Let's fire Trump

Then don't use that as a source for accurate information.

This IS a free country, your mileage may vary.

We're closing in on American military deaths from all causes for the Great War, we're already well past the total number killed directly in combat. But give Plump time, he wants to beat the record for the Second World War.

By which standards?

Fox?

Breitbart?

Yes, I'm sure if "I" posted there, I'd be censored. So, AGAIN, what is the ******* issue????

The virus is not Trump's fault. End of story.

When I lived in rural Nebraska as well as in Arizona, Iowa and now in Texas, when ever I hear of a back road single fatality roll over accident its pretty clear what happened - the vehicle went off the road and ejected the driver/passenger, if it went off on the passenger side it rolled over the driver. If it went off on the driver side, the passenger got ejected and rolled over. If there was no death, there was no passenger. And belts were not used because they were driving slow. And someone died. If they were wearing belts, there were no injuries. I bet there there were two or three of these a year in the small towns I was am/in.

True, the virus is not Trump's fault. His response is.

By the standards big tech has set and they are decisively Leftist. What do you think I have been talking about. Fox or Breitbart have nothing to do with it except what they say might be censored.

You do not manipulate the message, they do. You just repeat them. The issue is this virus crap is overblown and those that dispute the way things are being handled or the scientific conclusions are silenced or ridiculed.

Many of the opposing opinions have as much science on their side as the so called experts do. Apparently they do not want you to hear them because they make sense, and in a fearmongering panic sense is the last thing we need.

A Hell of a lot better than Cuomo's and the other governors that sent Covid 19 patients to nursing homes. That caused a lot of deaths. That was in their hands, not Trump's.

Oh come on, big boy.

Wearing a mask and standing six feet apart isn't that hard to do, regardless of who's telling you to do it. Carrying a gun, refusing to do a simple task and creating havoc seems to be the rightest message.

Who is creating panic?

YOU.

Blue state governors by extending the lockdowns, the media for saying it is science when it is not, and the Democratic party because they will not be happy until this is a third world country.

**** off.

There's plenty of Republican Governors that did and DO the exact same thing.

Explain THAT.

He'll top it by June 1.

Prove it. And make sure it is plenty.

There have no insults in my posts discussing this matter. You have an issue?

Republican governors buck Trump and stick with social distancing
"You can’t put a timeframe on saving people’s lives," said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

By BRIANNA EHLEY 03/25/2020 12:30 PM EDT Updated: 03/25/2020 04:49 PM EDT

Republican governors are following the advice of public health experts and embracing coronavirus lockdowns and business closings despite President Donald Trump's push to reopen parts of the country by Easter.

Trump's press to scrap social distancing in all but the most virus-ravaged areas — and statements implying the fight to contain the disease have turned a corner — have rankled some GOP governors consumed with efforts to contain transmission and ease the burden on stressed local health systems.

"You can’t put a timeframe on saving people’s lives. We’re going to make decisions based on the scientists and the facts," Maryland's Larry Hogan, chairman of the National Governors Association, said on Wednesday.

Hogan's frustration burst into the open Tuesday, when he blasted Trump during a CNN interview for sending "pretty confusing" messages on the virus that don't sync up with the experience on the ground.

“Most people think we’re weeks away from the peak, if not months. That’s the advice we’re getting from the smart folks at Johns Hopkins, the National Institutes of Health, the University of Maryland, places like that,” Hogan said.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday said his state isn't expected to experience peak infections until May 1. "The only way we slow it down is with physical/social distancing," he wrote on Twitter.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who presides over a state Trump won with more than 68 percent of the vote, on Monday ordered residents to stay home after the confirmation of the first case of community transmission, in a nursing home. Justice ordered the state’s National Guard to test everyone at the facility in a bid to control further transmission.

Such moves are more than a display of independence. Governors traditionally have the final say in public health crises and can declare emergencies to speed a response. New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo twice in the last decade temporarily suspended state laws and regulations to administer shots to children during season flu outbreaks. Pennsylvania Democrat Tom Wolf used similar powers to respond to the opioid crisis in his state in 2018.

In the case of coronavirus, Trump's optimistic statements have been at odds with the assessments of top scientists and doctors, as well as administration officials such as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, who've predicted a formidable battle that could last into the summer.

