All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

True. A big get out the vote effort will be necessary. But they showed up in 2018, and Trumps base didn't.

I’m not putting much stock in 2018. Trump wasn’t on the ticket and he draws a lot of people that dislike the average mainstream politician but are a cult for him. Also Democrats took beatings in the two elections during Obama’s admin where he wasn’t in the ticket.

Trump’s an interesting case because he’s a shitshow, but usually has the advantage by political conventions. Last time it was “country was looking for change, he was running against a dynasty, it’s hard for a party to get a third term, his opponent had a controversy and wasn’t particularly charismatic. This time it’s a he’s an incumbent in the middle of a crisis. The economy will be the interesting thing here. If people blame him for it, he’ll probably lose. If they don’t and it’s more about the virus, he stands a good shot.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

I am wondering if anyone on Trump's campaign team is worried that parts of Trump's base are currently exercising their freedoms by packing church pews and socializing in other non-liberal, non-distanced ways.

But I guess it's balanced out by large cities with mass transport being hit hard, and they being very Biden blue.

You don’t need to be alive to vote Republican

[Kirby101]

I’m not putting much stock in 2018. Trump wasn’t on the ticket and he draws a lot of people that dislike the average mainstream politician but are a cult for him. Also Democrats took beatings in the two elections during Obama’s admin where he wasn’t in the ticket.

Trump’s an interesting case because he’s a shitshow, but usually has the advantage by political conventions. Last time it was “country was looking for change, he was running against a dynasty, it’s hard for a party to get a third term, his opponent had a controversy and wasn’t particularly charismatic. This time it’s a he’s an incumbent in the middle of a crisis. The economy will be the interesting thing here. If people blame him for it, he’ll probably lose. If they don’t and it’s more about the virus, he stands a good shot.

Maybe his base didn't come out, but the #1 reason people voted for the Dems was Trump. He will lose the popular vote again. Maybe by more than last time. It will really be a few key States and their swing voters. That is why Bernie supporters voting for Trump is so insane.

[PaulBullion]

Only the best people:

Within just 24hrs we have...

Bernie surrogate Joe Rogan encouraging people to vote Trump.

Bernie surrogate Shaun King getting called out as the grifter he is.

Bernie surrogate de Blasio lying about what info he had on COVID-19 & when.

That’s the losing coalition Bernie built.

[Kirby101]

Only the best people:

I really hate people saying DiBlasio lied about the mask thing without reading what he actually said. The new directive was due to new data coming out of countries like Korea. It was not that he didn't know people could be asymptomatic.

“We did not want to create an artificial demand there,” de Blasio continued, “nor did we want to create a sense that if you had something over your face you didn’t need to practice social distancing, [or that] you didn’t need to shelter in place, which are much more important strategies.”

The mayor said New Yorkers were now encouraged to wear homemade masks or scarves over their mouths when going outside, because the measure could prevent asymptomatic patients or those with mild symptoms from spreading the disease.

[TheDarman]

Because in order to win a presidential election you need to be able to persuade people who would consider voting for the other guy.

The idea that you would tout an endorsement from a guy who has demonstrated transphobic and homophobic behavior explains how little Sanders cares about social issues relative to economic policy and why he lost those who care about social equality.

[PaulBullion]

I really hate people saying DiBlasio lied about the mask thing without reading what he actually said. The new directive was due to new data coming out of countries like Korea. It was not that he didn't know people could be asymptomatic.

I think he meant DiBlasio claiming that they didn't know asymptomatic carriers could infect other people until 48 hours ago, which is a ridiculous statement and quite likely a lie.

[Mister Mets]

The idea that you would tout an endorsement from a guy who has demonstrated transphobic and homophobic behavior explains how little Sanders cares about social issues relative to economic policy and why he lost those who care about social equality.

It's messy. I wrote about this when it happened, and there were some interesting discussions, about what should be viewed as off-limits for Democrats, and why that matters.

The links are in my original post. Dylan Matthews wrote an interesting piece for Vox on fractures in the left, perhaps a leftist VS liberal divide, encapsulated by the response to Joe Rogan's endorsement of Bernie Sanders. It does get to a lot of fault lines.

One question is the trans-community's feeling that they are seen as expendable in political disputes.

For some, discrimination has become the line that can't be crossed.

One of the arguments for Sanders supporters is that mainstream Democrats have been comfortable seeking the endorsements of Henry Kissinger and Colin Powell, who they would argue have done tremendous harm.

