Are we doomed to continuous COVID by Trump inaction and human nature?

One reason why COVID cases keep rising in the U.S.

We already know that inaction on COVID by Donald Trump and Republican governors and members of Congress has made the pandemic much worse than it had to be. The United States has just over four percent of the world’s population, yet it has 20 percent of the world’s Coronavirus deaths and an even larger portion of global Coronavirus cases. Moreover, the number of cases is going up, not down. Indeed, Trump has been caught lying to the American people about the dangers of COVID, knowing it was far worse just as he was telling us that the pandemic would soon disappear. Trump has also set a dismal example by refusing to wear a mask for the longest time (indeed mocking his political rival, Joe Biden, for wearing “the biggest mask” in public), holding mask-free COVID “super spreader” events like the recent White House reception for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, and failing to undertake contact tracing even after numerous Trump administration members and Republican U.S. Senators at such events contracted COVID. To top it off, Trump himself then came down with COVID, along with his wife Melania and son Barron.

Such failures by Trump and his Republican enablers are especially harmful given what we can observe about human behavior during the pandemic. Whether intentionally or by neglect, many Americans, and others around the world, are not dutifully following basic COVID precautions, such as social distancing, proper mask wearing, and frequent hand washing.

Calling out the Republicans’ nightmare healthcare scenario

Survivors of COVID now have a preexisting condition.

Two years ago, Democrats successfully rode the healthcare issue to victory in the elections for control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Specifically, the Democrats ran on protecting and strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA) against Republican efforts to repeal it. This year, at the confirmation hearing on Judge Amy Coney Barrett‘s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Democrats are pointing out once again that the Republicans seek to repeal the ACA and take away our healthcare, and that a 6-3 Republican majority Supreme Court, with the addition of Barrett, could easily do so.

Republicans such as Donald Trump and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell keep telling us in response that, no matter what, they would still “protect preexisting conditions,” the coverage of which is a major element of the ACA. But one look at the Republicans’ nightmare healthcare scenario makes it clear that the GOP will offer no such protection.

Trump’s COVID recklessness is killing his campaign

Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign theme

Since the beginning of this year, as has been well-documented, Donald Trump has downplayed, ignored, and lied about the Coronavirus pandemic. He and fellow Republicans then flaunted the basic precautions that virtually every health expert agrees are necessary in order to curtail the spread of the virus, especially mask wearing and social distancing. Trump and the Republicans even mocked Joe Biden for strictly following these COVID precautions. Instead, Trump and his partisans continued to gather maskless in crowds at political events, such as Trump’s Tulsa, Oklahoma rally, the Republican National Convention, and, most recently, the reception for Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

Now, these chickens have come home to roost. According to the latest polls, Trump’s failed COVID response is killing his brand, and his presidential campaign. After attending Trump’s Tulsa rally, former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain died of Coronavirus. Then the Barrett reception, held at the White House and featuring Republicans hugging, backslapping and close-talking, turned out to be the “super spreader” event that got many Republicans sick with COVID. The list of prominent Republicans who have now come down with the virus, many of whom attended the Barrett event, includes Donald and Melania Trump, former New Jersey Governor (and Trump presidential debate coach) Chris Christie, Republican U.S. Senators Mike Lee, Thom Tillis and Ron Johnson, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnerny, Trump advisors Kellyanne Conway, Hope Hicks and Stephen Miller, Notre Dame University President Rev. John Jenkins, Pastor Greg Laurie, and more. This is in addition to numerous Secret Service agents, White House staffers, and even housekeepers, all of whom are being put at great risk by Trump and his fellow Republicans. Indeed, as if to symbolize the political train wreck that Trump’s campaign has become, his campaign manager Bill Stepien (of Chris Christie/Bridgegate infamy), as well as Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel, also have contracted COVID and are not fully able to do their jobs. Stepien is the replacement for Brad Parscale, who was recently arrested and placed on suicide watch after threatening his wife, apparently connected with criminal campaign fraud and theft allegations. Now, Attorney General William Barr, and even military leaders at the Pentagon, are quarantining after being exposed to COVID. At this moment, no one seems to be in charge of either the Trump reelection campaign or the country.

Don’t forget the Trump Recession

Donald Trump’s economy

While the whole country was talking about the presidential debate yesterday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, released its “third revised” estimate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) demonstrating that the U.S. had a record-setting 31.4 percent economic contraction in the second quarter of 2020. This follows a five percent GDP decrease in the first quarter of 2020. In short, under any reasonable definition, we’re in the midst of the Trump Recession.

