Totally In Control by Nancy OhanianThursday, a new Gallup poll showed Trump's pandemic job approval collapsing-- down 6 points in a month. Yesterday, ABC News released a new poll by Ipsos filled with more bad news for Houdini. Americans, the poll confirming what you probably have already surmised, are feeling pessimistic. ABC News reported that "three in four Americans think they will be able to resume their regular routine by the end of the summer, which is down from 84% who said the same in an ABC News/Ipsos poll released on April 3. In the newest poll, two-thirds of Democrats (66%) and an overwhelming 93% of Republicans view the end of the summer as the timeframe for a return to normal."The Republican death cult is still adamant about infected normal people. In L.A. it's mandatory to wear a mask when entering a store. People without masks are-- to put it mildly-- shunned. I have seen two get beaten up, one seriously. But in Republican hell-holes people still don't wear masks. The poll also showed that Trump's handling of the crisis has a majority of Americans disapproving-- 54%, to just 44% who think he's doing an adequate job.You've probably heard about how religionist hecklers have refused to allow the pandemic to interfere with their cash streams and have insisted on continuing to rob their followers. On Thursday, Elizabeth Williamson reported on the results of the Jerry Falwell scam at Liberty "University," luring students back to campus to be infected. His campus is now a hot bed of contagion. In the last 2 weeks, over 70 in the community have caught it and they've had their first death. "[A] Liberty student on Monday filed a class-action lawsuit in a federal court in Virginia, saying that Liberty and Mr. Falwell had 'placed students at severe physical risk and refused to refund thousands of dollars in fees owed to them for the Spring 2020 semester,' according to a statement from the law firm filing the suit."Falwell told an unabashed Trumpist radio host, John Fredericks, that the media is behind the whole thing and that they "just want power, they’re authoritarian, they’re like nothing I’ve seen since, if you go back in history, to Nazi Germany. That’s what they remind me of." He's trying to have reporters arrested by campus security guards and threatening law suits.Another member of the GOP death cult, satanic "pastor" Tony Spell of Baton Rouge has insisted on large church gatherings and has spread COVID-19 among the poor suckers who take him seriously. One parishioner died.
News of the death comes hours after a lawyer representing Spell and the church in an expected legal fight over the state's social distancing restrictions on churches confirmed he had been hospitalized and was on oxygen after contracting the virus.The lawyer, Jeff Wittenbrink, attended two events at Life Tabernacle Church-- an April 2 news conference and an April 5 church service, and has been at Baton Rouge General since Tuesday after progressively worsening conditions, including a high fever and persistent cough, he said....Spell's fight against the order, along with a handful of other religious leaders nationally against similar restrictions, has attracted worldwide attention. He has been charged with six misdemeanor counts of violating Edwards' orders.Spell, who has faced criticism over his stand, has made several provocative comments about the virus and the resulting controversy, including telling TMZ that true Christians do not mind dying from the virus but from "fear living in fear, cowardice of their convictions."While many houses of worship have converted to online services, Spell maintains that in-person services are essential to his congregation's faith and financial well-being.
Charlie Cook mused about what would be the deciding factor for voters in November. Unless it's a referendum on Biden, Trump will have virtually no chance at reelection. "When incumbent presidents run for reelection, it is normally a referendum on that incumbent. If that turns out to be the case again this time, what specific aspect of the Trump presidency will be judged-- voter’s personal views of President Trump, or more broadly whether Americans want to renew his contract for another four years? Or will it be purely about his handling of the coronavirus crisis? Will it be about Trump’s stewardship over the economy, and if so, about his first three years in office, or where it is for all of 2020, or just where it is over the past 60 or 90 days before the Nov. 3 election? Or could it be about something else, either involving Trump or the now-presumptive nominee, Joe Biden?"One thing is certain, Trump's inept, deceitful, dysfunctional and failed handling of the pandemic won't be helping GOP election efforts this year. "The pandemic, which has killed more than 30,000 Americans and left millions out of work," wrote Jonathan Lemire for AP, "has eviscerated Trump’s hope to run for reelection on a strong economy. A series of states he won in 2016 could tilt toward Democrats. In Florida, a Republican governor closely aligned with Trump has come under scrutiny for being slow to close the state. In Wisconsin, the Democratic victor in last week’s Supreme Court race captured 28 counties, up from the 12 that Hillary Clinton won four years ago. In Michigan, a Democratic governor has seen her approval rating rise against the backdrop of a fight with Trump. And in Arizona, low marks for Trump could be enough to turn the formerly Republican stronghold into a tossup."In southwest Michigan, a knee-jerk Trump ally, Fred Upton, is known as a 100% Trump enabler. Upton's challenger this year is progressive state Rep Jon Hoadley. I asked him if Trump is turning out to be an anchor around the incumbent's neck. "Gov. Whitmer is doing the right thing by listening to scientists and public health experts to keep Michiganders safe," he told me last night. "Unfortunately, Congressman Upton is parroting President Trump and advocating for a rushed reopening that puts the health and safety of our communities at risk. When you need to fix your car, you go to a mechanic. When you’re sick, you go to a doctor. When we’re in a public health crisis, you should listen to scientists and public health experts. Voters across Southwest Michigan will remember Rep. Upton was following the lead of President Trump who called our global pandemic 'a hoax' instead of looking out for us.
