The only Trump not to speak at the Republican Convention this week was Barron. This is what happens when the only living Republican President or Presidential candidate isn't speaking at your convention. You are left with your son's girlfriend to speak on your behalf. That must be a first. When Kimberly Guilfoyle spoke at the convention it reminded me of the old Howard Dean screech.
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Hard to believe Kimberly and Gavin Newsom were once a couple.
Trump supporters drinking the Kool-Aid. Those attendees in the front row near Trump were tested to protect him but everyone else was left to their own risk to be exposed to the virus. Only the leader's health is important in a cult.
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I guess losing Herman Cain wasn't enough for the leader.
Every demigod has to have an enemy to use to scare his followers enough that they close their eyes to the corruption and lawlessness of their own actions. Trump is an example of this diversionary technique. In the 2018 mid-term election it was the migrant caravans.
Now the 2020 scare theme is represented by the couple speak at your convention who pointed guns at peaceful demonstrators in St. Louis to represent the threat of people of color moving into your suburban enclave. This is the world of the 1950s when segregationists were talking about the threats of integration. The world of George Wallace has been reconstituted in the Republican Party.
Steve Bannon's arrest for fraud is simply a continuation of the Trump Administration's intent on monetizing any connections they may have had with the Administration. Governing the country was always secondary to making money. From Trump's attempt to have the British Open at his golf course in Scotland or the G7 meeting at his golf course in Florida. Trump has even copyrighted the words "Make America Great Again" and "MAGA" for future money-making opportunities. His two sons have set up a Trump Store to sell Trump-related merchandise. I have blogged before how all his email appeals for money comes with merchandise with Trump's name on it. Just test marking what will sell in his store.
How can we forget that Trump has had to close his charity because it was fraudulent or close his online university because it was also nothing more than a fraudulent scam? The fraud includes not paying contractors for work done.
There was some speculation that Trump's run for the Presidency in 2016 was not to win but to gain visibility for the creation of a new news station. This seems to possibly be his post-presidency plan. It is always about the money when it comes to Trump or Bannon. Maybe you CAN fool some of the people all the time.
Recently the Country celebrated the 100 anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women the right to vote. We now think of Maryland as a progressive state but I recently read an article that paints a different picture of Maryland of the early 20th Century.
As we fast forward 100 years we are still unsure of the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Fortunately Maryland this time was an early ratifier of the amendment.
I know that both political parties will move back to a traditional convention in the future but I hope that what has been learned in doing the conventions virtual is not completely lost. I have found the virtual convention to be much better than the old convention model that was developed in the 19th Century. The professionalism and themes put forward were much better than in the old model. Even the talks being taped were so much better. Everything flowed better. The visuals of the delegates giving their votes were so much interesting than doing it from the floor of the convention. Let's face it the entertainment quality of having everything limited to 2 hours was so much better. Remember Bill Clinton's 1992 acceptance speech that ran 1 hour 20 minutes? Or when he spoke so long giving the Keynote Address at the 1988 Convention that people applauded when he said, "in conclusion"?
So now we will see how well the Republicans can pull off a virtual convention. Apparently, they will use the White House and Fort McHenry as backdrops. What the Kremlin was booked? I wonder how many people will be found to highlight Trump's character? Maybe they can have the people he has pardoned appear to thank him. I know they will try to show some diversity in their speakers but you only have to look at their new members of Congress to see diversity isn't sincere when it comes to the Republicans. Glad the Repubs found one white woman. Your days as a viable party are numbered when your candidates look like a line up from Congress of 1950.
As the new Sean Hannity book "Live Free or Die" is number one on the non-fiction best sellers list this week I can't help but think about how the title relates to our Country's situation with the COVID-19 virus. Our Country's battle between two very different belief systems of individual rights vs collective responsibility is being played out in our Country's response to the virus. The controversy over mask mandates is just one example. Countries that have a culture of social responsibility and cohesion have minimized the impact of the virus and those with a weak culture of social responsibility have suffered a disproportionate impact of the virus. The United States has been the best example of this reality. We, unfortunately, have had the virus impact us at the very time we have had a national leader that has combined the worse features of the conservative philosophy of minimizing collective action. Is it any surprise to see the virus continuing to escalate in Southern states while the states in the Northeast that were first impacted by the virus have the lowest levels of the virus. New York's dramatic shutdown is unlike any of the Southern states' responses to the virus. The adherence to a strong conservative philosophy of individual rights in the time of a pandemic will involve sacrificing human life rather than modify that philosophy.
The map above shows in pink the countries where US citizens can't travel. The Trump Administration's handling of the COVID-19 virus has caused the US to be walled off from the rest of the world. Let that sink in. As US citizens we are seen as a threat to the health of most citizens of the world. Maybe it is time to not call this the China Virus but the Trump Virus. Obama got a health care program that expanded health care for US citizens named after him and Trump should get a virus named after him for getting us banned by most of the rest of the world.
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Notice that one place we can travel is Mexico. Maybe they will have to fund a wall keeping us out too.
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I have been signing up for emails from the Trump campaign just to see what they are sending out to their supporters asking for money. Interestingly the emails come from a wide range of the Trump family and not just Trump. I have not contributed any money but as the info below wants me to know that I have a very special place in his supports. Do supporters really believe they are the only first Trump Patriot of the Week? Do they really think Trump actually chose them personally? The deceitfulness of their money appeals shows they think their supporters are so naive that they can be fooled into making a contribution.
CONGRATULATIONS! DUANE IS THE TRUMP PATRIOT OF THE WEEK!
On this status update Sunday, Howard County has a positivity rate of 3.51%, notably still below 5%, with a 7-day average daily case rate of 41. Our hospitalizations are also still low, with 13 COVID-19 patients in the ICU and acute care.
We have now tested 15.8% of our population and reached the highest daily average number of tests at 1,517, with 10,622 tests administered last week – a 33% increase over the previous week. This is the third week in a row we’ve exceeded our HoCo RISE goal of 6,500 tests per week.
As of yesterday, the average age of new daily confirmed cases is 32. As we noted last week, the increase in younger COVID-19 patients is concerning, and households should still be cautious. If you have been around people outside of your household - including extended family, going to work, or have traveled anywhere recently, please take the time to get tested this week. To date, twice as many people 36 and over are being tested compared to those 35 and under. As we continue to increase testing frequency, we will be able to track and isolate the virus more effectively.
With the Governor's latest masking-order and our continued vigilance, we can prevent a large outbreak and keep our community safe.