Officials from the World Health Organization warned Tuesday that the United States has the potential to become the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic based on the rapid uptick in confirmed cases.

Trump during a Tuesday evening appearance with members of his coronavirus task force suggested that social distancing may still apply to the hardest hit areas like New York state, which has reported over 30,000 cases as of Wednesday.

He said he will decide whether to extend nonbinding federal social distancing guidelines next Monday, 15 days after his administration first made the recommendations.

But Trump's suggestions that the nationwide fight may already be winding down were at odds with efforts in some Republican-led states that seem to be just starting to ramp up their mitigation strategies, with more lockdowns and stay-at-home orders on the way.

Hogan this week ordered all nonessential businesses in Maryland closed, saying people weren’t taking social distancing guidelines seriously enough. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp hasn’t gone as far as issuing a lockdown order, but on Monday announced the closure of bars and nightclubs and banned public gatherings of 10 or more people.

DeWine on Sunday issued a “shelter in place” order through April 6 for residents to stay in their homes for all but essential outings and closed nonessential businesses. Democratic-led states including California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey and New York have similar orders under effect.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, during a Tuesday press conference, signaled he may be open to issuing a sweeping statewide stay-at- home order, after the largest counties announced their own lockdowns.

Abbott’s lieutenant governor and close Trump ally Dan Patrick created a firestorm Monday night when he suggested he’s had conversations with older constituents who said they would rather die than see the economy destroyed by the coronavirus lockdowns.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another Trump ally, has steered a more independent course, resisting political pressure to issue a shelter-in-place order but saying he would restrict visitors coming into his state from hot spots including New York.

Public health experts are most concerned that lifting national guidelines could undermine local, state and federal efforts to flatten the curve of disease spread at a time when they still don't have a firm grip on who is sick and where.

“When you look at the country obviously no one is going to want to tone down things when you see what's going on in a place like New York City. I mean, that's just good public health practice and common sense,” NIH infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said during the Tuesday press briefing, with Trump standing nearby. Fauci added that when testing ramps up more across the country, officials will get a better idea of whether they will need to continue federal guidelines for the whole country or if the focus will need to be in only certain, hardest hit areas.

Officials in some outlying areas with comparatively few cases appear content to take a wait-and-see approach. South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem on Tuesday said that, based on models, her state doesn’t expect to reach peak infection rate for at least another eight weeks. She hasn’t ordered a statewide lockdown but has restricted business and hospital operations.

“Whatever decisions we make ... need to be sustained in the long term,” she said.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/25/republican-governors-trump-social-distancing-148428

CORONA 'COUP' Three Republicans among ’17 state governors’ forming coalitions to defy Trump over coronavirus

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11415526/coronavirus-midwest-coalition-east-west-trump-reopening/

Nicole Darrah, News Reporter

New York16 Apr 2020, 21:23Updated: 16 Apr 2020, 22:53

THREE Republican governors are among those who have formed regional coalitions to ease into social distancing restrictions and possibly lift stay-at-home orders.

The Midwest on Thursday announced their own coalition — in addition to one in the northeast and a “West Coast pact” — with seven states of their own, totaling 17 states across the U.S.
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People are shown here waiting in line to get food from the National Guard in Massachusetts amid the coronavirus crisis
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People are shown here waiting in line to get food from the National Guard in Massachusetts amid the coronavirus crisisCredit: AFP or licensors

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who said he’s “given up” on getting help from President Donald Trump, has been calling other governors to coordinate efforts.

States and Democratic governors included in the pact are Pritzer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

I'm proud to announce that Midwest governors will work in close coordination to reopen our economies in a way that protects families from the spread of COVID-19.

Thank you @GovWhitmer, @GovMikeDeWine, @GovEvers, @GovTimWalz, @GovHolcomb and @GovAndyBeshear for your partnership. pic.twitter.com/dSBeMOEgpq
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) April 16, 2020

Two Republican governors — Mike DeWine, of Ohio, and Eric Holcomb, of Indiana — are also part of the regional coalition.

“We are doing everything we can to protect the people of our states and slow the spread of COVID-19, and we are eager to work together to mitigate the economic crisis this virus has caused in our region,” the governors said in a statement.

“Here in the Midwest, we are bound by our commitment to our people and the community. We recognize that our economies are all reliant on each other, and we must work together to safely reopen them so hardworking people can get back to work and businesses can get back on their feet.”

