top at news articles like this:
'U.S. stocks surged on Wednesday, rising on Joe Biden's strong Super Tuesday performance...'
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-tuesday-stock-market-up-joe-biden/
Sadly, from the same article, at least some investors are counting on 4 more years of fleecing the American people.
'Health care stocks led the rise, buoyed by the apparent stumble for Senator Bernie Sanders and his signature policy of universal single-payer health care.'
Italy..
I will never forgive Obama and the 2009-10 Congress for not even trying to fully repeal the Cuban embargo.
Yea, but did you attack Obama at the time over it???
I am betting you didn't.. Obama was "The Messiah" after all and could do no wrong... :eyeroll:
And I know it's nonsense to ascribe stock market behavior to any single news item, but I get a thrill to imagine that Trump believes it, blowing his top at news articles like this:
'U.S. stocks surged on Wednesday, rising on Joe Biden's strong Super Tuesday performance...'
So when the stock market says what you want to hear, then you wallow in the "nonsense".. :D
I find that funny... :D
Shocking Video: Group Stomps 15-Year-Old Girl On Brooklyn Sidewalk
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/03/06/group-stomps-girl-on-brooklyn-sidewalk/
What' the problem here??
It's just budding Democrats forcing that girl to share her wealth....
Nothing to see.. Move along... :eyeroll:
How will Fox News spin this one? Oh, that's right, the Minister of Misinformation Conway will declare with a straight face that Trump didn't say it!
'In a moment that some commentators have called one of the most “disturbing” and “frightening” remarks of Trump’s response to the public health crisis, the president also said he would prefer that cruise ship passengers exposed to the virus be left aboard so that they don’t add to the number of total infections in the US.
“I like the numbers being where they are,” said Trump, who appeared to be explicitly acknowledging his political concerns about the outbreak: “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.”'
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/us-coronavirus-death-toll-washington-state
Yunno, you could have even gone with BILL CLINTON as the MDDOTW award...
He is quoted as, basically, saying, "I was boffing Lewinsky to help me manage my nerves. Hell, I was the President Of The United States.. I just figured I would institute my own form of 'Prima Nocta'.. What's the big deal!!??"
That's the quintessential Democrat right there..
So, for dissing women, Bubbo doesn't rate a mention..
But for being coy, Warren deserves the gong??
Waitaminute!?? A woman being coy gets the gong??
Is that a sexist thing!???
'In a moment that some commentators have called one of the most “disturbing” and “frightening” remarks of Trump’s response to the public health crisis, the president also said he would prefer that cruise ship passengers exposed to the virus be left aboard so that they don’t add to the number of total infections in the US.
All ya gotta do, Rusty is find me the comments where you condemned Odumbo when over 12,000 Americans died in the Swine Flu pandemic..
Because if ya can't do that, then yer nothing but an opportunist, a Party slave whose hate and bigotries rule them...
I'll be waiting for the references...
Let me re-iterate it for the cheap seats..
The Coronavirus Is NOTHING To Worry About..
It's like the Ebola Scare or Y2K or Climate Change..
It's a Democrat construct to make the sheeple afraid and hate on President Trump...
I would say that ya'all are going to feel pretty silly when all this blows over...
But that would imply ya'all actually have any shame or common sense..
And those attributes are the first 2 attributes that HHPTDS attacks and suppresses.... :eyeroll:
Let me re-iterate it for the cheap seats..
The Coronavirus Is NOTHING To Worry About..
It's like the Ebola Scare or Y2K or Climate Change..
It's a Democrat construct to make the sheeple afraid and hate on President Trump...
I would say that ya'all are going to feel pretty silly when all this blows over...
But that would imply ya'all actually have any shame or common sense..
And those attributes are the first 2 attributes that HHPTDS attacks and suppresses.... :eyeroll:
I am so sorry about your sister, Don.
DH,
It seems you agree with Bill Maher.
Yea, it's been known to happen now and again that Maher accepts the facts and reality..
My sincerest condolences for your sister..
It's rarely wise to have discussions that involve family members, as any rational or logical or objective thoughts go out the window...
Nature of the beast...
It speaks back to the very first commentary that CW wrote that brought me to his attention..
So Is Torturing A Daughter OK?
