Get out those Sharpies!

full article here> [www.politico.com]
Team Trump is rushing to rewrite the early narrative about the president’s response to coronavirus.

Faced with endless video clips of Donald Trump downplaying the escalating outbreak, Trump aides and allies are working furiously to instead highlight the president’s recent actions and comments.

Their effort comprises three tactics: Blanket supporters with detailed timelines of every action the Trump administration took. Amplify praise of those actions. And forcefully push back against anyone who criticizes those actions.

Just over seven months from the November election, Trump’s aides and allies realize the president’s campaign for a second term has been completely transformed in a matter of weeks. It will now come down to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his response to a devastated economy, according to seven people familiar with the situation, including four who speak directly with the president.

“The president and his performance is the campaign. It’s the only thing that matters,” said Scott Jennings, who worked for President George W. Bush and is close to the Trump White House. “There is nothing to do if you are the sitting president of the United States but to get it right. If you get it right, what better argument for reelection than this unprecedented crisis?”

The Trump campaign had wanted to focus on a long list of other issues as the president launched a general election race against Democrat Joe Biden: the president’s impeachment acquittal, Biden’s acuity and overseas actions by Biden’s son, Hunter.

Instead, it has shifted almost entirely to rehabilitating Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

This could have enough effect to win him re-election. He only needs a minor bump in his already increasing approval numbers:
[projects.fivethirtyeight.com]

Of course we're right in the middle of this crisis and the end is yet to be written.

What worries me more and more lately is Biden's weakness with young voters. Both of my sons (24 and 27) are convinced that Trump will be re-elected now that Biden is the candidate. The older thinks if he picks a very exciting running mate (like say Stacy Abrams) that will help but overall people their age are turned off and they are hearing more of this "I'm not going to vote if it's Biden v Trump" stuff.

It's not apathy - it's because they don't think anyone is talking to and with them, but talking AT them. They have done nothing but go from crisis to crisis in their young lives saddled with problems created by the older generation and then they get told they can't afford a house because they eat too much avocado toast.

He hasn't shown signs of figuring it out yet, but Biden needs to figure out how to engage people under 40. And fast.

Figures. .

He's going to win.
The country tends to rally around the leader when there's a crisis, hence the timing of the war in Iraq. This phenomenon was one of the contributors to WWI also; distract the public from social unrest/socialism.
No wonder China and Iran believe we created the virus. The timing seems suspicious.

No matter what the final outcome of this crisis is, he's going to declare "Mission Accomplished" and praise the path that he took and say that it was the right path. There's no way to prove him wrong since no other options would have been implemented.

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Of course we're right in the middle of this crisis and the end is yet to be written.

Not even the end of the beginning, yet.

We could also witness not only Trump getting re-elected, but through the halo effect, the Democrats losing the House, and increases in the Republican majority in the Senate.

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The arts are not luxuries but assets that give way more than they cost.
--Ronald Tucker on YouTube

A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open.
--Frank Zappa

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GGD
No matter what the final outcome of this crisis is, he's going to declare "Mission Accomplished" and praise the path that he took and say that it was the right path. There's no way to prove him wrong since no other options would have been implemented.

Good luck claiming MISSION ACCOMPLISHED when there are still people dying, the econ is a mess and the rest of the world is recovering while blocking air traffic from ONLY the USA.

(and mexico builds a wall to protect themselves while the USA pays for it)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2020 11:54AM by hal.

We have always been at war with Oceanea.
The President has always worked on the Coronavirus. It was stopped at our borders but the Democrats allowed Mexicans into the country that had it.
Republicans sold stocks ahead of everyone else because they had to have money to donate it all to the Trump charity to help the victims !

That's why we need borders ! (Actual tweet from the bird brain in chief)

Orwell indeed.

“We could also witness not only Trump getting re-elected, but through the halo effect, the Democrats losing the House, and increases in the Republican majority in the Senate.“


I’m nowhere close to being that pessimistic. First of all, by election time we’ll be out of the crisis phase and there will be plenty of chances to dissect Trump’s handling of the crisis. Congressional (not “Correctional” , stupid autocomplete!) investigations, anyone? Second, this tension between the forces that are pushing Trump to declare us back to business as usual and those who understand how to properly respond to a crisis are bound to create rifts on the right. Finally, Trump is looking increasingly unhealthy.

In a large part, it is up to the Democratic Party to properly frame the issues.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2020 01:00PM by btfc.

I agree that pessimism is not helpful here... the simple reality is that Trump's inaction and lack of leadership has already led to the loss of many American lives. That is now an undisputed fact, regardless of how Trump and his cronies try to spin it. If I were Biden, I would be playing that song like a harp. Trump is VERY vulnerable on this issue and Biden has the advantage of being able to play Monday morning quarterback. No matter how this turns out in the end (how few or many lives lost), this will be Trump's Katrina and he's done a "heck of a job". The End.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

I'm glad that you are optimistic, but I don't feel it. Look at the latest polling numbers, Trump now has a 60% approval rating as to how he is handling this pandemic, and a 49% overall rating. If this keeps going, he'll win in a landslide and Congress will revert hardcore to the Republicans.

[news.gallup.com]

Democratic approval is up 6 points, and Independent approval is up 8 points in the overall.

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Gallup
Trump's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic may be behind his higher overall approval rating. Americans give the president generally positive reviews for his handling of the situation, with 60% approving and 38% disapproving. Ninety-four percent of Republicans, 60% of independents and 27% of Democrats approve of his response.

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The arts are not luxuries but assets that give way more than they cost.
--Ronald Tucker on YouTube

A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open.
--Frank Zappa

We're only seeing the first spatterings from the earliest pieces hitting the fan blades... I expect those approval numbers will not remain stable once the full storm is underway. Say, by Easter?

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future