Does Trump have a coherent strategy for Corona?

[Sculptor]

In a thread on Twitter, David Frum claimed reports the White House is now pivoting its pandemic messaging to the economy showed Trump is "consciously choosing to risk higher virus casualties" in the second quarter of 2020 "in hope of jolting the economy into revival in Q3 to save his re-election" in November.

"It's a desperate gamble to save himself by sacrificing others," wrote Frum, who is now a senior editor at The Atlantic, warning: "It's also not very likely to work."
From Yahoo News.

This is assuming that Trump is clear headed enough to think this thing through.
An old friend of mine used to say "no one ever got anywhere overestimating the intelligence of the American Public". It's my view that people tend to mistakenly see intentions and schemes in Trump's actions, and that this leads to a series of confused analyses. When I point this out, unrepentantly, they say "Ah but that's all part of Trump's MO, to keep people guessing at his real intentions"
I think it is crystal clear. Trump is basically stupid. Nothing said that more than the now legendary "disinfectant" press conference. The advice should be "no one ever got anywhere by overestimating the intelligence of Donald Trump."

Either Trump is an evil, hyper-intelligent Machiavellian monster, able to manipulate the public, or not. There is no middle ground considering his actions.
Personally I think Trump is just as dumb as the majority of the unwashed public, and that this is how he is able to appeal so widely. He thinks like they do. Any gaffs he makes are soon forgotten, or seldom noticed. And the establishment that surrounds him, Ivy Leaguers, cannot bring themselves to understand that a person who so thoroughly and viscerally embodies the ideological ideal of their precious capitalist state, and has achieved the highest office could be thick as pig shit.

Confirmed, reported Covid 19 deaths; 61,669
Weekly increase: 13,775

[Impenitent]

die from corona or die in the glorious marxist revolution...

the glorious revolution is closer than you dream...

-Imp

ps: can I wear a gold star to identify myself as one of the deplorable "unwashed"?

[Lacewing]

they say "Ah but that's all part of Trump's MO, to keep people guessing at his real intentions"
I think it is crystal clear. Trump is basically stupid.

Yeh, there's absolutely no credible demonstration of him being a brilliant manipulator rather than a clumsy maniac that everybody has to keep covering for and excusing. His appeal for many, it seems, is in how they identify with him in some way... which, although a horrifying number, is fortunately not an actual majority of people. Doesn't mean his clown car won't roll down the highway some more, but I think a lot of us have stopped freaking out. Sometimes the only way to get through (insane) intestinal disease, is just to keep hydrating (sanely) until it all passes. And evidently there's a lot! Holy crap! Hopefully at some point, he and all of his crap can be flushed through the system, and his supporters will feel more relieved too.

[Sculptor]

they say "Ah but that's all part of Trump's MO, to keep people guessing at his real intentions"
I think it is crystal clear. Trump is basically stupid.

Yeh, there's absolutely no credible demonstration of him being a brilliant manipulator rather than a clumsy maniac that everybody has to keep covering for and excusing. His appeal for many, it seems, is in how they identify with him in some way... which, although a horrifying number, is fortunately not an actual majority of people. Doesn't mean his clown car won't roll down the highway some more, but I think a lot of us have stopped freaking out. Sometimes the only way to get through (insane) intestinal disease, is just to keep hydrating (sanely) until it all passes. And evidently there's a lot! Holy crap! Hopefully at some point, he and all of his crap can be flushed through the system, and his supporters will feel more relieved too.

Thanks, for responding with intelligence.
Life can be puzzling.
I set out to puzzle over apparently intelligent people who think Trump has a brain cell, and then I get two rather odd responses (above yours VT and IMP). I have no idea what planet they are on. I suppose they would probably vote for Trump if they get the chance.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

they say "Ah but that's all part of Trump's MO, to keep people guessing at his real intentions"
I think it is crystal clear. Trump is basically stupid.

