Trump's Tulsa Rally and More on Covid19 Testing

                Subverting Democracy

                             Enemies of the People

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What an increase in number of those testing positive for Covid 19 means: 

Doctors know that while all of those infected can pass on the virus to others for a period of time (is fourteen days enough?), some of those infected cases show no symptoms at all or seem to have no more than a simple cold for a few days.  Testing includes those in this category lumped in with those, (perhaps about 5%) who show more severe symptoms which can lead to death.  

And of course, there are the untested, who very well might be positive.  Therefore, at a minimum, an increase in the number of those testing positive means that arbitrary 5% number can involve a greater actual number of sick people requiring hospitalization and perhaps even dying.  And that number can grow when those untested individuals show symptoms which, had they been tested, would have included them in that 5% number.  The spread of Covid19 can be pinned down with greater certainly, the larger the number of people being tested.  That's why testing is important.  Those without symptoms are foolish for assuming they are okay and disregard social distancing guidelines and masking when out of their homes.

A million people tested with 10% positive results for Cofid19 means 100,000 cases.  Of these, 5,000 may be serious enough to warrant hospitalization and possibly result in death.   Test two million and that 5,000 number is doubled.  By not increasing testing, we are kidding ourselves as to the seriousness of the Cofid19 Pandemic. The dummy in the White House does not understand this.

That is why it is necessary for everyone to observe social distancing and wear a mask when out of their home.  We just don’t know who can be spreading the virus and whom it will infect.  But an increase in the number tested gives us a handle on the dimensions of the problem.  Statistcally, we know a specific portion of those testing positive for Cofid19 will become seriously ill, so the number testing positive will ultimately reflect that number.  

For the President to imply that perhaps we are doing “too much testing” borders on the criminal.  And the Republican Governors who blindly follow him share the blame.  Blaming an increase in positive tests results on the populations being tested (seniors, nursing home residents, farm workers, etc.) and not being representative of the general population is foolish.  The increase in positive test results is the result of society “opening up” too soon, and a lot of wishful thinking on the part of politicians.  And the more testing that is done, the more evident this becomes.

                                                                    

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Trump's Kick Off Rally Fizzles

It was refreshing to see the arena in Tulsa only partially occupied by Trump supporters this weekend, and none at all for the larger rally they anticipated to run outside of the place (which they cancelled).

I watched Trump’s almost two-hour tirade in which he attacked everyone he could think of.   Panicked and trying to satisfy all portions of his base, he missed no one. His finger was on the panic button except when he digressed briefly for stories like how proud he was that he chewed Boeing’s price down from what they wanted to charge to replace the two Air Force One planes.  (That was the way he dealt with vendors when he was in real estate.) 

Trump is approaching the point where what would amount to a coup d’etat, forcing him to resign, is becoming a legitimate idea.  The Republican Senate is the key to this happening.  Republicans running for office are starting to realize that supporting Trump, and being endorsed by him, is a millstone around their necks. 

For those who missed the show, he explained that his using first one, then two hands, to raise a glass of water to his lips at West Point was to avoid spilling any on his very expensive tie.  His arm, also, was very weak from saluting 600 times during his speech, and despite the warm and sunny weather, the ramp was somehow wet and slippery, unsuitable for his leather soled shoes.  These very well might be valid excuses but really, they aren't very "presidential."

It is claimed that many of the million responses from Trump supporters indicating they would attend the rally were phony and actually came from opponents of the President emailed from fictitious addresses.  To some extent, this was probably true but certainly, there should have been enough Trump supporters in Oklahoma anyway to fill the 19,000 seat arena.  The Tulsa fire marshal indicated an attendance of less than 7,000.  His base is eroding, and the reason might be that some of them might disagree with the President's views on the Pandemic.

JL