Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Benggaul]

Thursday's report:

39,825 new cases; a little over 8k fewer than last Thursday.

Top 5:

Fuck Florida.
Texas: 2,626 new cases; 55 deaths
Pennsylvania: 2,563 new cases; 37 deaths
New York: 2,515 new cases; 42 deaths
Michigan: 2,370 new cases; 118 deaths

The week's ending much as it was beginning, with Florida being the absolute worst. I haven't been paying much attention to Florida--because fuck Florida--but I think they're coming up on two solid weeks at the top of the list for new cases. Cases are still coming down nationally overall and the last state to have a "very high" risk level has dropped down to "high". Half of the country is now at "medium" risk. These are all vague classifications, but rest assured the colored maps used to be practically all red and are now half and half orange and yellow. 16 states now have a 50% or better vaccination (at least one dose) rate--and for the most part you can guess which ones make up the bottom 10 between 30-40%. Hint: "Y'all" features prominently in the vernacular in general.

762 deaths is over a hundred fewer than last Thursday and brings the total to 598,540. Michigan's odd reporting once again puts them on top and skews it high a bit, but California once again posted just over 100 deaths, which is about what they had last week. We're now hitting lower 7-day averages that we haven't had since before the Summer wave last year, so things continue looking better.

Related news:

U.S. officials hope new mask advice drives uptick in COVID shots--In case you weren't aware, the new advice is basically that if you've had your vaccine, it's up to you whether or not you want to wear a mask. I don't agree with this advice, for the record. Wear the fucking mask until we're through this, not just until YOU are through it. You're protected once you've had your vaccine, but the mask helps protect others who might not yet have it.

Florida Gov. says he'll pardon people charged with breaking COVID protocol--If you'll recall from two minutes ago, Florida has been topping the chart for most daily cases for the past couple weeks. Fuck DeathSantis and fuck Florida.

Stay safe, folks.

[zorkuus]

There's a disturbing number of people who cast fraudulent votes for Trump on the basis that "the other side is cheating, so I should cheat too to counter it." I very much hope this gets brought up in court some day.

Erm... I don't think that's their reason. That is what they might tell us but the real reason is more sinister. They're hypocrites, scum of the earth. Vile people. Do you think they tried an insurrection because "the other side is doing it too"?

[DarkTZeratul]

Erm... I don't think that's their reason. That is what they might tell us but the real reason is more sinister. They're hypocrites, scum of the earth. Vile people. Do you think they tried an insurrection because "the other side is doing it too"?

There are plenty of ordinary people mad at the system who've been duped into thinking the other side is cheating and think they need to take action to stop it. For some people, that's staging an insurrection to overthrow what they think is a corrupt counting of the electoral votes. For others, it's simply casting multiple votes to try and counter the cheating. I think the more sinister motivations come from those at the top doing the duping, not those who've simply bought into the lies.

[zorkuus]

There are plenty of ordinary people mad at the system who've been duped into thinking the other side is cheating and think they need to take action to stop it.

I might've bought that years ago. Doesn't work anymore. It's a personality cult, full of crazy people who dream of an authoritarian state.

[Benggaul]

I might've bought that years ago. Doesn't work anymore. It's a personality cult, full of crazy people who dream of an authoritarian state.

Yeah, I was willing to forgive many people who voted for Trump in 2016. That doesn't hold anymore for people who, after 4 years of watching the most deranged jackass in the White House wreck shit and hurt people, voted for him again in 2020. People that are still with him after all of the obvious awful shit he pulled aren't poor saps suckered in by a con. They're equally as awful.

[cubby]

New top leadership in GOP
"Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives elected Trump-backed Stefanik to their leadership after ousting Cheney for criticizing Trump's continued false claims of election fraud."

My favorite:

'We are unified in working with President Trump'

-Stefanik

Not "former". What a fucking shit show.

[DarkTZeratul]

Yeah, I was willing to forgive many people who voted for Trump in 2016. That doesn't hold anymore for people who, after 4 years of watching the most deranged jackass in the White House wreck shit and hurt people, voted for him again in 2020. People that are still with him after all of the obvious awful shit he pulled aren't poor saps suckered in by a con. They're equally as awful.

Oh, I'm not saying they're not awful. I'm saying they're also a perfect example of what happens when you tell a lie enough times, people start to believe you and act on that belief.

[Benggaul]

Oh, I'm not saying they're not awful. I'm saying they're also a perfect example of what happens when you tell a lie enough times, people start to believe you and act on that belief.