Sanders supporter Matt Breuning complicated the question by asking why there isn't similar outrage when it comes to negative attitudes against the poor.

A lot of people in the United States, and even within the Democratic party, hold views that many who care about social equality find repulsive. It might not go very well electorally if the "bag of deplorables' within the Democratic party get the sense that major movers within the Democratic party don't care for them.

To win the election, Democrats will need the votes of people with problematic views, including those who would deny that discrimination is a major source of problems in black America, that same-sex relationships are fine, or that it’s okay for married women to have jobs.

[Kirby101]

I think he meant DiBlasio claiming that they didn't know asymptomatic carriers could infect other people until 48 hours ago, which is a ridiculous statement and quite likely a lie.

What he actually said was:

Bill de Blasio Rejects Claim U.S. Knew Asymptomatic People Could Spread the Virus: Only Learned That ‘In the Last 48 Hours’
By Leia IdlibyApr 3rd, 2020, 3:44 pm
268 Comments
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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Mayor Bill de Blasio rejected WNYC host Brian Lehrer’s claim that the U.S. knew “weeks and months ago that asymptomatic people can spread this disease,” and instead suggested this fact was only discovered “in the last 48 hours.”

“The city’s position used to be that healthy people don’t need masks because they’re not very effective at preventing the virus from coming in, they’re mostly from keeping you from spreading it, so explain this new recommendation,” Lehrer said.

“Exactly, it’s still the fundamental truth, so we have, you know, a renowned health department here in New York City… only in the last really 48 hours or so do they feel they’ve seen evidence around the world, particularly a new study coming out of Singapore, that shows more evidence that this disease can be spread by asymptomatic people,” de Blasio responded.

De Blasio then explained that surgical masks and N95s “are only for the people fighting in the front line battle,” and urged people to use makeshift or homemade masks instead.

When Lehrer asked, “Didn’t we know weeks and months ago that asymptomatic people can spread this disease?” The mayor insisted we did not.

“No, the fact is I’ve been at so many press conferences where our top doctors for New York City addressed this and they said ‘we just didn’t have evidence from all the global medical community that was studying this issue,” de Blasio told Lehrer. “There was suspicion, but there was not evidence.”

So yes we sort of knew, but we didn't have the data to say we should where masks.

[Kusanagi]

From today's rambling Trump press conference

“I just hope that hydroxychloroquine wins, coupled with perhaps the Z-Pak as we call it, depending totally on your doctors and the doctors there,” he says. “There is a possibility – a possibility – and I say it: what do you have to lose? I’ll say it again: what do you have to lose? Take it. I really think they should take it. But it’s their choice and it’s their doctor’s choice, or the doctors in the hospital. But hydroxychloroquine. Try it, if you like.”

Seriously is he being paid to advertise? Is he doubling down because if circumstances prove that it actually works, he can walk to the election, or is there another conspiracy theory website proclaiming how good it is?

[Kirby101]

Trump gets brainworms that don't leave until replaces by another.

[Tami]

From today's rambling Trump press conference



Seriously is he being paid to advertise? Is he doubling down because if circumstances prove that it actually works, he can walk to the election, or is there another conspiracy theory website proclaiming how good it is?

I think its' the third option. Trump is amazed that he can pronounce hydroxychloroquine, he is so proud of himself that he'll keep on using the word over and over again.

[SuperiorIronman]

Alright so I googled it and hydroxychloroquine is the thing that's used to treat malaria..., malaria is also not a virus so I have no idea what he's getting at. Now I did see at least one article reporting a treatment using it in conjunction with something else but even that admits the data just isn't there to suggest treatment with it works.
Scratch that I know how this happened. Said Doctor was discovered by Trump and while the Doctor was grasping at straws Trump saw it as a success while it's gotten ahead of the scientific fields studying this. While reports would suggest it's helping, there isn't enough data to actually say that any of this even works and the patients didn't simply recover.

It's worth noting because people are recovering from the virus and so it's not clear at this time if the current cocktail or even hydroxychloroquine is doing anything. It could just be that they recovered and the cocktail of drugs did nothing or very little.

You can't just jump into a cure.

[jetengine]

This is the same drug he was touting before that people have OD'd on in trying to deal with Covid 19

[Darkspellmaster]

This is the same drug he was touting before that people have OD'd on in trying to deal with Covid 19

Wonder if he's going to be touting it even when the antivirals come out and have nothing to do with them.