The seven states said they will “closely examine” at least four things before reopening, including “sustained control” of the rate of new virus infections and hospitalizations.

Maryland governor criticizes Trump’s statements on coronavirus

Larry Hogan says Mike Pence is doing a better job of communicating what needs to be communicated.
Larry Hogan

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. | Brian Witte/AP Photo

By VICTORIA GUIDA

03/08/2020 10:57 AM EDT

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday criticized President Donald Trump’s communication around the coronavirus outbreak but praised Vice President Mike Pence and the rest of his team.

The Republican governor said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” it was a smart move to put Pence, a former governor of Indiana, in charge of the coronavirus response.

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“He's a former governor,” Hogan said. “He knows the governors are on the front lines. And he is doing, I think, a good job of coordinating everybody and communicating with us.

“Has the president been perfect in his communication? I would say he hasn't communicated the way I would and the way I might like him to,” he added. “But I think the rest of the team has been doing a pretty good job.”

Trump has made multiple statements regarding the outbreak that have been contradicted or clarified by officials in his administration, including assertions that the epidemic had already peaked. The president also claimed on Friday that “anyone who wants a test can get a test.”

Pence had acknowledged on Thursday that there weren’t enough tests “to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward,” and health officials on Saturday noted that a test must be prescribed by a doctor.

Surgeon General Jerome Adams said on CNN’s “State of the Union” he’d seen no indication that people who need tests can’t get them. He also said the U.S. would have the ability to test millions more people by the end of the week.

Trump also called Washington Gov. Jay Inslee “a snake” over his criticism of the president’s handling of the crisis. “I told Mike [Pence] not to be complimentary of that governor because that governor is a snake,” Trump said Friday.

Ohio’s G.O.P. Governor Splits From Trump, and Rises in Popularity

Mike DeWine, a low-key career politician, has followed health experts’ guidance as Ohio confronts the coronavirus. His constituents are overwhelmingly appreciative.

By Trip Gabriel

Published April 28, 2020
Updated April 29, 2020

For 40 years, Mike DeWine rose steadily if blandly up the ladder of Ohio politics, finally landing his dream job as governor. He took office last year as a familiar figure in the state, not because of any indelible political identity, but because, at 72, he had been around forever.
2020 Election
Follow live results from the 2020 Ohio primary election.

But the coronavirus crisis has made Mr. DeWine something that decades in elected offices never did: a household name. A Republican, he took early and bold actions to lock down his state, even as the head of his party, President Trump, dismissed the threat of the pandemic.



Mr. DeWine’s decisiveness — closing schools before any governor in the country, postponing the state’s March 17 primary election to protect voters — sent his popularity soaring. The folksy governor, previously best known for an annual ice cream social at his rural home, became something of a cult figure on social media. Ohioans tuned into his five-day-a-week briefings to celebrate “Wine With DeWine,” a ritual whose motto is “It’s 2 o’clock somewhere.”

Now, Mr. DeWine is charting a way out of the shutdown, taking cautious steps while facing pressure from business leaders, conservative activists and some Republican lawmakers who vociferously question the economic costs of a state in quarantine.

Seven weeks into the crisis, Mr. DeWine is being guided by health experts while avoiding partisan fissures over stay-at-home orders that have been encouraged by Mr. Trump, who hopes a rebounding economy will carry him to re-election. The Ohio governor is the rare Republican official who does not automatically fall in step with Mr. Trump, an independence he shares with two other Republican governors, Larry Hogan of Maryland and Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, both of whom lead solidly Democratic states where bipartisanship is needed to survive. Unlike them, Mr. DeWine has gone his own way in a red-hued state.

He also split decidedly with Mr. Trump by encouraging a nearly all-mail primary election on Tuesday. While the president has spread the false claim that voting by mail entails “a lot” of fraud, Mr. DeWine pushed universal absentee ballots for voters’ safety. Ohio’s secretary of state on Monday called the effort a success, with nearly 1.5 million mail ballots cast.

Mr. DeWine also relaxed stay-at-home orders on Monday, announcing that some nonessential businesses could begin to reopen, even as he imposed new restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

That is not a false claim. Mail in voting is the most susceptible to fraud. That is a fact.

From the liberal Bible the NYT.