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2008/07/07/so-is-torturing-a-daughter-ok-2/
Interesting comment note here, this column is where I originally met Michale. I am truly sorry the comments thread on HuffPost is gone, since it was an epic battle of the wits and of the wills. Neither one of us convinced the other of our position, but we did force each other to refine exactly what that position was, and to respect the other's stance.
-CW
Ahhhhh... Those were the days.. :D
Mezzomamma,
If only we could clone Warren and have one still in the Senate and another, or another few, in a decent Administration, since we can't have her in the White House.
I think one EW is enough.
I just heard Elizabeth Warren commiserating about how women and little girls will now have to wait four more years.
Wait for WHAT, precisely!?
And, why just FOUR years, Elizabeth?
She is really something, isn't she ...
Anyone who thinks that Warren (Or Hillary for that matter) lost because they were women are just tooling around to blame something or someone else..
The fact that they do that is why they lost..
And for our comical interlude..
https://www.codforums.com/threads/i-dont-even-wanna-know.11679/#lg=attachment731&slide=0
I don't EVEN want to know!! :D
Michale, they just weren't the right women. Heh.
Michale, they just weren't the right women. Heh.
Exactly..
Can you think of any women who might be right for the job?
Yea.. You... :D
Ha! I just knew you were going to do that. It was a serious question, though.
I know... But I really can't think of anyone (Male or Female) I admire for their wisdom and leadership capability..
Michale, I wasn't asking who you admire for their wisdom and leadership. I was asking if you could name one woman who you think could do the job of being POTUS, you know.
Can't think of one, Liz...
I guess I don't know many women.. :D
I will say that any one (man or woman) who advocates full free healthcare for illegal immigrants is NOT fit to be POTUS...
By full free healthcare, do you mean that people living in the US - millions of them - who are undocumented should be tested for coronavirus when warranted?
I sure hope that is what you mean.
Because during a pandemic you better not want people in your country not going to the authorities and healthcare professionals when they are sick for fear of being deported … no unless you want a real crisis on your hands, so to speak.
I think Amy klo looks a good bet for future president
Hi Michale!
I was very worried to hear of your heart attack and very pleased to see you are still with us and more feisty than ever!
[23]
Can you find me one commentary where you were so worried and fear-mongery about over 12,000 Americans dying [of] Swine Flu
As of mid-March 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that about 59 million Americans contracted the H1N1 virus (aka swine flu), 265,000 were hospitalized as a result, and 12,000 died.
While the impact of flu varies, CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9 million – 45 million illnesses, between 140,000 – 810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 – 61,000 deaths annually. That puts swine flu at the bottom of the range.
WHO did call it a pandemic in 2009 though in fact it was not any more deadly than any other flu. With a death rate of 0.02%, it is considerably less deadly than COVID-19 which has a death rate of 3.4%.
As promised, here is the link to Delegate Tracker 5: Super Tuesday Final Results -
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/3/7/1925063/-Delegate-Tracker-5-Super-Tuesday-Final-Results
Please note that California is still counting mail-in ballots so there is likely to be further adjustments to their delegate allocation.
The problem with saying that COVID-19 has a death rate of 3-4% is that it can't be accurate and is most likely much, much less than that.
Take South Korea, for example, where the testing has been comprehensive and death rate is very low.
It's all about the ability to test or, as in the US of all places, lack thereof.
Mopshell,
Well, how about that … doesn't look at all like I have to watch Biden blown out in Cal. :)
Liz,
By full free healthcare, do you mean that people living in the US - millions of them - who are undocumented should be tested for coronavirus when warranted?
I mean full free healthcare where illegals can go to the doctor for a hangnail and American citizens have to pay for it..
It has nothing to do with emergency pandemic procedures..
Because during a pandemic you better not want people in your country not going to the authorities and healthcare professionals when they are sick for fear of being deported … no unless you want a real crisis on your hands, so to speak.
If illegal immigrant criminals do not go to a doctor for fear of being deported and Americans die because of them, they should be prosecuted for murder..
To give you a proper analogy, it's as if a murderer had coronavirus and didn't go to a doctor for fear of being arrested for murder...
Is reluctance to seek medical treatment should not make his crime extenuate or acceptable..