Yeaaaaah except a lot of those people aren't as dumb as people like to say they are. Many of them for sure are dumber than a bag of hammers, but a sizeable portion of them don't actually believe Trump's lies but go along with everything Trump says because, as we've said here so many times before, he's "hurting the right people" and they're evil, awful fuckers who like that.

[Kellhound]

But its not the feds its the state of new york right?

Also one state can deny extradition, especially in florida thanks to their specific laws.

NJ has the same law, but they won't do anything about it

New York itself has been in a lot of fights over trying to get criminals brought to NY to stand trial.

Federal law trumps state law, and federal law covers the extradition of criminals between states. FL could say no, NY would take it to the SCOTUS, and FL would lose. Now, if FL put him in jail, they could deny extradition for the duration.

[Breccia]

What a fucking shit show.

She's a sellout whore. I would say that to her face, but she never comes to her own district anymore.

- - - Updated - - -

Once again, it's time to play Guess the Speaker!

Everyone is so tired of watching Karl Rove on Fox News. He has played the game for decades, but all he and his buddies want to do is take your money and run.”

He’s totally ineffective and does not represent the MAGA Movement in any way, shape, or form. He called me on the evening of November 3rd, Election Night, to congratulate me on my ‘great win.’ When it was revealed the election was rigged and stolen, he flew the coop.

"It's Trump. Duh."

Correct. Trump, now publicly bashing someone else for fundraising and then just keeping the money for himself, because nobody's a hypocrite like Trump is a hypocrite, is probably stil sore Rove blamed Trump for the GOP losing Georgia. Further hypocrisy is that Trump has called Rove, one of the big Republican names of the last 50 years, a RINO.

[Zan15]

Federal law trumps state law, and federal law covers the extradition of criminals between states. FL could say no, NY would take it to the SCOTUS, and FL would lose. Now, if FL put him in jail, they could deny extradition for the duration.

well no one said their denial would last forever. Also the feds are not going to send commando's into florida to pick up trump.

[Breccia]

The call has already started for the House to censure those of its own members who defend the murderous insurrection as typical tourist stuff.

Incidentally, I'd say "it will be interesting to see who votes to keep sympathists to cop-killing traitors to the country, but expel Cheney" but as we all know, the "vote" to expel Cheney was not kept on any record. Hey, has the RNC moved on Gaetz yet?

(checks news)

Not yet.

- - - Updated - - -

The Senate is a safer place to speak up than the House, apparently. Mitt Romney uses the term "insurrection" in public.

McConnell is too smart to start ejecting people for refusing to follow Trump. The Democrats' hold on the House is one thing, but the Senate is too close for comfort for either party. Cagey veteran McConnell knows votes are more important than blindly following Trump right now. Expect him to deflect and deflect and deflect as he watches his party wither and rot.

[Benggaul]

Friday's report:

39,095 new cases, about 10k fewer than last Friday. A strong end to the week.

Top 5:

Fuck Florida.
Washington: 2,372 new cases; 13 deaths
New York: 2,360 new cases; 32 deaths
Texas: 2,303 new cases; 67 deaths
Michigan: 2,102 new cases; 32 deaths

I think this is Washington's first time ever in the top 5 (outside of the initial outbreak in the beginning of last year--remember that far back?), though it's largely due to their having a smallish wave the past few weeks and therefore their numbers had risen to meet the falling numbers of the normal denizens of the top 5. Today's total is their third highest since the end of April but it is also the product of a reporting system that often has corrections leading to spikes in their numbers. Their positivity is below 5% and they have just over a 50% vaccination rate, so I'm not expecting anything major at this point. Florida, by contrast, has a positivity rate over 6% (that we know of) and a vaccination rate of about 45%, so they'll continue being Florida for a while.

733 deaths is a little under last Friday's number and brings the total to 599,314. We'll be passing 600k by Monday at the latest, though as I posted a week or so ago the actual death total (in the US) is likely closer to 1 million. Texas topped the list today.

Related news:

Fauci: COVID-19 vaccine could lead to 'breakthrough' in HIV fight--These aren't just empty words, Fauci has spent a good portion of his lifetime in AIDS/HIV research. One of the few positives that might come from this nightmare.

They didn't want a COVID vaccine. Now they've changed their minds.--Keeping the positive news going, reluctance to get the vaccine is dropping a bit more as time goes on.

Stay safe, folks.

[Breccia]

the actual death total (in the US) is likely closer to 1 million.

