First thing I wondered was where that 800% comes from. If you can match my donation 800%, why not just donate that 800% yourself?

I think the assumption is without Trump, the chance of a straight up election is pretty much gone. We'd be three steps further down the road of the authoritarian playbook. National anarchy and lawlessness, China, COVID as an act of war, massive voter fraud... we need to delay the election 6 months for national security. Maybe that's hyperbole, but nothing seems out of the question right now. Individual states with GOP control seem to be doing a pretty good job of implementing some of the early steps already.

Agreed. I think we all remember the BS Muslims went through immediately after 9/11. My guess is that some Asian Americans would be subjected to similar treatment.

I don't know where this Biden may suspend how campaign stuff is coming from. It's not what the campaign is saying:

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaig...-back-campaign

On the removing negative ads, it is really smart. For one folks wanted him to run more positive ads anyways (more why vote for me rather than why not vote Trump) and now he's getting all the positive media PR from "acting Presidential". It's a massive PR win for him to do that.

And after all, it's not like the Lincoln Project has made the same pledge.

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Because once you've got your hooks into a donor, you've lowered the barrier to further entry.

Sure, you might have some bundlers you could get to just straight donate $800 instead of collectively taking "my" $100 and turning it into $800, but there are still limits to how much those bundlers could individually contribute (though they could donate to 501(c)s instead). That's a finite resource.

But if you can get a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand new donors, even at lower values, once you've gotten past that resistance to donating, they're going to be less resistant to continuing to donate.

It's the same reason why you'll see non-profits mail out a dollar bill as part of their "won't you feed a starving child in Africa?" pitch. The concept is that you'll return it, maybe with a bit more, and once you've done that, you'll be less resistant to the idea of donating to them again, and again, and again.

Acosta reporting that Trump is having some trouble breathing.

I haven't voted Republican in a general election in almost twenty years, but my first thought when COVID-19 started making the rounds was:

I'm not saying this IS a biological attack by China, but if Chinese leadership wanted to attack the political leadership of the West in an indirect way, engineering a virus that spreads quickly; causes potentially lifelong damage to the heart and lungs to survivors; and is particularly deadly to the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, well...

That pretty well describes a goodly chunk of the political leadership of just about every major democracy, wouldn't you say? Even if you don't get to the President, or the Prime Minister, or whoever, you're still likely to infect SOME percentage of any given nation's government, and the resulting chaos still works to your benefit.

Even if it wasn't a biological attack - and again, I'm approaching this from a purely speculative angle - it still behooved the Trump Administration to treat it as seriously as they would have (hopefully) done if it WERE an instance of biowarfare.

They didn't do that. Trump, specifically, didn't do that. Trump seethed about the damage to the economy and, more specifically, the stock market, and rage tweeted from the shitter about how we needed to open back up in time for Easter, pack out the churches, and grumped at his staff about how he needed to get back to his rallies where at least people love him unquestioningly.

Even as his health experts and the CDC were saying "these are things you should do and shouldn't do," he was undermining their advice, ignoring their advice, and egging on protesters who were marching on "blue state" capitals with guns demanding that they be allowed to go to hair salons again.

I mean, if China wanted to launch a biowarfare attack against America generally and her political leadership specifically, they couldn't ask for a better unwitting ally than Donald Trump.

Trumpers are muttering darkly about this being a Chinese act of war? If they'd taken it as seriously as that six months ago, we probably wouldn't be in this position a month before the election.

They've been doing this since the campaign started. They've just raised that number as time has gone by. It started with triple matching and that number has gone up sharply as the money issues within thr Trump campaign have become evident. It's all bullshit though. No one is matching donations as it'd likely be a violation of campaign finance laws u less it came from your own personal funds and that would still have to be filed. According to FEC feelings Trump hasn't contributed any money to his campaign this time around.

And just to be clear, this isn't a Trump-only type thing. It does seem to be more of a republican fundraising tactic, but both sides do use it.