If the criminals weren't in this country illegally, then it wouldn't be our problem, now would it??
I was very worried to hear of your heart attack and very pleased to see you are still with us and more feisty than ever!
You have always been one of my favorite, MS.. I am so glad to see you still with us..
Technically it wasn't a heart attack... It was pre-emptive.. The doctors told me I was within a week or so of having the type of heart attack they call The Widowmaker..
So I definitely dodged a bullet.. Sincere thanks for your nice thoughts...
As of mid-March 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that about 59 million Americans contracted the H1N1 virus (aka swine flu), 265,000 were hospitalized as a result, and 12,000 died.
While the impact of flu varies, CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9 million – 45 million illnesses, between 140,000 – 810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 – 61,000 deaths annually. That puts swine flu at the bottom of the range.
WHO did call it a pandemic in 2009 though in fact it was not any more deadly than any other flu. With a death rate of 0.02%, it is considerably less deadly than COVID-19 which has a death rate of 3.4%.
All excellent and factual information.. Funny how SOME here even denied it happened.. :^/
But my point was, no one here said ANYTHING about it..
And over 12,000 Americans died..
Now we have a handful of Americans who died and people here are hysterical about it..
The *ONLY* thing I can see to is NOW we have a POTUS with a -R after his name and THEN we had a POTUS with a -D after his name..
Liz
Yeah, Hillary "won the popular vote. She was very popular in Mexifornia and Puerto New Yorko!!
@crs,
hillary was also popular in the rest of los estados unidos. more popular than donald, in any case.
JL,
hillary was also popular in the rest of los estados unidos. more popular than donald, in any case.
It's easy to be popular if you promise everyone a whole bunch of free stuff..
I mean, seriously.. Do I have to explain this to you???
But my point was, no one here said ANYTHING about it..
And over 12,000 Americans died..
Now we have a handful of Americans who died and people here are hysterical about it..
The *ONLY* thing I can see to is NOW we have a POTUS with a -R after his name and THEN we had a POTUS with a -D after his name..
If anyone can come up with a logical reason why ya'all are hysterical about the coronavirus but didn't say squat about Swine Flu under Obama....
"I am all ears.."
-Ross Perot
promising all sorts of free stuff you'll never be able to deliver has been part of politics since the first cave politician pointed a stick at a woolly mammoth. i was just responding to stucki's mexifornia and nuyorico comment.
Chris,
All of this, obviously, led to Joe Biden having the best week of his political life. His comeback was one for the ages, and will be oft-quoted by future presidential candidates who do poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire (that's our guess, at any rate).
There is just one problem with all of that - a future presidential candidate who loses the first three contests - no matter what state they may be in (hopefully, not Iowa, ahem) will have to be of an extraordinary variety, like a Joe Biden, in fact, if he or she would dare to contemplate such a comeback.
It is amazing to me that, even now, people fail to recognize the special nature of a 2020 Biden campaign for president.
Schumer issued what many considered to be a threat, telling them they would "pay the price" if they voted to gut Roe v. Wade.
I don't know what Schumer said, and given the pervasive incompetence of the less-bad major party, it wouldn't surprise me if it was a threat.
But the system is designed so that justices will pay the price if they make bad rulings. The branches are not equal, as envisioned in the Constitution in 1787. Not even close. The Supreme Court has no power of its own, beyond deciding the specific cases that are appealed to it. (And those over which it has original jurisdiction, "Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party".) The only way the Court can have any real power is by having its decisions accepted as valid precedent, that should bind not only the lower courts but Congress and the executive branch in their interpretation of the Constitution. Any decision that undermines that acceptance comes with a price in power lost by the Court.
Even the worst presidents were better than this
Andrew Jackson was a worse human being. Trump brags that he could shoot someone in public without losing support, but Jackson actually killed people for fun.
Buchanan was a worse president. Trump is pushing us toward a metaphorical Civil War, but Buchanan led us into the literal one.
Woodrow Wilson was a worse influence on the world. No one sees Trump as a source of intellectual leadership, but the Fourteen Points were taken as a starting point for the disastrous Paris Peace Conference. The doctrine of national self-determination of peoples was a key part of what made WWII possible. As I see it, you can recognize putative rights of peoples, or you can recognize the actual rights of people, but when push comes to shove, you can't have it both ways. And push is guaranteed to come to shove, sooner or later.
