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How will Donald Trump’s positive COVID-19 diagnosis reshape the political landscape? No one knows. But we do have some speculative thoughts on how this could play out.
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I would bet Melania knows how to do stage makeup. And how about Barron? Could he set up Zoom?
As much as I love him, I think John is being extremely apocalyptic. Deep breathes. We can’t know what’s next, so pace yourself.
Yes I think Trump will find a way to Zoom. As long as he doesn’t get very sick.
If President Trump resigns, but wins the election, then the Trump Electors can and will vote for Pence for President. And whoever Pence taps will be elected Vice President.
Yes please!
John you were out of your mind hysterical on this one.
This is was some major league elite panic by JPod here. Remember Jonah telling us the story about the British in WWII where every setback was catastrophic for the elites but the rank and file took it like a champ?
I think most people hearing the news of Trump with coronavirus shrugged with a an added concern because he’s in his 70’s but you’d think the POTUS would have the best doctors for this sort of thing.
And JPod is screaming, “It’s over! It’s over, It’s over!”
Get it grip.
I was thinking something along the same lines, while listening to the pod on a 13 mile run. John might be testing positive for apoplexy if he doesn’t take a breath.
Listen up: For all the speculation on this pod, around how it’s “over”, that same line of thinking was the predominant point of view in 2016. So were the polls then, about which this podcast (and I listen to the majority of them, because they’re great conversations) focuses on quite a bit, and keeps coming to its own conclusions like “if this poll is accurate, then he’s done”.
Clearly, good polling can only be directionally accurate, but in the las “unprecedented” presidential election, polling was dead wrong, and John’s apoplexy seems to prevent his thinking about that in this year’s election. John’s focus on how a Zoom meeting is now impossible politically was hilarious, and clearly not thought out. Repeating the word “quarantine” does not mean that people who have been “tested”, aren’t “at risk”, and are “technically competent” could probably setup a camera in a quarantined space. I mean, the gov’t has trillions to spend, I’m guessing the White House could get this done, even if it is gov’t doing it.
Lastly, what wasn’t discussed in the “it’s over” collective conclusion was the opposite of what was stated. Trump comes out and says “Hey, I got this because I was out campaigning, and working, as President – those are my jobs. I knew the risks and it caught up with me, but I’m fine and will continue to seek the presidency and continue the good work we’ve started…”, etc. Maybe Trump recovers quickly and starts bragging how he kicked its ass.
What wasn’t mentioned was the fact that the podcast, in the months leading up to today, has talked about how the election is usually decided in the middle, and how the voting is almost always “over” in the sense that only the squishes in the middle are undecided. Basically everyone’s already voting for their candidate no matter what. So Trump gets Covid. Does that mean his base leaves him? No.
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Trump’s inconsistency around masks is still part of the discussion around mask usage, because – and I hate to break this to the podcasters – you can wear a mask all day and still get Covid. Trump can easily attribute contracting the disease to him doing his job, to make sure Biden, who has literally hidden in his basement for six months, doesn’t get the job, and paint Biden as being afraid to campaign publicly. Biden’s been hiding. Cowards hide. You can see where a Trump might go with this.
The campaigning that Biden is now forced to do, as Republicans have managed to start registering voters, the vaunted “ground game” and door-knocking that Biden’s campaign has largely ignored until now, and now they’re propping up the tottering old man, who’s just as robust and energetic as a random tree sloth, to go on exciting whistlestop tours, because Lord knows you energize your base and get those young voters out, 23-skidoo, by talking out the ass end of a train.
Trump getting Covid moves the needle. I have no idea how much, or in what direction, but I think the apoplectic tone is more demonstrative of folks who follow this stuff very closely, because it’s their job, but it sure as hell is not how the majority of Americans follow politics, if at all.
So we’ll see. I’m assuming John will get to choose which shoe he eats if he’s wrong. If he’s being fair, he should let Trump pick the shoe John has to eat.
Just to be clear, too: I didn’t vote for Trump in the last election. I’m not a rah-rah guy for any politician. Not anymore. I’m fairly certain that Covid only cements in place those voters who were going to vote for, or against him, no matter what. I really couldn’t guess as to what would happen to undecideds, squishes in the middle, and polling may be directional there but betting your lunch money on the outcome runs counter to the experience of the last election.
Oh, hey – look at that. A poll that has the lead narrowed to 49%-47%.
Huh. Go figure. It’s almost the exact opposite of what we were told would happen in the polls by those following the polls very closely, meaning virtually everyone on the podcast.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/trump-turnaround-biden-lead-cut-to-49-47-covid-debate-dont-hurt-president