Yeh, there's absolutely no credible demonstration of him being a brilliant manipulator rather than a clumsy maniac that everybody has to keep covering for and excusing. His appeal for many, it seems, is in how they identify with him in some way... which, although a horrifying number, is fortunately not an actual majority of people. Doesn't mean his clown car won't roll down the highway some more, but I think a lot of us have stopped freaking out. Sometimes the only way to get through (insane) intestinal disease, is just to keep hydrating (sanely) until it all passes. And evidently there's a lot! Holy crap! Hopefully at some point, he and all of his crap can be flushed through the system, and his supporters will feel more relieved too.

I suppose they would probably vote for Trump if they get the chance.

I probably would, just to piss 'you' off.

And why would my response be 'puzzling'? That's your exact response when people mention that the virus comes from CHINA. Is there something different about Chinese people from Americans? Hmm? What would that be?

[FlashDangerpants]

Either Trump is an evil, hyper-intelligent Machiavellian monster, able to manipulate the public, or not. There is no middle ground considering his actions.
Personally I think Trump is just as dumb as the majority of the unwashed public, and that this is how he is able to appeal so widely. He thinks like they do. Any gaffs he makes are soon forgotten, or seldom noticed. And the establishment that surrounds him, Ivy Leaguers, cannot bring themselves to understand that a person who so thoroughly and viscerally embodies the ideological ideal of their precious capitalist state, and has achieved the highest office could be thick as pig shit.

In the runup to the 2016 presidential election, there was a guy on this forum who reported to us all this stuff he read onWikipedia about various members of the trump team and their connections to foriegn governments. He then read stuff about those same people in the normal media. For a san person, you might presume that the information went media > wikpi > Bill. But he did not. Because he was a genuine certifiable narcissist, he got himself worked up at the thought that CNN was follwoing his posts here, and then reporting on the information they read on this forum. That's how narcisism works.

Trump has believed all along that Corona is about him. People don't seem to get that he is genuinely mad, and that's why nobody can seem to deal with him appropriately. We've been using 'narcisist' as a synonym for big-headed for so long that everyone has forgotten that it has a clinical meaning. And now one of them is in a position of great power, where some stuff actually IS about him, and that confirmation loop cannot work out well for somebody who has daily difficulty understanding that there is anything at all that is not about about them.

So yeah, all along Trump has thought that Corona was about fucking him over personally some way. When he said it was a media and DNC hoax to harm himn with an exagerated threat, he believed what he was saying. When the facts on the ground changed and he had to cope with this being a real disease that does kill more people than the flu, he now has to believe something else, but now he has the baked in idea it is about him, that won't be shaken, so now he is darkly hinting that the Chinese made the virus to hurt him.

All the while, everyone keeps behaving as if he doesn't believe his own words. He doesn't have to be a master strategist, his enemies are outthinking themselves on his behalf.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

How dare he not behave like a politician 'should'.

[commonsense]

Does Trump have a coherent strategy for Corona? In his own words, “we’ll see what happens”. Sounds like a solid plan.

[Sculptor]

Either Trump is an evil, hyper-intelligent Machiavellian monster, able to manipulate the public, or not. There is no middle ground considering his actions.
Personally I think Trump is just as dumb as the majority of the unwashed public, and that this is how he is able to appeal so widely. He thinks like they do. Any gaffs he makes are soon forgotten, or seldom noticed. And the establishment that surrounds him, Ivy Leaguers, cannot bring themselves to understand that a person who so thoroughly and viscerally embodies the ideological ideal of their precious capitalist state, and has achieved the highest office could be thick as pig shit.

In the runup to the 2016 presidential election, there was a guy on this forum who reported to us all this stuff he read onWikipedia about various members of the trump team and their connections to foriegn governments. He then read stuff about those same people in the normal media. For a san person, you might presume that the information went media > wikpi > Bill. But he did not. Because he was a genuine certifiable narcissist, he got himself worked up at the thought that CNN was follwoing his posts here, and then reporting on the information they read on this forum. That's how narcisism works.

Trump has believed all along that Corona is about him. People don't seem to get that he is genuinely mad, and that's why nobody can seem to deal with him appropriately. We've been using 'narcisist' as a synonym for big-headed for so long that everyone has forgotten that it has a clinical meaning. And now one of them is in a position of great power, where some stuff actually IS about him, and that confirmation loop cannot work out well for somebody who has daily difficulty understanding that there is anything at all that is not about about them.