[12] ListenWhenYouHear wrote:
How do you blame Warren for not winning the nomination? How is that her fault?
She botched lots of stuff. For one thing, she told the truth about her small amount of Native American ancestry, and utterly failed to manage the political fallout. Telling the truth is always politically radioactive. To be a politician, you have to tell Americans a story about ourselves, a flattering story that we want to hear. And she had one: Grandpa convinces Grandma's family to be ok with the marriage. Decency overcomes bigotry. Love conquers all. Candidate has roots in the Heartland.
Senator Schumer should never have made a personal attack on the court and its justices. Period.
If for no other reason than the sort of behavior he exhibited demonstrated a distinct disdain for the rule of law.
promising all sorts of free stuff you'll never be able to deliver has been part of politics since the first cave politician pointed a stick at a woolly mammoth. i was just responding to stucki's mexifornia and nuyorico comment.
And I was simply pointing out exact why the Vanity Vote is useless as an accurate parameter..
You people only insist on employing it when it goes your way...
Example: Bernie @ Iowa....
Senator Schumer should never have made a personal attack on the court and its justices. Period.
If for no other reason than the sort of behavior he exhibited demonstrated a distinct disdain for the rule of law.
Exactly..
Funny how he gets a pass around here and is "beat out" by Warran for being "coy"... Is that a code-word for something??
Today's Democrat Party...
GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik blasts ‘radical Far-Left’ after finding ‘vile’ note on car while grocery shopping
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-rep-elise-stefanik-blasts-radical-far-left-after-finding-vile-note-on-car-while-grocery-shopping
Nobody on the Left will condemn this sort of thing because they AGREE with these sorts of actions...
#sad
Liz,
The problem with saying that COVID-19 has a death rate of 3-4% is that it can't be accurate and is most likely much, much less than that.
Take South Korea, for example, where the testing has been comprehensive and death rate is very low.
It's all about the ability to test or, as in the US of all places, lack thereof.
Exactly.. The Left is simply fear-mongering on this.. Pure and simple..
President Trump is making all the right moves, trying to dispel all the politically motivated hysterical fear mongering with calm and facts..
Democrats respond, LITERALLY, with "WE DON'T WANT CALM!!!!!"
Agree about Schumer. Calling out scotus justices by name is not a good thing.
Gee, JL.. Don't be so hysterical about it!! It's not as if he's a Nazi or anything.. :D
heh
If telling the truth is politically radioactive, does this mean you look for candidates to support that lie? :D
Of course.. As long as it's the lies that they WANT to hear...
When it comes to promising free stuff since the days of the caveman Michale brought up the wrong Nazis.
If this scam has been going on since the days of the caveman, it's the people that are so stupid they can NOT SEE they are being scammed.
Which circles us right back around to human nature..
You have to be pretty stupid to keep getting fooled by something that is so obvious.
Figuring out the scam is not hard.
And again... "Hard" is in the eye of the beholder.
It's not hard for me at all to see how President Trump continues to win over and over and over and over again..
Apparently, it's IMPOSSIBLE for ya'all to see it because ya'all keep predicting the worst and ya'all are ALWAYS wrong about it..
Michale,
Another reason why undocumented people in your country need to be provided with basic healthcare is to ensure that this new coronavirus outbreak doesn't become worse. When people can't afford healthcare or don't have access to it they become vulnerable. And, during a health crisis like this, when they are more vulnerable, then your whole country becomes more at risk.
You know, we all - all of us - on the planet are in this thing together and we can't afford to leave anyone behind.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/opinion/coronavirus-immigrants-health.html
Another reason why undocumented people in your country need to be provided with basic healthcare is to ensure that this new coronavirus outbreak doesn't become worse.
Why would you think rewarding criminality would work??
If they insist on coming here illegally, let them be rounded up in pens and THEN they can have closely monitored health care..
You know, we all - all of us - on the planet are in this thing together and we can't afford to leave anyone behind.
If they stayed in their part of the planet, there wouldn't be a problem..
Why do you think it's OK for people to violate the US laws??
How would you feel if Americans waltzed into Canada and start stealing and assaulting and raping and murdering Canadians??