False claim, my ass.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/04/24/28_million_mail-in_ballots_went_missing_in_last_four_elections_143033.html

Fact Check: Is Mail Ballot Fraud As Rampant As President Trump Says It Is?


Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest
By Amber McReynolds and Charles Stewart III, opinion contributors — 04/28/20 07:00 AM EDT
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The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill
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https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/494189-lets-put-the-vote-by-mail-fraud-myth-to-rest

Let's put the vote-by-mail 'fraud' myth to rest
© Getty Images

Widespread calls to conduct the 2020 elections by mail, to protect voters from COVID-19 exposure, are being met with charges that the system inevitably would lead to massive voter fraud. This is simply not true.

Vote fraud in the United States is exceedingly rare, with mailed ballots and otherwise. Over the past 20 years, about 250 million votes have been cast by a mail ballot nationally. The Heritage Foundation maintains an online database of election fraud cases in the United States and reports that there have been just over 1,200 cases of vote fraud of all forms, resulting in 1,100 criminal convictions, over the past 20 years. Of these, 204 involved the fraudulent use of absentee ballots; 143 resulted in criminal convictions.

Let’s put that data in perspective.

One hundred forty-three cases of fraud using mailed ballots over the course of 20 years comes out to seven to eight cases per year, nationally. It also means that across the 50 states, there has been an average of three cases per state over the 20-year span. That is just one case per state every six or seven years. We are talking about an occurrence that translates to about 0.00006 percent of total votes cast.

Oregon is the state that started mailing ballots to all voters in 2000 and has worked diligently to put in place stringent security measures, as well as strict punishments for those who would tamper with a mailed ballot. For that state, the following numbers apply: With well over 50 million ballots cast, there have been only two fraud cases verifiable enough to result in convictions for mail-ballot fraud in 20 years. That is 0.000004 percent — about five times less likely than getting hit by lightning in the United States.

This hardly seems like a world in which “thousands and thousands of people [are] sitting in somebody’s living room, signing ballots all over the place.”

We should make two things clear. First, there is no excuse for any type of voter or election fraud, by any method. States are justified in creating systems that are intended to deter and detect fraud, and for prosecuting it when discovered. All do.

Voting by mail presents challenges to the prevention of voter fraud that voting in person lacks. Most obviously, in-person voting occurs in public. A voter must announce their name out loud, and it is checked against the voter registration list. All states make provisions for some form of objectors, who can question the identity of the person at the check-in table, within the constraints of state law. Some states require a photo ID to be shown. Many states require the voter to sign a poll book. These and other procedures have been in place for a century-and-a-half, since the widespread election reforms of the 1880s and 1890s.

Second, no voting methodology is perfect. In-person voting has its own examples of fraud, however rare. It is also full of stories of missing power cords, missing keys, an inadequate number of ballots, machines that switched the voter’s intent, improper application of ID requirements, long lines and more. Nonetheless, in-person voting also has a role to play even in states that use the 100 percent mail-ballot election model.

As with in-person voting, states have methods to guard against fraudulently casting votes by mail too. Most have signature-matching requirements, either to scrutinize the application, the returned ballot, or both. We have seen this done effectively using a mix of human oversight and technology. Many states restrict who can return a ballot for a voter, or require those who return ballots on the behalf of others to identify themselves on the return envelope. Finally, the states with the most expansive vote-by-mail systems — such as Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington — send ballots to all registered voters and rely on the steady stream of mail between election offices and voters to keep the rolls clean, and to minimize the number of stray ballots that might be distributed

Expanding voting by mail will be a challenge in most states in 2020. Logistical and security issues will need to be reviewed to ensure that every registered voter can do so safely and effectively, and that no one votes more than once. But we reiterate: There is no evidence that mail-balloting results in rampant voter fraud, nor that election officials lack the knowledge about how to protect against abuses.

Amber McReynolds is CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute. She formerly was the director of elections for Denver, where she helped to design and implement Colorado’s vote-at-home system. Follow her on Twitter @AmberMcReynolds.

Charles Stewart III is the Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Political Science at MIT, the director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, and co-director of the Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project. Follow him on Twitter @cstewartiii.

Democrats have disregarded the rule of law, civil liberties, due process. What makes anyone think fraud would not be rampant in this election? They have no other way of getting rid of Trump.