All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[worstblogever]

The fact Donald Trump himself caught COVID (most likely from his own staff) highlights the failure of his own efforts of minimizing the public's fears of the disease. If the president of the United States can get it, what makes you certain you won't? And given that he has wanted to spend over $300 million of the CDC's funding on propaganda that touts how everything's just fine in America, this is only going to get worse.

Hopefully, nothing truly bad happens, but obviously, Trump ain't learning any humility from this. Worst case scenario, however, we're getting Mike Pence for a few weeks.

We should note that at Thursday's debate, before it started, Trump's whole brood showed up wearing masks, went through security with them, and then REMOVED THEM in the debate crowd. A Cleveland doctor had to tell them, "put your f***ing masks back on please and thank you). Only Melania was caught on camera with one... and she took it off at the end when she took to the stage to greet Trump.

It's willful ignorance. Has been from the jump. My only regret was not having started a betting pool back in April about when Trump would test positive. Whoever had October 1st would have cleaned up.

If this is some kind of a ploy for campaign sympathy, as the theory above... I don't think it's going to work. Most of the online response I've seen is, "F***er got what he had coming for botching this and lying about it."

[KCJ506]

Worst possible thing to come out of this is that he pulls through with no symptoms or very few symptoms, emerges after quarantine, and says "See, no problem! COVID's not a big deal at all!" It'll give his supporters even more reason to downplay the seriousness of the virus.

[worstblogever]

Worst possible thing to come out of this is that he pulls through with no symptoms or very few symptoms, emerges after quarantine, and says "See, no problem! COVID's not a big deal at all!" It'll give his supporters even more reason to downplay the seriousness of the virus.

The fact that he's lied about the virus for eight months now has a lot of people not believing he's even sick online. The majority of the reaction is "disbelief because he's a liar" or "serves the f***er right". With a smaller sample that's going, "Well, if he kicks it, at least the white nationalists he gave orders to will never get the go signal."

Again, he destroys all democratic norms in our country, as none of those reactions are a normal one to a president getting sick.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Worst possible thing to come out of this is that he pulls through with no symptoms or very few symptoms, emerges after quarantine, and says "See, no problem! COVID's not a big deal at all!" It'll give his supporters even more reason to downplay the seriousness of the virus.

That's the big problem, one that figures to lead to more outbreaks, especially as fall leads to winter and the arrival of flu season, potentially overwhelming hospitals and the entire medical system.

[Steel Inquisitor]

The whole situation is not good.

If he dies, we get Pence. What happens to the campaign if Trump died from Covid before the election?

Pence loses badly. He's not as beloved as Trump and the GOP would need months to recover form the sabotage Trump has done to their organisations. He becomes the Ford to Trump's Nixon.

[worstblogever]

Pence loses badly. He's not as beloved as Trump and the GOP would need months to recover form the sabotage Trump has done to their organisations. He becomes the Ford to Trump's Nixon.

If only we could all enjoy the sight of Mike Pence falling down flights of stairs as well.

[Gray Lensman]

That's the big problem, one that figures to lead to more outbreaks, especially as fall leads to winter and the arrival of flu season, potentially overwhelming hospitals and the entire medical system.

My job normally provides me with a flu shot every year, but this time I'm not waiting and I'm getting one this weekend when I make the monthly run to Costco.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Pence loses badly. He's not as beloved as Trump and the GOP would need months to recover form the sabotage Trump has done to their organisations. He becomes the Ford to Trump's Nixon.

I’ve been of the belief the reason Republicans refused to kick Trump to the curb is because they know Pence doesn’t move the needle even a little bit with the fanatics who support Trump, and losing that base would cost them the election.

Meanwhile, with Trump having done a photo op with Amy Coney Barrett, her husband and her kids after she was named as RBG’s replacement on SCOTUS, is she at risk of having contracted the virus? If so, does that postpone or even scuttle the upcoming hearings?

[Mister Mets]

Speaking of which:



The timing is suspicious as hell, coming 48 hours after the debate debacle where Trump got his orange ass reamed from coast to coast and the world over for his horrendous performance. Anyone out there who thinks Trump wouldn't use a deadly virus that's killed over 200,000 people as a cheap political stunt to prop himself up hasn't been paying attention.

I'm guessing we'll soon see the argument that this excuses his debate performance. He was sick at the time, like Nixon in 1960.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...93a_story.html

I’ve been of the belief the reason Republicans refused to kick Trump to the curb is because they know Pence doesn’t move the needle even a little bit with the fanatics who support Trump, and losing that base would cost them the election.

Meanwhile, with Trump having done a photo op with Amy Coney Barrett, her husband and her kids after she was named as RBG’s replacement on SCOTUS, is she at risk of having contracted the virus? If so, does that postpone or even scuttle the upcoming hearings?

She certainly wouldn't be able to meet with anyone in person. It could delay things a few weeks.

[Mister Mets]

Jonathan Reiner, the former doctor for Dick Cheney, notes a potential constitutional crisis looming, if Pence were sick, too. Pelosi would be acting President, so she should make kept especially safe.

https://twitter.com/HelenKennedy/sta...rc=twsrc%5Etfw

Call me a cynic but I don’t think he has COVID. this will get him out of the next debate and when he miraculously “recovers” it will give him something to brag about to his cult.

“See, it’s no worse than a common cold!”

It'll make his people less afraid of the virus if they see Trump get it and make a full recovery.

I wouldn't put it past him, but it would be a terrible strategy.

The stock market has taken a hit with the news. This isn't great for an incumbent president politically during early voting.

Anyone who is in on the conspiracy could expose it and get adulation and a multi-million dollar book deal. It requires the most immoral people in the Trump orbit (those who would be trusted to keep a fraud quiet) to not use a liferaft for their own reputations.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

My job normally provides me with a flu shot every year, but this time I'm not waiting and I'm getting one this weekend when I make the monthly run to Costco.

I have off from work today. Believe you me, I’m going in the first CVS or Rite Aid I see for a shot. I’m not taking any chances.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Jonathan Reiner, the former doctor for Dick Cheney, notes a potential constitutional crisis looming, if Pence were sick, too. Pelosi would be acting President, so she should make kept especially safe.

https://twitter.com/HelenKennedy/sta...rc=twsrc%5Etfw

I wouldn't put it past him, but it would be a terrible strategy.

The stock market has taken a hit with the news. This isn't great for an incumbent president politically during early voting.

Anyone who is in on the conspiracy could expose it and get adulation and a multi-million dollar book deal. It requires the most immoral people in the Trump orbit (those who would be trusted to keep a fraud quiet) to not use a liferaft for their own reputations.

STEPHEN MILLER! C’MON DOWN! You’re the next contestant on The Sociopath is Right!

[JackDaw]

On UK radio this morning they played a clip where the Donald explained staff member caught it, because grateful service men and women wanted to hug her because of all the wonderful things he has done for soldiers! And..of course..impossible to deny them the pleasure.

[JackDaw]

I thought the funniest bit (on radio) is that Nicky Campbell received a barrage of complaints because he described the Donald as “extraordinary”.

Listeners thought Nicky meant it as a compliment. (Regular listeners have a pretty shrewd idea he didn’t intend it that way.)

[Gray Lensman]

I am pretty sure that if Trump loses in November (and can't get the court to rule his way) he's going to go out like Clarke did in Babylon 5.