You would say, THERE OUUGHTA BE A LAW!!!
They are CRIMINALS... What part of that is not clear???
If they want health care, let them become Americans the legal and correct way...
That kind of attitude would be yours to have … if you lived on an island. But, you don't live on an island.
Or, do you think this coronavirus outbreak is a Democratic hoax?
That kind of attitude would be yours to have … if you lived on an island. But, you don't live on an island.
I also don't live in the V IS FOR VENDETTA society..
Or, do you think this coronavirus outbreak is a Democratic hoax?
It's as real as Y2K, Ebola, Swine Flu and Climate Change..
IE, factually accurate, but hyped by hysterical fear mongering by those with a political agenda..
I also don't live in the V IS FOR VENDETTA society..
IE, we live in a world that has laws and sovereignty..
It's always funny how those who push for a World Government (as long as it's THEIR form of government) are so quick and ready to ignore some OTHER country's laws.. Some OTHER country's sovereignty...
You want a world government?? How about a world government governed by President Trump and the GOP???
All of the sudden a WORLD government is not very palatable, eh?? :D
IE, we live in a world that has laws and sovereignty..
I guess it's just too damn bad that the entire family of coronaviruses don't recognize that.
I guess it's just too damn bad that the entire family of coronaviruses don't recognize that.
As did Swine Flu and Ebola and HIV and all the rest before it..
Why, ALL OF THE SUDDEN, is this an issue??
**NO ONE** has been able to answer that...
Because the answer (Trump is President) exposes the FACT that this is nothing but politics..
I mean, com'on..
Over **TWELVE THOUSAND** American dead under Obama and NO ONE here said 'BOO'...
Now we have LESS than TWELVE Americans dead and ya'all are treating it as the END OF DAYS...
WHAT explains this incongruity???
One thing and one thing only..
POLITICS..... Pure and simple...
You are the one who is making this micro-discussion about politics and it bores me.
But, don't fret, Michale. Trump won't be president for much longer and then you can take a much needed rest.
To Rebound and Win, Bernie Sanders Needs to Leave His Comfort Zone
Current and former staffers say Sanders has run a great campaign — except when it comes to taking on Democrats like Joe Biden by name. Can he fix that?
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/bernie-sanders-attack-joe-biden-democratic-primary-963934/
Bernie needs to want it as bad as his supporters do...
You are the one who is making this micro-discussion about politics and it bores me.
If you have ***ANY*** facts that even INDICATE it's NOT about politics, I'll listen...
But if you can't answer that one simple question, then it's obvious it IS about politics..
But, don't fret, Michale. Trump won't be president for much longer and then you can take a much needed rest.
He'll be President for at least 5 more annual cruises.. :D
28 days and counting.. :D
Klobuchar 'ticket' slip-up at Biden event in Michigan sparks speculation she'll be his VP pick
Is her "ticket" punched for a ride on the Biden train?
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sparked vice-presidential speculation Saturday when she said she was joining Joe Biden’s “ticket” -- in an apparent slip of the tongue during a campaign rally for the former vice president in Michigan.
Klobuchar, who has been stumping for Biden across the state ahead of this Tuesday's primary -- since she dropped out of the race and endorsed him last weekend -- told a crowd in Grand Rapids she “couldn’t think of a better way to end my candidacy ... than to join the ticket.”
As the crowd cheered she shook her head at her mistake and laughed, “Kidding …”
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/amy-klobuchar-sparks-vp-speculation-when-she-tells-rally-crowd-she-joined-the-ticket-in-slip-up
Interesting....
Michale
[70]
Technically it wasn't a heart attack... It was pre-emptive.. The doctors told me I was within a week or so of having the type of heart attack they call The Widowmaker..
Bloody hell, mate! That kind of pre-emptive is way too close for comfort!!! Just relieved and happy that you're the one alive to tell me about it!
Elizabeth
[67]
Yeah you're right about South Korea having a low death rate - it's currently 0.68%.
As Doctor Dena Grayson explains:
"South Korea has easy access to coronavirus tests, even drive-thrus(!), and their EARLY detection has slowed the spread."
It appears that early detection and diligent testing makes far more of a difference than lockdowns.