Regardless of the administration, this number should be a lot lower. Data point of one, but a guildie of mine is nearly in tears because her conspiracy-theorist anti-vaxxer anti-masker sister is in the hospital about to die from this. It doesn't matter whether Biden or Trump is in charge, when someone decides they want to just make things worse for themselves and others, hurting or killing innocent people and sometimes themselves.

At this point, the problem are the people who continue to spread harmful misinformation about the lethal outbreak. Trump's done a lot of stupid, lethal shit, but at least right now he's basically silent on the issue (and I've pointed out how he downplayed and mismanaged this plenty while he was in charge). Anyone continuing to spread falsehoods and lies that inspire people to injure or kill themselves or others out of fear, hatred, or ignorance, needs to be publicly shamed and silenced. Looking at you, Twitter and FB.

[Poopymonster]

Regardless of the administration, this number should be a lot lower. Data point of one, but a guildie of mine is nearly in tears because her conspiracy-theorist anti-vaxxer anti-masker sister is in the hospital about to die from this. It doesn't matter whether Biden or Trump is in charge, when someone decides they want to just make things worse for themselves and others, hurting or killing innocent people and sometimes themselves.

At this point, the problem are the people who continue to spread harmful misinformation about the lethal outbreak. Trump's done a lot of stupid, lethal shit, but at least right now he's basically silent on the issue (and I've pointed out how he downplayed and mismanaged this plenty while he was in charge). Anyone continuing to spread falsehoods and lies that inspire people to injure or kill themselves or others out of fear, hatred, or ignorance, needs to be publicly shamed and silenced. Looking at you, Twitter and FB.

He mostly silent because he has no major social media to spew his vitriol on.

[Demolitia]

He mostly silent because he has no major social media to spew his vitriol on.

Thank god for this. Not looking forward to his morning dump tweets if he is potus again.

[Kaleredar]

Regardless of the administration, this number should be a lot lower. Data point of one, but a guildie of mine is nearly in tears because her conspiracy-theorist anti-vaxxer anti-masker sister is in the hospital about to die from this. It doesn't matter whether Biden or Trump is in charge, when someone decides they want to just make things worse for themselves and others, hurting or killing innocent people and sometimes themselves.

At this point, the problem are the people who continue to spread harmful misinformation about the lethal outbreak. Trump's done a lot of stupid, lethal shit, but at least right now he's basically silent on the issue (and I've pointed out how he downplayed and mismanaged this plenty while he was in charge). Anyone continuing to spread falsehoods and lies that inspire people to injure or kill themselves or others out of fear, hatred, or ignorance, needs to be publicly shamed and silenced. Looking at you, Twitter and FB.

I think trump basically caused the political rift about Covid in the US. It’s clear that he has tremendous sway in what people do and believe among the right wing, and it’s also clear he had neither the capacity nor the care to deal with Covid as an existential threat that would ruin the illusion that he was somehow leading the country well were he to ever admit it existed.

If trump had told people to socially distance, asked them to wear their maga masks and accurately described the threat Covid posed I’ve no doubt far fewer Americans would be dead because of it right now. Potentially hundreds of thousands fewer.

[Benggaul]

Regardless of the administration, this number should be a lot lower...

The administration matters, because the Trump administration is the one that made this political ensuring that a portion of the population will forever be stubbornly, willfully ignorant. The Biden administration has done all they can to increase vaccination production and distribution along with getting the facts out there.

Also, the vast, vast majority of that 1 million is a direct result of Trump's lack of action, direction and leadership. It's not a coincidence that we're almost to pre-Summer outbreak levels now (for the most part....Michigan fucked up bad and Florida will forever be Florida). I'm not one of those who thinks Biden can do no wrong, but he and his crew have turned this around very well considering what they were up against and there was every indication we would be heading for another major wave otherwise.

[starlord]

anti vaxxers were a problem long before trump. he just made it "mainstream".
almost every new mother i know is refusing to vaccinate their kids.

[Benggaul]

anti vaxxers were a problem long before trump. he just made it "mainstream".
almost every new mother i know is refusing to vaccinate their kids.

He exacerbated it. He and his party also politicized simple measures like wearing masks. Had more responsible people been in charge last year the death toll would not be as bad as it is. Instead, "one guy coming in from China" has resulted in nearly 600k confirmed deaths and likely closer to a million due to underreporting ("excess deaths"). Whether or not Trump had any influence on "anti-vaxxers" is irrelevant given the bulk of those deaths happened before a vaccine was available.