Moreover, the Trump Recession, including many retail bankruptcies and closures, was caused, or at least made worse and longer, by the lack of an effective national COVID response by Donald Trump and his Republican apologists. As has been well-documented, Trump and Republican politicians downplayed the Coronavirus pandemic, did not help provide enough crucial supplies and equipment, ordered businesses and public venues to be closed too late (if at all), and pressured states and local governments to reopen too early. This was not just one of the worst decisions in history in terms of public health, morality and government, but also one of the worst economic and political blunders in history. Failing to take COVID seriously in order to “boost the economy” did the opposite.

Get ready for Republican Supreme Court bizarro land

Vigil for late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at U.S. Supreme Court

With the death of U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last week, attention is rightfully being paid to what happens next on the Court. It appears that Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and just about all Republican Senators are ready to jam another justice onto the Court this year, even though doing so just weeks before the 2020 elections is antithetical to their 2016 blocking of President Barack Obama‘s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.

Perhaps surprisingly, however, the Democrats may be the ones capitalizing on the Republicans’ Supreme Court plans. First, the Democrats are racking up crazy donations since Ginsburg’s death. Second, the latest polls continue to have plenty of good news for Joe Biden and bad news for Trump. Indeed, in a new poll asking whether Justice Ginsburg should be replaced before the presidential election on November 3, 62 percent of respondents said that the winner of the election (meaning quite possibly Biden) should make that nomination afterward, versus only 23 percent who think Trump should get the choice now.

Today’s Snark: Republican Waahmbulance edition

Republican waahmbulance on its way to rescue Donald Trump

This week, Donald Trump did poorly in his ABC News town hall, so he was “ambushed” according to Fox “News.” Then Joe Biden did well in his CNN town hall, so he must have been given the questions and answers in advance, according to former Fox “News” host Bill O’Reilly. That sound you hear is the GOP waahmbulance on its way to rescue poor helpless Donald Trump.

Photo by Ashley Buttle, used under Creative Commons license. https://is.gd/K5M9K0

A great way to reframe a Republican argument

Black Lives Matter protest, Columbus, Ohio, June 2020

As we know, Donald Trump, Fox News and many Republicans right now are trying to distract from the COVID disaster by complaining about Black Lives Matter. Specifically, these Republicans are framing the Black Lives Matter protests as the big problem in America, rather than the police killing of black civilians that led to such protests. That is why it was noteworthy when a discussion with Republicans a few days ago contained a wonderful moment of Democratic reframing of a major Republican  argument.

The Great Republican Distraction is underway

Americans continue to die of COVID while Republicans distract

Anyone who tunes into the news or follows political discussions in the media today might think that the overarching issue in America is something to do with protests, riots, “thugs” and “law and order.” If so, then give credit to Donald Trump and leading Republicans for trying to create one of the greatest distractions in U.S. history, in order to avoid a historic election defeat just two months from now. If Trump has one skill, it is media manipulation and distraction. He knows that, rather than the mainstream American news media doing their jobs and investigating and reporting on the biggest stories which, in their professional editorial judgment, affect most people’s lives, Republicans can get the media to chase distracting Culture War shiny objects that then become the focus of most discussions, to the Republicans’ advantage.

Democrats hit Trump and Republicans hard at National Convention

Former President Barack Obama, one of the key speakers at the Democratic convention.

The 2020 Democratic National Convention has ended, and it was a skillfully run, hard-hitting success During their mostly virtual event, the Democrats covered several important bases, including party unity (for example, by featuring Bernie Sanders strongly supporting the Joe BidenKamala Harris presidential ticket) and party appeal, by having prominent Republicans such as John KasichChristine Todd Whitman and others speak in support of Biden and against the reelection of Donald Trump. The Democratic convention also highlighted some stars and several stunning speeches:

Get ready for the Democratic National Convention with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

Joe Biden with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, at the 2012 Democratic National Convention

The Democratic Party is holding its 2020 National Convention from August 17-20 , and the big news is that Biden has chosen U.S. Senator Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate. Although based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the convention will actually take place at various locations and landmarks around the country, because Democrats are serious about public health, specifically, not spreading COVID. Thus, for example, the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee will be used for broadcasting and production. Essentially, the convention will be coordinated and directed from Milwaukee. However, there will only be a few hundred personnel on site, comporting with state and local requirements regarding public gatherings. Accordingly, when Joe Biden is formally offered and accepts the Democratic Party’s nomination for president at the convention, he will do so from a location in his home state of Delaware. Other scheduled speakers, including, presumably, Kamala Harris, will also appear from various remote locations.