Italy, on the other hand, has a death rate of 3.96%. It's hard to say why it's so high there though it may (and I stress may as this is speculation so far) have something to do with different strains of the virus. Dr Grayson confirms that there are multiple strains of COVID-19 in circulation now but no-one is yet certain if one or more is/are more aggressive than the others.
Michale
[70]
You have always been one of my favorite, MS.. I am so glad to see you still with us..
I can also be one helluva pain-in-the-arse and that hasn't changed!
Michale
[71]
But my point was, no one here said ANYTHING about it..
And over 12,000 Americans died..
Last year the flu season in the US resulted in:
35,500,000 infections
490,600 hospitalizations
49,000 ICU admissions
34,200 deaths
- almost three times as many deaths as the swine flu in 2009 - and nobody here said ANYTHING about that either.
But the CDC predictions for coronavirus are:
96,000,000 infections
4,800,000 hospitalizations
1,900,000 ICU admissions
480,000 deaths
I agree that 19 deaths so far is not many but this thing has barely got its foot in the door.
Elizabeth [91] and Michale [93]
Senator Schumer should never have made a personal attack on the court and its justices. Period.
Agreed! And it was Schumer who deserved the MDDOTW award, not Elizabeth Warren.
Chris,
You do not give a MDDOTW award to someone just because they didn't endorse your favourite candidate. And in all fairness and fact, Elizabeth Warren is, for all her faults, a Democrat at least while BS most definitely isn't, never has been and never will be.
Elizabeth
[68]
Well, how about that … doesn't look at all like I have to watch Biden blown out in Cal. :)
Isn't it great news! This is why I was so keen to get that link to you. I've a strong feeling too that there is better to come. They're calling it "Joementum" - well-named I reckon. :)
Elizabeth
[11]
I can't reveal my picks for his cabinet until after the general election for reasons that will be clear enough. :)
This is why I say I'm looking forward to reading your picks for his cabinet. :)
Don Harris
[126]
Indeed, infection rates are very important.
Mopshell,
It appears that early detection and diligent testing makes far more of a difference than lockdowns.
Precisely.
It's hard to say why it's so high [in northern Italy] ...
You know why - there are many people there who are carrying the virus but are asymptomatic and have not been tested. With a broader testing regime in Italy, that high death rate will subside.
Mopshell,
Bloody hell, mate! That kind of pre-emptive is way too close for comfort!!! Just relieved and happy that you're the one alive to tell me about it!
Indubitably.. :D
Thanx.. :D
Mopshell,
I can also be one helluva pain-in-the-arse and that hasn't changed!
Wouldn't want it any other way.. :D
I agree that 19 deaths so far is not many but this thing has barely got its foot in the door.
And there is nothing to indicate that it will.. Surely nothing to justify the "DON'T BE CALM!!! IT'S TIME TO PANIC AND BLAME IT ALL ON TRUMP!!!!" message from the Democrats...
This is more reminiscent of the last Ebola scare more than anything else..
But my point was, no one here said ANYTHING about it..
And over 12,000 Americans died..
Now we have a handful of Americans who died and people here are hysterical about it..
The *ONLY* thing I can see to is NOW we have a POTUS with a -R after his name and THEN we had a POTUS with a -D after his name..
If anyone can come up with a logical reason why ya'all are hysterical about the coronavirus but didn't say squat about Swine Flu under Obama....
Probably because Obama didn’t falsely claim at the start of the swine flu outbreak that it was all a Republican hoax. Obama didn’t say that people infected with the swine flu should just go back to work and eventually they’d get better. Obama didn’t force a cruise ship full of Americans to be quarantined out at sea because he didn’t want the official number of people infected IN this country to increase!
But you are right, we didn’t blame Obama for downplaying the government’s response to a pandemic to help his chances at getting re-elected.
Trump should double the number of rallies he holds, and encourage lots more hand licking and spitting in strangers’ mouths than normally occurs...just to prove that this has all been a hoax! That would show us!
dsws
She botched lots of stuff. For one thing, she told the truth about her small amount of Native American ancestry, and utterly failed to manage the political fallout. Telling the truth is always politically radioactive. To be a politician, you have to tell Americans a story about ourselves, a flattering story that we want to hear. And she had one: Grandpa convinces Grandma's family to be ok with the marriage. Decency overcomes bigotry. Love conquers all. Candidate has roots in the Heartland.