So yeah, all along Trump has thought that Corona was about fucking him over personally some way. When he said it was a media and DNC hoax to harm himn with an exagerated threat, he believed what he was saying. When the facts on the ground changed and he had to cope with this being a real disease that does kill more people than the flu, he now has to believe something else, but now he has the baked in idea it is about him, that won't be shaken, so now he is darkly hinting that the Chinese made the virus to hurt him.

All the while, everyone keeps behaving as if he doesn't believe his own words. He doesn't have to be a master strategist, his enemies are outthinking themselves on his behalf.

I'm not sure what fits better; egocentrism or narcissism. I've settled on the latter since the former would be more obviously childlike.
What you describe would also include some sort of persecution complex - they are out to get him because he is the best.
What is worrying is his ability to flip from one place to another as if no one noticed - like one day he seriously considers UV light and disinfectant, the next day it was "being sarcastic". I cannot believe that a politician in the UK would ever get away with such idiocy.
When Prince Andrew, trying to divert attention from his association with the pedophile Epstein, told a news reporter in an interview that he has lost the ability to sweat, following an witness account of him dancing till he wet his shirt. The whole story was roundly ridiculed in the media, with no hope of coming back from that. He was forced to cancel his public appointments.
What people in the UK find astonishing is how Teflon Trump seems to be.
Trump has been flipping positions and sacking people who do not agree with him, for his whole term. The last outrage is his withholding medical supplies to Blue states.

[Sculptor]

Flipping Trump.

You can find this daily in news about Trump. From today's Guardian article:
1) Due to a poll slump he's blamed his campaign manager Parscal
2) Threatens Parscal with a law suit.
3) Tells Reuter's he does not believe the polls.
4) Tweets to CNN Parscal is "doing a great job".

Here's another interesting item]50+ high level sackings.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng- ... ist-latest

When faced with challenges to your reality, try to change reality.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Flipping Trump.

You can find this daily in news about Trump. From today's Guardian article:
1) Due to a poll slump he's blamed his campaign manager Parscal
2) Threatens Parscal with a law suit.
3) Tells Reuter's he does not believe the polls.
4) Tweets to CNN Parscal is "doing a great job".

Here's another interesting item]50+ high level sackings.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng- ... ist-latest

When faced with challenges to your reality, try to change reality.

Well hopefully the WUHAN CHINA virus won't get you before he wins the next election

[commonsense]

The last outrage is his withholding medical supplies to Blue states.

On top of that, he praises the red states for strongly handling the virus!

[FlashDangerpants]

I'm not sure what fits better; egocentrism or narcissism. I've settled on the latter since the former would be more obviously childlike.
What you describe would also include some sort of persecution complex - they are out to get him because he is the best.
What is worrying is his ability to flip from one place to another as if no one noticed - like one day he seriously considers UV light and disinfectant, the next day it was "being sarcastic". I cannot believe that a politician in the UK would ever get away with such idiocy.
When Prince Andrew, trying to divert attention from his association with the pedophile Epstein, told a news reporter in an interview that he has lost the ability to sweat, following an witness account of him dancing till he wet his shirt. The whole story was roundly ridiculed in the media, with no hope of coming back from that. He was forced to cancel his public appointments.
What people in the UK find astonishing is how Teflon Trump seems to be.
Trump has been flipping positions and sacking people who do not agree with him, for his whole term. The last outrage is his withholding medical supplies to Blue states.

check this dude's list, it's eerie.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog ... narcissist
Consider all the times he's declared himself an expert on some subject, and all the fawning praise he claims to receive for that expertise. He really likes to tell you how much praise he receieves, how great his ratings are, and how untrue it is that anyone disapproves of hic choices or actions.

But it's the loyalty bit that worries me really. He's easily manipulated by anyone who has private access to him, they simply have to tell him that they've heard their enemy is criticising him and he will freeze that person out until he can sack them. It's the palace intrigue as much as the nepotism and appointment of ineffective cabinet members that makes the Trump administration bad at doing its job. Having a narcisist at the top of the organisation who cannot take bad news is just the cherry on the top. His demands of loyalty and praise from blue state governors who want access to federal medical supplies just ties in with all of that.

