The Week in Review: Things Got Weird, But Weird is the New Normal
The Week in Review: Things Got Weird, But Weird is the New Normal
by Dragon Poopsie
This week, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize for physics to three scientists who are experts on black holes. I have read several articles on the research they did and still have no idea what it means, but it made me happy anyway. It was a reminder that there are people in our world thinking big thoughts about big things. This is in contrast to the noise we hear daily from our politicians and the fake news media, who make me want to scream because they talk about the same dumb things over and over again.Â
Until I heard about the black hole research, I had begun to believe that “science†had been reduced to the importance of wearing masks. For five days after President Trump and many of his closest advisors tested positive for the coronavirus, the press couldn’t think of a question to ask his communications staff other than why he didn’t wear a mask on this or that occasion, why his family didn’t wear masks at the Presidential debate, why he took off his mask when he walked into the White House after being in the hospital.
Honestly, with 11 million people unemployed, civil unrest, instability in Asia and the Middle East and an election three weeks away, wouldn’t you think we’d be talking about something bigger than the President’s masks? By now the press should know the answer to all those mask questions anyway: Trump is a bully, a fighter, an Alpha male – an animal, Animals! – and he’s not going to show any fear of Xi Jinping, the tax man, or Covid-19. It was a relief as the week and the conversation moved on to the next topic: the Vice Presidential debate. VP debates don’t usually matter, but this year’s may since the candidates for President are so old. And voters finally got to hear a discussion of the actual issues at stake in this election, which is being touted by both sides as the most important ever – or at least since 1860.
So, the President has Covid-19 and the candidates for VP have debated. But, unless you’re betting on the margin of victory for Joe Biden (we are assuming you are betting on Joe Biden right now), not much has changed in doping out the Presidential race.
Polls continue to show Trump is behind, and the gap between him and Biden has increased since the first debate. He might make some gains along the margins: Trump’s bold response to his illness could provide a contrast with Joe Biden, who was already looking old and frail – and a little unpresidential hanging out in his basement. Trump’s quick recovery could bolster his claim that the virus isn’t the big deal the Dems say, and could convince more voters that the best policy would be for most people to get back to work and school.
However, he still could have a relapse and become seriously ill; he still could be unable to debate or campaign. That means Trump could be locked into his current status – 9 points-plus behind.
As for the VP debate, both Kamala Harris and Mike Pence passed the competence test. Voters finally got to hear what the Dems would do if they win, which could hurt them some. Free college sounds good if you’re young, but not so much to older voters who already paid their own way. Fracking is big in the critical states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Colorado. Packing the Supreme Court is not a popular idea. Republicans were probably hurt less because everyone already knew the shocking things they were doing, including not wearing masks and trying to get rid of Obamacare. Pence did a better job of defending Trump and his record than Trump has bothered to do for himself.
But those issues alone won’t turn this election around. Next week’s rescheduled Presidential debate is likely Trump’s last stand. If he doesn’t do a better job than in Debate #1, he’ll be defeated as soundly as Custer, and he probably will take the Republican Senate with him. Can Trump be disciplined enough to save himself? I wouldn’t put money on that.
DRAGON POOPSIE.
