Election 2020

[Bob Butler 54]

In the MSNBC Rachel Maddow show, they had a guest on who had been responsible for various infectious disease outbreaks under the Obama administration, including SARS and an Ebola outbreak.  He made one interesting statement, to the effect that anyone who believed and acted upon the information the administration was currently putting out deserved what happened to them.  

Normally I would reject such a statement, but with what Trump has been saying lately, I can see where he is coming from.

One can see where if the federal government is not going to act, how the states are going to have to.  Many states where they have bought into the red world view might not.  One can see where if the federal government is not going to release thoughtful science based information, and is forbidding the CDC and similar organizations from breaking with the White House line, some other non-government group is going to have to take their place.

This is going to effect the election.  Communist governments in particular and autocratic dictators in general have ruled by media monopoly for years.  What they wish was true, or that which it is convenient for them to have the people to believe is true, is fed to the government controlled media.  Trump and Fox is using a similar style, an ability to warp his controlled base, to create his own warped universe.

On this one, this attempt to control truth against a contradiction of science looks to extend this to a large and fatal level.  It calls in question the entire style, the idea of creating an alternate world view through a client media.  I could easily see this creating a big time issue in the general election.  As much as the impeachment and the deep state witnesses, the new virus gives a glimpse into how much harm a fact free or biased political world view can do.

I am also seeing any winning Democratic candidate creating a team to undo everything Trump has done.  Normally I would look for some degree of stability, a sense that the deep state will stabilize the course, the feeling that the outgoing administration while they have a difference in approach, sincerely attempt to help the people.  I don’t feel like that this time.  I want to fill every position Trump has left vacant.  I want to replace every political position that can be normally filled by the president.  I want to review and reverse every executive order.  Any winning opposition candidate in 2020 has got to hit the ground running with this, in an overriding preemptive way.

Another case Maddow emphasized was the case in California in which they cannot trace back how the victim got the virus.  We can guess, or at least Maddow did.  The administration pulled the US citizens from a cruise ship which was known to be infected.  They brought everybody - infected or not - back on the same plane against CDC advice.  The brought in federal employees to enter the quarantine zone who did not have protective gear or training in quarantine procedures.  They let these people mingle among the California community, then return to their home offices where they live today without testing or quarantine.  Much of this was over the CDC’s objection.

Was there an intent to deliberately spread the infection?

But the unknown case in California was in the same county as one of the two Air Force bases where the federals flew people who had the virus, and where they let unprotected people enter the quarantine zone then move freely into the community.  Is there any wonder to find the community infected?

This is certainly a case against fact free government, with ignoring science when it is expedient to do so.  If Trump does not get hammered on it, the Democrats will be missing an opportunity.