Senator Thom Tillis, who was also at the Rose Garden ceremony, has tested positive. He had a negative test Saturday.

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At first I thought it was a bad move by Biden because YOU KNOW that Trump would be doubling down if it were the other way around. But maybe you're right. Pull the negative ads for a bit knowing full well that Lincoln and others will continue to do the dirty work.

Kind of like this one...

📺 NEW VIDEO

Be smart. The virus is real. Trump’s lies have consequences. pic.twitter.com/kUqFK2rDs5

— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) October 2, 2020

He's the second Senator from Judiciary committee to test positive.

Yet the Republicans still aren't planning on delaying the confirmation hearings. The GOP is so pro life they don't care who they have to kill to get a new justice on the Supreme Court.

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So there are reports the President is very fatigued and is having trouble breathing.

https://twitter.com/acosta/status/13...177569792?s=21

https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/...523417600?s=19

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Sounds like mild symptoms to me...

For the sake of public confidence and even national security, it is crucial that public briefings on the president's condition come from medical personnel at Walter Reed, and not from White House officials.

— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) October 2, 2020

oh well

BREAKING: Mike Pence has been moved to Trump National Golf Course in case he needs to assume Trump’s duties.

— Travis Allen ���� (@TravisAllen02) October 2, 2020

I don't wish that anyone catches the coronavirus. But I'm not sorry he is ill or if it gets worse.

This isn't a political thing for me. Its like someone dying from a wingsuit flight or a Formula 1 driver in a car crash. He was fully informed, knowingly accepted the risk, benefited from it, and flaunted it. And in this case, over and over again.

People around him may be a different matter. Hard to say if they were true believers also or were intimidated by Trump into not taking basic precautions. But Trump himself, nah.

We know Trump would not have returned the favor.

But classy thing to do, right thing to do. Go high Sleepy Joe.

I LOLed

Holy shit. Kellyanne Conway's 15 year old daughter Claudia (who if you remember claimed her parents were abusive a month or so ago and claimed she'd seek emancipation) just said her mom has COVID, tried to lie about it, and has infected the whole family... on TikTok.

I am not familiar with the genre, so help me out.

Is this peak reality TV or do we have more to go?

Not saying she doesn't, but let's wait for someone other then a 15 year old says it.

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All of this stemming from the SCOTUS event they threw.

Karma is a bitch.

It's all over.

Kelly Anne confirmed it.

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Yeah not buying it until I hear it from George. who has been posting on Twiitter since then with no comment about KellyAnne. Sad to see so many reporters and analysts reporting on Twitter like its real.

Lookit the support.

https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/...523417600?s=19

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Oh to be a fly on the wall (in a haz mat suit) in the Conway house tonight...

Kellyanne Conway confirms she's positive for COVID:

Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians.

As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic. ❤️

— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) October 3, 2020

2 minutes later George Conway tweets this:

I can relate https://t.co/OUy6ILCuNo

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) October 3, 2020

Yeah just saw the post from KellyAnne

Can we get a Bill Barr to fill out the bingo card.

With all the info coming out tonight this has to be the nail in the coffin for Trumps reelection chances. No?

You can say this about so many different things and yet none of it matters.

Since day one of his presidency and telling the Emoluments Clause to fuck off, he should have never been considered for re-election.

Feels like the Trumpsphere is trying to thread the needle between "it's just the flu" and "it's a Chinese weapon" while still trying to never acknowledge it as a legitimate concern. Maybe covid not your game.

Scenario: Trump worsens, goes on ventilator, incapacitated...through the election. Doesn't die.

It looks like the committee is 12 GOP and 10 Dem. So if they have a 3rd who has to self-isolate, how's that going to go in voting?

SI

trump campaign manager tested positive

The rest of the country got to move on from Ammon Bundy and the gang, but he's still a big celebrity here. Tonight a high school football game got shut down at halftime because he was there for some reason and refused to wear a mask. A few weeks ago he was dragged out of the state capitol on a little wheeled office chair for the same reason. He has his fans, but when he starts fucking with football, I feel like there will be some conflict even among that group of whackos.