Politics is weird everywhere. There is often an unwritten presumption that officeholders will resign when caught being naughty and when they don't they can get away with some crazy stuff.

In addition it is normal to lose elections if you are a bad enough person. But in the US, practically every candidate runs in the face of negative political ads accusing them of baby eating, so when one of them is actually bad, the true allegation has reduced effect against that background of howling bullshit.

On top of even that, their culture wars are so bad that even people who consider themselves "values voters" will convince themselves that the thrice married serial adulterer is Godly if they have been conditioned to hate the woman he is tunning against for several years in the manner of those attack ads. It's all sadly toxic.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Either Trump is an evil, hyper-intelligent Machiavellian monster, able to manipulate the public, or not. There is no middle ground considering his actions.
Personally I think Trump is just as dumb as the majority of the unwashed public, and that this is how he is able to appeal so widely. He thinks like they do. Any gaffs he makes are soon forgotten, or seldom noticed. And the establishment that surrounds him, Ivy Leaguers, cannot bring themselves to understand that a person who so thoroughly and viscerally embodies the ideological ideal of their precious capitalist state, and has achieved the highest office could be thick as pig shit.

In the runup to the 2016 presidential election, there was a guy on this forum who reported to us all this stuff he read onWikipedia about various members of the trump team and their connections to foriegn governments. He then read stuff about those same people in the normal media. For a san person, you might presume that the information went media > wikpi > Bill. But he did not. Because he was a genuine certifiable narcissist, he got himself worked up at the thought that CNN was follwoing his posts here, and then reporting on the information they read on this forum. That's how narcisism works.

Trump has believed all along that Corona is about him. People don't seem to get that he is genuinely mad, and that's why nobody can seem to deal with him appropriately. We've been using 'narcisist' as a synonym for big-headed for so long that everyone has forgotten that it has a clinical meaning. And now one of them is in a position of great power, where some stuff actually IS about him, and that confirmation loop cannot work out well for somebody who has daily difficulty understanding that there is anything at all that is not about about them.

So yeah, all along Trump has thought that Corona was about fucking him over personally some way. When he said it was a media and DNC hoax to harm himn with an exagerated threat, he believed what he was saying. When the facts on the ground changed and he had to cope with this being a real disease that does kill more people than the flu, he now has to believe something else, but now he has the baked in idea it is about him, that won't be shaken, so now he is darkly hinting that the Chinese made the virus to hurt him.

All the while, everyone keeps behaving as if he doesn't believe his own words. He doesn't have to be a master strategist, his enemies are outthinking themselves on his behalf.

I'm not sure what fits better; egocentrism or narcissism. I've settled on the latter since the former would be more obviously childlike.
What you describe would also include some sort of persecution complex - they are out to get him because he is the best.
What is worrying is his ability to flip from one place to another as if no one noticed - like one day he seriously considers UV light and disinfectant, the next day it was "being sarcastic". I cannot believe that a politician in the UK would ever get away with such idiocy.
When Prince Andrew, trying to divert attention from his association with the pedophile Epstein, told a news reporter in an interview that he has lost the ability to sweat, following an witness account of him dancing till he wet his shirt. The whole story was roundly ridiculed in the media, with no hope of coming back from that. He was forced to cancel his public appointments.
What people in the UK find astonishing is how Teflon Trump seems to be.
Trump has been flipping positions and sacking people who do not agree with him, for his whole term. The last outrage is his withholding medical supplies to Blue states.

Some people sweat very little. And a pAedophile is someone who rapes CHILDREN BEFORE PUBERTY. In the US a 'minor' is not a synonym for 'child'. I didn't think illiteracy was one of your many obnoxious traits. Epstein was friends with practically everyone in Hollywood--that must make them ALL 'pAedophiles' by association to Sun readers like yourself.

[Sculptor]

The last outrage is his withholding medical supplies to Blue states.

On top of that, he praises the red states for strongly handling the virus!

I know, drives you nuts.

Today he says he's seen evidence of the virus starting in a lab. He won't say where. Maybe in a dream?