Personally, I thought she did the right thing by taking the DNA test as early as she did, as it allowed it to be a “big deal” when it would not hurt her campaign...because she had not announced her intention to run.
Liz,
The point being is, if you don't want to talk about politics then we CAN'T talk about the coronavirus issue, because the "issue" is nothing BUT politics..
It's like, "Hay... Let's talk about the Ebola issue..."
We can't because it's not an issue..
You read Mopshell's stats..
Last year the flu season in the US resulted in:
35,500,000 infections
490,600 hospitalizations
49,000 ICU admissions
34,200 deaths
Compared to that, this coronavirus is NOTHING..
The *ONLY* reason it's a "thing" right now is because Democrats, having lost to President Trump in that ridiculous faux impeachment coup attempt, are DESPERATE to throw ANY shit they can, in the desperate and futile hope that SOMETHING... ANYTHING... sticks to President Trump..
So, if you DON'T want to talk about politics, then the coronavirus is OUT as a possible topic of discussion...
Probably because Obama didn’t falsely claim at the start of the swine flu outbreak that it was all a Republican hoax.
And President Trump didn't make the same claim about the CoronaVirus either.
President Trump said that it was the DEMCORAT response to the coronavirus that is the hoax..
And it is..
Trump should double the number of rallies he holds, and encourage lots more hand licking and spitting in strangers’ mouths than normally occurs...just to prove that this has all been a hoax! That would show us!
So, you want more Trump supporters to die???
Hmmmmm I wish I could say your desire to see Americans die by the tens of thousands is surprising..
But it's not..
#sad
President Trump said that it was the DEMCORAT response to the coronavirus that is the hoax..
Which consists of:
"DON'T BE CALM!!!! DON'T BE CALM!!!! PANIC!!! PANIC!!!!"
That's the Democrat Party response..
How completely and utterly irresponsible..
Democrats don't DESERVE to govern...
President Trump said that it was the DEMCORAT response
yikes, now you've re-mis-spelled your prior mis-spelling. it's poor spelling squared! however, at least you're right that donald didn't call the virus a hoax (although he did downplay its severity)
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-coronavirus-rally-remark/
heh
@liz,
we all got to watch out for demcarrots, y'know?
If telling the truth is politically radioactive, does this mean you look for candidates to support that lie? :D
Any presidential candidate who doesn't lie would have disqualified themselves before I get a chance to vote for them. I look for candidates who don't lie wastefully, who give voters the feeling of being flattered without piling on more outright falsehoods than are really necessary. One useful technique is for them to mostly say a whole mess of nothing, when politics requires them to lie.
I thought she did the right thing by taking the DNA test as early as she did,
I don't have anything against the timing. It's the fact that she was using a DNA test instead of a story. Lies beat facts, in politics, but stories beat lies. There was a good story right there for her to use, and she went with the fact.
JL,
yikes, now you've re-mis-spelled your prior mis-spelling. it's poor spelling squared!
Yer one of the only people here who can make a spelling lame friendly and funny.. :D
But... Was it an actual misspelling??? :D Or was it simply a version of "Republicant"... :D
however, at least you're right that donald didn't call the virus a hoax
Thank you for acknowledging the FACTS...
Russ, you should pay attention to JL... You might actually learn something..
(although he did downplay its severity)
Which is what a GOOD leader does to instill confidence and forestall panic..
Compare and contrast President Trump's calming actions with the Democrats DON'T BE CALM!!! DON'T BE CALM!!! PANIC!!! PANIC!!!! actions and it's clear who is showing leadership and who is off their rocker hysterical with hate..
Yunno...
If Bernie really wants to bitch-slap the DNC and all the Democrats who have scrooed him and his followers over the last years...
He should concede the Democrat Primary to Biden and mount a 3rd Party run...
It would be a much better fit for Bernie anyways...
I don't have anything against the timing. It's the fact that she was using a DNA test instead of a story. Lies beat facts, in politics, but stories beat lies. There was a good story right there for her to use, and she went with the fact.
Excellent observation of human nature... :D
Ancestral stories are like war stories..
To a one, they are ALWAYS bullshit..