Is this a game? OK I'll play. He goes into a coma, has a limb amputated. Biden wins. Trump wakes up in March and things he's still the president. He shows up at the white house and starts ordering people around.

McConnell will absolutely allow a rules change to permit remote business if necessary to get the Handmaid through.

Oh shit, Skeletor has covid now too!

https://www.thedailybeast.com/kellya...e-for-covid-19

And..... reportedly Chris Christie has it.

This is getting ridiculous.

That guy is like seriously obese. Could be a bad time for him... Yikes.

https://twitter.com/ChrisDJackson/st...452964354?s=20

Holy shit! I know he has been trump's campaign coach/advisor/buffet spotter. I just might have to switch to being agnostic if Barr gets it and resigns by the end of the month.

We must look like the biggest joke in the world. Literally a super spreader event originating from the white house. Such an embarrassment.

That Chris Christie report thread is less than confident FWIW.

Best case is he loses and gets 25th amendment removed after the election. Pence acts like a honorable human and doesn’t pardon many of the pieces of shit that Trump would. Exchange of power is peaceful in January.

So....Trump is downing made up drugs....of course he is...

Trump is being treated with an experimental drug cocktail for COVID-19. Here's what it is.

And we have a Kellyanne Conway....Kellyanne Conway positive. Mark your cards!

It's replaced by a robotic limb. The robotic limb takes over for Trump's decayed brain and runs his body. The country, no the world, is on edge waiting to see what robot Trump will do.

These people are unbelievable. Lewandowski is on ABC acting like no one knows how Covid is spread and people who weren't at the SCOTUS ceremony got it so how do we know that's where it came from. And it's like, moron, you don't have to be there if someone got it there and then gave it to you! That Maine wedding, at least 7 pepe died and NONE of them attended the damn wedding!

That job is like being the drummer for Spinal Tap.

Also, a Joe Piscopo interview about attending the NJ fundraiser... I'm about done with 2020. I thought he died about a decade ago but then I realized I was thinking of him as Frank Sinatra and assuming he had to be dead.

That's part of what I'm wondering. Can an acting president pardon an incapacitated one for...whatever? Also in this scenario, we might not have bestowed the actual title of President on Pence. But after such a period, would Trump still run? If he lost, would he assume office again, keep Pence in the acting role, or just step aside? And that's assuming that he was still on the ballot but lost. Might he have been replaced on the ticket? Would his followers/family have even allowed that?

Ron Johnson now tests positive. Saw on Twitter - this is the GOP version of the Me Too Movement.

This is so fucking apropos. Like, GOP ignores RGB dying wishes to wait to appoint her replacement until there's a new President. GOP announces 1 hour after her death they'll replace her. And then literally at the appointment party for her replacement within a week, and before she was in the ground, they all get COVID.

If there is a just God... he is showing himself.

These poeple live on another planet.

A friend of mine pointed me in the direction of a tight wing conspiracy board yesterday and one of the first posts discussing Trump's positive test talked about how COVID appears to be airborne based off of the positive tests. The post then goes on to complain that no one has told us that this virus is airborne and that if it is then it has to be taken seriously.

Just pointing out since it's October...

Any horror movie fan knows all the tropes; so I'm disappointed that Biden is pulling negative ads because you don't let up against a monster in the third act.

Even if he dies, what have you to lose?

Meanwhile, I used to see Biden ads all over youtube, since the declaration I'm only seeing Trump ads...

Why do Democrats appeal to the greater good when humans don't really have that in them...?

Biden's pitch is, I'm a decent guy that will make things normal again. Dropping the negative ads plays into that message. It's good politics, too, because he's getting a shit ton of free media for doing it, allowing him to spend his money on other things for a while.

I have a college friend that was at the wedding of the nutso OANN reporter that always asks softballs and conspiracy theory questions. This was last night, and of course everybody is hugging and laughing and no one is wearing a mask.

