US politics: sick semper tyrannis

[DMC]

3 minutes ago, Simon Steele said:

If there are complications for Trump (to the point he can't continue running), does Pence take over? Only in the interim (say, if they win, only until Trump recovers)? Is Pence a more dangerous person to be running right now than Trump due to the fact he has discipline?

Invoking Section 3 of the 25th Amendment would be the responsible thing to do for any president if hospitalized due to covid or of course if further incapacitated.  The president can resume his duties at any time by simply sending a letter to the Speaker/Pro Tem, and there's precedent with Dubya invoking it twice (and Reagan kinda invoking it once).  Whether Trump does that, or to what extent his health needs to be in question for him to do that?  Who the fuck knows?

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Simon Steele said:

Is Pence a more dangerous person to be running right now than Trump due to the fact he has discipline?

Three months ago maybe. But I think the messaging inertia is baked in by now. Trump's health, the economy and the coronavirus will dominate news cycles over the next 32 days, and the only thing that will break through the cacophony is a disaster large enough to register, which will automatically affect Trump more than Democrats. I don't see how any efficiency gained by Pence will outweigh the constant drag of providing updates on his health.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, JEORDHl said:

Rhona McDaniel has it now too. It's raining friends.

[lilting sawblade music from First Man commences]

 

 

Interestingly she got her positive test back on Wednesday, suggesting that she may not have planned to inform the public prior to learning that Dipshit has it too.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

7 minutes ago, DMC said:

Invoking Section 3 of the 25th Amendment would be the responsible thing to do for any president if hospitalized due to covid or of course if further incapacitated.  The president can resume his duties at any time by simply sending a letter to the Speaker/Pro Tem, and there's precedent with Dubya invoking it twice (and Reagan kinda invoking it once).  Whether Trump does that, or to what extent his health needs to be in question for him to do that?  Who the fuck knows?

Politically speaking, it would also serve as an excuse to get out of the VP debate. Harris is going to drag him. There's no getting around the anti-science approach and how that backfired, bigly. 

[Guest]

I certainly hope the DNC gets its digs in inquiring after Trump's respiratory health just weeks before the election. Speculation about pneumonia anyone?

[DMC]

Just now, Tywin et al. said:

Politically speaking, it would also serve as an excuse to get out of the VP debate. Harris is going to drag him. There's no getting around the anti-science approach and how that backfired, bigly. 

I don't know if there even is going to be a VP debate, particularly in person.  Also, politically speaking, Trump invoking the 25th is undeniably bad for the campaign, and why I suspect the entire party wants to avoid that unless it absolutely necessary.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Interestingly she got her positive test back on Wednesday, suggesting that she may not have planned to inform the public prior to learning that Dipshit has it too.

This seems to have been what they were hoping to do. They admitted they knew about Hicks' diagnosis when Trump went to Bedminster.

[DanteGabriel]

I dunno folks, Biden's kinda growing on me.

 

[Guest]

I figured out the conspiracy! 

Tiffany Trump has been groomed by Bernie Sanders her entire life as a Manchurian-candidate-to-be-a-child. She's been out partying in order to pick up the 'rona on a suicide mission to take out as many of Trump's family as possible so Sanders can lead the imminent Velvet Groundhog Revolution.

Look at the pics of the debate, the guilty look is all over her face.

This analysis brought to you by an agent for the government with QWERTY-level security clearance.

[DMC]

3 minutes ago, The Great Unwashed said:

Look at the pics of the debate, the guilty look is all over her face.

As for how her face looked during the debate, I think the more simple explanation is something like:

 

[Fragile Bird]

Hope Hicks must have reported feeling unwell because she was taken off the list of attendees to fly out on Wednesday. They were about to take off, apparently, when Trump was told she had tested positive. Trump could have cancelled the flight but he didn’t.

Then on Thursday he still went on with his schedule, because the WH management team decided he was low risk. I have not heard what brain trust form part of this WH management team. 

[Kalbear]

13 minutes ago, DanteGabriel said:

I dunno folks, Biden's kinda growing on me.

