Meme Of The Day
Trump Says Vaccine Could Be Ready By Election Day, Experts Disagree
Donald Trump (screen capture)
When asked on Geraldo Rivera’s radio show if a vaccine could be ready by Nov. 3, Trump said, “I think in some cases, yes, possible before, but right around that time.”
“We have great companies, great. These are the greatest companies of the world,” Trump said. “And the rest of the world is also doing vaccines, so let’s see how they do. I’m all for them, whoever comes up with them.”
Experts say the development, testing and production of a vaccine for the public is still months away, and it would take a medical miracle for one to be available this year, much less before Election Day.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases official, said in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday that vaccine doses could be available in 2021, a more sober timeline than Trump offered.
Two-Thirds Of Americans Oppose Delaying Presidential Election
L-R President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden
Two-thirds of registered American voters oppose delaying the Nov. 3 presidential election due to the coronavirus pandemic, and more than half think President Donald Trump floated the idea of postponing it last week to help himself politically, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling released on Wednesday.
The national public opinion poll was conducted from July 31 to Aug. 4, shortly after Trump said without providing evidence that a surge in mail-in voting would lead to widespread voter fraud and suggested the election be delayed.
The idea was immediately rejected by Democrats and Republicans in Congress, who have sole authority to change the election date.
Most Americans also rejected the suggestion. The poll showed 66% of registered voters oppose postponing the November vote, including 8 out of 10 Democrats and 5 in 10 Republicans.
Another 23% of registered voters – mostly Republicans – supported an election delay and 11% said they were not sure.
Congressional Republicans Push Back On Trump’s Call To Delay Election
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Hours after Trump’s tweet, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) assured a Kentucky news station that the government would make sure the election takes place on Nov. 3.
“Never in the history of the country, through wars and depressions and the Civil War, have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time, and we’ll find a way to do that again this November third,” McConnell told WNKY-TV.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) assured reporters that the law was clear about the election date.
“All these things are pretty well set and have been going on for decades,” Grassley said. “So we are a country based on the rule of law, so nobody is going to change anything until we change the law.”
When asked whether Trump’s suggestion on Twitter was appropriate, Grassley said: “It doesn’t matter what an individual in this country says; we still are a country based on the rule of law.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) pointed out that the U.S. has never missed an election.
“Never in the history of federal elections have we ever not held an election, and we should go forward with our election,” he said.
JUST IN: Here is the @senatemajldr’s response to the question about changing the date of the election. @wnkytv @NBCNews @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/Z0nWrsoktl
— Max Winitz (@MaxWinitz) July 30, 2020
Trump Floats Delaying 2020 Election, Dems & GOP Say ‘No’
Donald Trump during a White House press briefing (public domain)
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
Only Congress can delay the election, and we won’t be doing it just so a fascist can preserve his power. https://t.co/2ngg0NgitD
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) July 30, 2020
Trump mailed in a ballot in 2017. He voted by mail in 2018. And voted for himself by mail in 2020. If vote-by-mail is safe enough for the president, it’s safe enough for the American people.
— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) July 30, 2020
Sen. Ted Cruz said: “Election fraud is a serious problem we need to stop it and fight it, but no the election should not be delayed.” Sen. Marco Rubio said of Trump tweet: “I wish he hadn’t said that, but it’s not going to change: We are going to have an election in Novembe”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 30, 2020
and there it is, ladies and gents: the Deteriorating Dictator Wanna-Be is calling for postponing the election. color me unsurprised
— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) July 30, 2020
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
News Round-Up: July 27, 2020
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: Actors Max Parker and Kris Mochrie, who play brothers Luke and Lee Posner on the hit British soap Emmerdale, are dating. Oh, the scandal of it all! The couple posted the photo above with the caption, “London lads lazily lounging.” Continue reading “News Round-Up: July 27, 2020”
Nate Silver: Voters Shouldn’t Become Complacent Because ‘To Many Unknowns’
Why shouldn’t voters become complacent reading about “this poll” or “that poll” leading up to the 2020 presidential election? Too many unknowns. Statistician Nate Silver: “A lot could change in the next 100 days. Things could get worse for the president. But a turnaround in the COVID situation in the fall could make the election more competitive.”
.@NateSilver538 says “I do not buy that Trump’s fate is sealed” from COVID.
“A lot could change in the next 100 days. Things could get worse for the president. But a turnaround in the COVID situation in the fall could make the election more competitive.” https://t.co/CEC06V3sml pic.twitter.com/E7m1oQUUEO — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 26, 2020
HRC & Billy Porter: Protest + Vote = Change
LGBTQ civil rights group, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), teamed up with Grammy® /Emmy®/Tony® award-winning actor, singer and activist Billy Porter to release this inspiring video encouraging people to vote as the nation is now j 100 days until the 2020 election. The video pairs Porter’s new cover of the iconic protest song, “For What It’s Worth,” with sound bites from HRC President Alphonso David’s speech at HRC’s 2019 National Dinner. Utilizing images of protest past and present, the video notes that both protest and voting are necessary to create change. Originally written by Stephen Stills in 1966 at the height of the civil rights movement, “For What It’s Worth” is as relevant today as when it was first released. Says Porter: “In pairing the song with Alphonso’s prophetic words about the power of seeing beyond yourself, this new video shares an important message for 2020: keep protesting, but also remember the sacrifices that have been made for our right to vote, and get yourself to the ballot box too.”
Cook Political Report Moves Florida To ‘Leans Democratic’ Column
The Cook Political Report, considered one of the most accurate data/poll crunchers out there, has updated its electoral college outlook, most significantly moving Florida from Toss-up status to Leans Democratic. We’ve come to think of the Sunshine State as a 50/50 proposition since the winner of the state hasn’t carried it by more than 5 points since 2000. And in four of the last five presidential elections, the race was decided by 3 points or less. But the most recent poll, via Quinnipiac University, shows former Vice President Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by 13 points – 51% to 38%. Quinnipiac’s final 2016 Florida poll showed a dead heat; Trump came out on top by less than 2 points. In fact, the Real Clear Politics average of Florida polls puts Biden 7 points ahead of the Donald. It’s worth noting that a victory for Trump without Florida becomes extremely difficult. Read more from The Cook Political Report’s current perspective here. 
(via Cook Political Report)
News Round-Up: July 23, 2020
Ellen DeGeneres (image via Depositphotos)
• NBC News: Donald Trump finally succumbed to the writing on the COVID-19 wall and has canceled his huge, in-person Republican convention in Jacksonville, Florida. The Republican National Party will still hold virtual events, and the Trumpster will still get to give his acceptance speech. • USA Today: The Senate overwhelmingly passed a massive defense bill Thursday afternoon that includes the removal of Confederate names from army bases and creates a possible showdown between Congress and President Donald Trump, who opposes renaming the bases. The bill passed by a lopsided count of 86 to 14, well over the number required to override a presidential veto. • The Hill: Donald Trump whined today about an ad released by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden that featured former President Obama saying the U.S. is not dealing with the coronavirus pandemic as “smartly” as other countries with similar resources. The conservative anti-Trump group, The Lincoln Project, trolled back asking Trump to identify an elephant in reference to the Donald’s constant preening about passing a dementia test.
What is this: 🐘
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 23, 2020