My friend has always leaned right, but was reasonable for most of her life, sadly, it now looks like she's passed to the other side.

This thread is jumping, good work fellas. I don't have an even more far fetched scenario to add, but the (so far) mumbled discussion of pardon law is rightfully going to get oxygen in time.

Oh, and not sure this is the right place, but there's a betting market on PredictIt for the time interval when the Senate votes on the next SCOTUS nominee. The window I like is after the election, but before the next congress.

I moved the market buying in at 23 yesterday (seeking to be only quietly ghoulish in my motivations). I think it's still a buy in the high 30s last I checked. The nuts and bolts just don't add up, to me, I think the right price for that is around 60 right now.

It still remains a useful tactical play for the GOP to claim that control of the Senate is paramount, and to use a pending nomination as candy there makes sense to me. Then they just go and do what they want in December irrespective of the voters because fuck them anyway.

This doctor is hilarious at the Press Conference at Walter Reed. Was asked if President was on oxygen. "He is not on oxygen right now". Was he ever on oxygen? "He has not been on oxygen this morning".

So... I'm guessing he was on oxygen last night.

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I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two. I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition.

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 3, 2020

That's not... good. He's very obese.

So who knew the virus would be the Democrats best friend? Taking out Republicans before the Supreme Court vote, Trump can't campaign...what an October Surprise. Conway hugged and kissed Barr, so could really be a big win for the Dems.

And for the record, I'm kidding, hope all that get it have a complete recovery...but after Nov 3

Wait, did that Doctor say that Trump knew he had Covid 72 hours ago? And decided to go to fundraisers anyways?! Holy shit.

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Yeah, CNN is jumping all over the 72 hour thing, as well as the oxygen deal. "What's today, Saturday? No, he was not on oxygen Thursday."

So, not on it Thur, not now, but you don't say he hasn't been at all. So yeah, yesterday then.

72 hours would be the morning after the debate.

And then the fuckers didn't notify Biden or anyone at the debate.

In other completely predictable news, Bill Barr is refusing to quarantine, so keep an eye out if you are in D.C.

JFC. Just another example how he cares about nobody other than himself.

This is very different than what Trump's doc said publically.

BREAKING: White House press pool was just told: “The president’s vitals over the last 24hrs were very concerning and the next 48hrs will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery”
•That’s a bleaker picture than Trumps Dr. just painted•

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) October 3, 2020

I have to admit this whole situation with Trump has revealed to me a painful lack of objectivity. My initial reaction, before I kicked myself in the arse mentally, was to be disappointed that he was doing well. I don't consciously wish anyone ill health, but despite my best efforts I'm borderline bitter towards the man.

That now means I need to pray extra for Trump (it's the best antidote to this kind of thing I know of, aside from being a good idea in general).


There are many good and compelling reasons for them to have waited. The whole Garland nonsense, the timing being this close to an election, etc. RBG wanting it is not among them though. Honoring the final wish of SCOTUS justices has never been a thing, and I don't think there's a good reason for it to be.

UPDATE: Immediately after the press conference ended and before the anonymous statement was sent out, Mark Meadows briefed reporters without cameras—but he was caught on a feed asking to be off the record. pic.twitter.com/JyrhSmu1Y0

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) October 3, 2020

It is all a game to these folks.

The lawsuits are really going to flow now. Michigan's Supreme Court has ruled that the majority of Gov. Whitmer's orders after April 30th are not valid and that she exceeded her powers. The media reporting on this is burying some important distinctions, talking more about the disputed part of the split decision.

** The court held unanimously that Whitmer didn't have the authority to declare a state of emergency past April 30th. Based on the Emergency Management Act (1976), the governor can only declare a state of emergency once and can't extend it indefinitely without legislative approval.

