MFP wrote:

momadance wrote:

The Trump and Biden presidential campaigns now see the coronavirus response as the preeminent force shaping the results of November’s election, prompting both camps to try to refocus their campaigns more heavily on the pandemic, according to officials and advisers of both campaigns.

Advisers to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden see the covid-19 crisis as perhaps the clearest way yet to contrast the former vice president with President Trump, using the stumbling response and renewed surge in cases as ways to paint Trump as uninformed, incapable of empathy and concerned only about his own political standing.

Trump’s advisers, by contrast, are seeking ways to reframe his response to the coronavirus — even as the president himself largely seeks to avoid the topic because he views it as a political loser. They are sending health officials to swing states, putting doctors on TV in regional markets where the virus is surging, crafting messages on an economic recovery and writing talking points for allies to deliver to potential voters.

The goal is to convince Americans that they can live with the virus — that schools should reopen, professional sports should return, a vaccine is likely to arrive by the end of the year and the economy will continue to improve.

White House officials also hope Americans will grow numb to the escalating death toll and learn to accept tens of thousands of new cases a day, according to three people familiar with the White House’s thinking, who requested anonymity to reveal internal deliberations. Americans will “live with the virus being a threat,” in the words of one of those people, a senior administration official.

Good lord.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

The Trump administration/campaign wants people to "grow numb" to family/friends/neighbors dying. The depth of their evil is infinite.

Werthless wrote:

Augustus wrote:The feeling that "you can't say certain things anymore" comes from voices that were silenced for generations now answering back. People now feel more free to say "that's racist" or "don't talk like that around me." The "PC culture is taking my free speech" crowd sees this as oppression, because privileged people always see any slight move toward equality as oppression.

As stated above, if this person wants to spout her views without being challenged, she should log off and she should also stop claiming that free speech is what she's after.

I assume you read the article, but if not, she addressed a few of these points. In particular, she addressed the credibility issue, where people count how many checkboxes apply before evaluating whether one's opinion is worth listening to. There is a narrower set of opinions of what is considered to be acceptable speech. Some of that good, but some of that is bad.

“Do not take their medications. We need to call a meeting of our skilled virologists, epidemiologists, and students of biology and chemistry. We need to give ourselves something better,” he said. “There are 14 therapies we can treat it with. The virus is a pestilence from Heaven. The only way to stop it is going to heaven.”

“They’re making money now, plotting to give seven billion, five-hundred million people a vaccination. Dr. Fauci, Bill Gates and Melinda [Gates]— you want to depopulate the Earth. What the hell gave you that right? Who are you to sit down with your billion to talk about who can live, and who should die?”

momadance wrote:

Looks like we acquired Christ The Redeemer during a late night heist.

azrider wrote:some crazy Qanon shit....

“Do not take their medications. We need to call a meeting of our skilled virologists, epidemiologists, and students of biology and chemistry. We need to give ourselves something better,” he said. “There are 14 therapies we can treat it with. The virus is a pestilence from Heaven. The only way to stop it is going to heaven.”

The Dude wrote:Patriots Support Sen. Mastriano ( real )

CFP wrote:Is Fetterman likely to run?

CalvinBall wrote:

CFP wrote:Is Fetterman likely to run?

Governor and US Senate will both be up. The likely crop for the two seats will be something like Shapiro, Torsella, Fetterman, Houlahan, Arkoosh (Montco Commissioner) and CALVINBALL. And I guess Kenny could always run for Governor at least.

TenuredVulture wrote:I'm wondering if pollsters, burned by 2016, aren't vastly overestimating Trump's strength. Things are really shitty right now, and it's impossible to imagine an incumbent doing well, even in the polarized environment where we live. And I think there's a widespread perception that Trump is making it worse. Not only is he not trying to expand his electorate, he seems to be trying to alienate those on the fence, playing to an ever narrower base. The polling averages have him at roughly 40%, and Biden near 50. I wouldn't be shocked if Trump ends up with around 40% of the popular vote.

Has the nation really changed that much since 2008? Because in that year, a black Democrat with a funny name won NC, Ohio, and Indiana. And that was against a pretty popular Republican. Obama won because things were pretty sucky in 2008. But they're a lot worse now. Just looking at fundamentals, I don't see why Biden shouldn't win an even bigger landslide than Obama.

TenuredVulture wrote:I'm wondering if pollsters, burned by 2016, aren't vastly overestimating Trump's strength.

momadance wrote:Elaine Chao, Mitch's wife and Secretary of Transportation got a PPP loan for reasons.