 

Daaaamn

[IheartIheartTesla]

Dont know how they are clearing Pence (or even Biden for that matter), since I was under the impression CDC guidelines require 2 negative tests 24 hours apart because of false negatives (even with the nasal swab, I believe).

[Fez]

Congressional Democrats need to just stay the hell away from Republicans; none of them can be trusted to keep themselves safe. And that especially includes keeping Pelosi away from in-person contact with Mnunchin while keep talking endlessly about a relief bill.

[Kalbear]

Also, in the Kalbear household, we get some instant polling.

• Wife, last night: sometimes good people do hope for others to die, because if they die it helps a lot more people. Violence is sometimes necessary.
  • My response: I am not hoping for his death, I'm hoping for his suffering, because I'm a bad person.
• Wife, first thing on waking up: "Is he dead yet?"
  • "Oh well. Maybe tomorrow."
• 11 year old son upon hearing Trump has covid: "Really?....SWEET!"
• 9 year old son upon hearing Trump has covid: "Really?...YES! (fist pump)"
• 11 year old explaining things more: "I hope he does die, because he's a super mean person and the worst president ever"

So I'm raising a bunch of people who are 100% getting joy out of the thought that a human being would die, and I'm not really that sad about it. There's a part of me that feels guilt for this, and then I think of 208000 other reasons not to feel guilt.

[alguien]

The more I think about it, the harder time I'm having finding any downsides to this. I seriously doubt it's a lie. 

If it's mild, he's still under quarantine for two weeks--good. Can't campaign, can't do anything against the narrative that Biden is winning. And can't combat the perception that it's his own fucking fault.

And if he doesn't stay under quarantine and actually passes it other people (and it's likely he already has), it looks horrible for him. And when he recovers... I feel like most people won't have any sympathy for him and say "That dumb fuck should have worn a goddam mask."

If it's more serious... honestly, I don't see people voting for him out of sympathy. They won't hate him as much, but his whole cult of personality is based on strength (I mean, it's fake, the guy's a pansy--when sitting near Obama he was totally cowered).

If he's struggling (and wow, do I feel conflict about my emotions here), his "strong man" illusion vanishes.

[rotting sea cow]

17 minutes ago, Fez said:

Congressional Democrats need to just stay the hell away from Republicans; none of them can be trusted to keep themselves safe. And that especially includes keeping Pelosi away from in-person contact with Mnunchin while keep talking endlessly about a relief bill.

Where is Pelosi right now?

If this is for real, the Pentagon should be already protecting Pelosi to ensure the continuity of the chain of command.

[Fragile Bird]

A WH staff member in the press office has tested positive and two members of the press corps have tested positive.

 

[DMC]

I mean, logically, it didn't take covid to know that Trump dying would be good for me, my family, friends, the country, and the world.  Ethically?  Well, I suppose that depends on which philosophical precepts you generally gravitate towards.  Myself, while certainly not a Bentham utilitarianist, I am partial to J.S. Mill's "enlightened" utilitarianism.  And even that, or at least my interpretation of it, would suggest hope for Trump's death.  Morally?  It's wrong to hope for anyone's death, and I don't need religion to tell me that.  But, meh, if there is a hell, I'm going there anyway. 

[Kalbear]

2 minutes ago, DMC said:

I mean, logically, it didn't take covid to know that Trump dying would be good for me, my family, friends, the country, and the world.  Ethically?  Well, I suppose that depends on which philosophical precepts you generally gravitate towards.  Myself, while certainly not a Bentham utilitarianist, I am partial to J.S. Mill's "enlightened" utilitarianism.  And even that, or at least my interpretation of it, would suggest hope for Trump's death.  Morally?  It's wrong to hope for anyone's death, and I don't need religion to tell me that.  But, meh, if there is a hell, I'm going there anyway. 

I kinda feel that way and I kinda don't. I don't think it's wrong morally to hope for someone's death in all cases. Not even from a utilitarian perspective either - from both a perspective of stopping that specific person from doing more harm and from the perspective of punishing people who do harm. I am not in favor of the death penalty because I think that the government has shown itself completely incapable of having that power, but I am in favor of people being killed to stop worse things.