** The more contentious part is what emergency powers the governor has in these kinds of situations, about which a divided 3-2 vote found "the EPGA constituted an unlawful delegation of legislative power to the executive and was unconstitutional under Const 1963, art 3, § 2, which prohibits exercise of the legislative power by the executive branch. ... The EPGA was unconstitutional in its entirety."

There's a 21-day period before this takes effect, but who knows what happens in Michigan after this as the Republican-controlled legislature isn't about to authorize any extension of Whitmer's authority at this point.

I hate to admit that I got some kind of weird primal, physical relief when I first read he was in the hospital....not like a feeling of celebration or happiness that he was suffering so much as like an enitrely animal reaction to there FINALLY being a firm, solid reality to point to, that can't be simply dismissed and denied entirely.

chaser...

Something that seemed pretty clear if you watched how delicately Dr. Conley danced around these questions. https://t.co/YBipRgfUHO pic.twitter.com/FKj3vwaedL

— Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey) October 3, 2020

Fully agreed

Just a random tossin, out of frustration...

THESE FUCKERS

Also...

Trump donors paid up to $250,000 to have a *buffet lunch* with him in the middle of the pandemic.

That evening, he disclosed that he had COVID-19. There are conflicting reports regarding whether he knew about the diagnosis at the time of the fundraiser. https://t.co/NIDeVlYW21

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) October 3, 2020

Right, a buffet. Here, grab the same spoon as sniffly guy over there. Great.

...and "conflicting reports" only if you give full credence to the White House spin team and their alternative facts on the terms "48 hours" and "72 hours."

JFC

Like, is there one of these old fat white millionaires who actually cares about his wife or, shit, even himself, enough to say something about this? Can we get a "how care he?" from fucking ANYBODY right now?

We’re getting a preview of what these fuckers are going to be like on election night.

https://twitter.com/gtconway3d/statu...713394688?s=19

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He's not wrong.

Solid theory in this thread.

I’d wager a large adult beverage:

1) Trump knew he had tested positive earlier than disclosed

2) He was initially asymptomatic

3) He refused to cancel his planned events

4) Staff rationalized it as better to hide his COVID diagnosis even if he infected some people...

1/

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) October 3, 2020

Definitely what a “pro-life” party should do?

I wonder if he was feeling under the weather on Tuesday and Then they pumped him full of steroids. It would make some sense on why he was so agitated (even beyond normal).

I was more making the point that the GOP was so insensitive/wrong/unethical/immoral with their handling of RBG's opening that it's apropos that this all went down at the same time of their nomination ceremony for her replacement. I realize that honoring her dying wish is not amongst the reasons to not fill the seat. Just pointing out their unscrupulous behavior all around... and this karma boomerang that's hit them.

Sadly in this conspiracy theory era, my mind keeps coming back to them not revealing Hope Hicks had the virus, only to be found out by the press, and then coming late enough to the debate and not wearing masks besides the First Lady-were they really scheming to get Biden sick and then blame it all on him? Could they really be that evil?

You mean like taking drugs to have a better debate performance? Where have I heard that one?

SI

I agree with the just of this but never isn't right. By all accounts, Kennedy retired on the condition that Kavanaugh was picked as his replacement.

I'm not sure about this - possible, though requires a lot of competence. But the bar for their selfishness seems pretty darn slow

SI

The only other option is a perfect storm/extended circus of bumbling ineptitude that just happened to prevent all these people from getting scheduled testing, multiple times at multiple massive public events at the very time when their status was in question.

....not to say that isn't entirely possible with this administration, just to further harp that there's no real neutral position here, it's either willfully evil, or tragically inept.

How long before we learn Hope Hicks attended a hot yoga class or something a few days before infecting Donny

The collective commentary of the right is out there trying to thread the tiniest needle between "it's just the flu, he's going to be fine" and "this is a democrat/chinese assassination attempt" while leapfrogging the entirety of "legitimate concern".

Haven’t you heard. It’s a plague now.

Good Lord, they're still using Herman Cain's Twitter and actually used it to comment positively on Trump's prognosis.