Even the true ones..
ESPECIALLY the true ones..
But they make people feel good..
Still have HOLODECK/ENTERPRISE server issues if anyone wants a break from Michale for a week.. :D
Russ,
Probably because Obama didn’t falsely claim at the start of the swine flu outbreak that it was all a Republican hoax.
So, since yer bullshit accusation has totally fallen flat...
Why are ya'all so hysterical about a handful of dead Americans but you didn't say diddley squat about over 12,000 dead Americans under Odumbo???
Do you have an answer that ISN'T complete and utter bullshit???
"Well, do ya... Punk..."
-Clint Eastwood, DIRTY HARRY
https://media3.giphy.com/media/5AWyS0JYoBrmE/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e474eb2fac2e32876079c6bf355a8acdd4ad541bfc9&rid=giphy.gif
:D
It's rather ironic..
President Trump is weathering the coronavirus storm with grace, dignity and above all else.. LEADERSHIP...
Democrats?? Hysterical fear-mongering, hatred and bigotry... ANTI-leadership... Telling people "DON'T BE CALM!!! DON'T BE CALM!!!" violates **EVERY** tenet of leadership and crisis management..
Again, Demcorats putting their own selfish and self-serving agenda before the safety and welfare of the American people..
Wonder if we'll ever see a commentary on THAT, eh??
The Dems are overreacting to the coronavirus almost as much as Michale is overreacting to their overreaction. :D
I don't call properly labeling a complete and utter failure of leadership on the part of the Democrats an over-reaction..
But I can see how those who are Democrats would.. :D
Apologies Don..
I accused you of being a Democrat..
That's a grave insult that you did not deserve...
Max Von Sydow has passed away..
His awesome talent shall be missed...
No problem. I've been called worse.
I find that nearly IMPOSSIBLE to believe.. :D
heh
The years have not been kind to Deanna Troi-Riker
Between the plague and the stock mkt, I could damn near believe that God is conspiring against Trump, if only I believed in God.
If there is a god (or gods) then he... Or she... Or they... are simply proving what real patriotic Americans already know..
President Trump is one helluva leader..
On the other hand, it's not too hard to show great leadership when the OTHER side is screaming hysterically at the top of their lungs... "DON'T BE CALM!!!! DON'T BE CALM!!!! PANIC!!! PANIC!!!!"
If there is a god (or gods) then he... she... or they have blessed President Trump with totally and unequivocally INCOMPETENT and MORONIC opponents and enemies..
Word is Gov Cuomo of NY State has announced the marketing of a NY STATE OFFICIAL HAND SANITIZER...
Shipments are delayed because they are coming from China.. :D
And, in ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
John Travolta was hospitalized for suspected COVID-19, but doctors now confirm that it was only Saturday Night Fever, and they assure everyone that he is Staying Alive.
:D
Which is what a GOOD leader does to instill confidence and forestall panic..
Compare and contrast President Trump's calming actions with the Democrats DON'T BE CALM!!! DON'T BE CALM!!! PANIC!!! PANIC!!!! actions and it's clear who is showing leadership and who is off their rocker hysterical with hate..
Your breath must be awful with all that bullshit constantly spewing from your mouth! When has any Democrat told the public, “DON’T BE CALM!!! PANIC!!!”??? YOU seem to be the only person who is “off their rocker hysterical with hate.” with your dishonesty!
It's rather ironic..
President Trump is weathering the coronavirus storm with grace, dignity and above all else.. LEADERSHIP...
It’s rather moronic that anyone would make such a statement! Trump claimed that “anyone who wants a test can get a test.” Tell that to the hospital staffs all over the country that are having to be quarantined and cannot carry out their jobs until they are tested and cleared.
Trump is more worried about his re-election than American’s well being.
Your breath must be awful with all that bullshit constantly spewing from your mouth! When has any Democrat told the public, “DON’T BE CALM!!! PANIC!!!”???
I would have thought you would have taken a lesson when JL proved you wrong about your Trump Says Coronavirus Is Hoax bullshit..
"I don't want people to stay calm"
-NY Governor Cuomo, speaking about the coronavirus..
Apparently, it's YOUR breath that sticks from the bullshit you spew..
My breath is the clean fresh breath of FACTS... :D