@jessi1978 and @suspira I agree that it is wholly in his character and in the past behavior of the GOP to use this pandemic both for financial gain and to hold on to their power.
absolutely - I'm wondering if any of you psychics etc. can give us some predictions as time goes on.
@suspira44. We have already made quite a few predictions about the election. One that stands out that I felt during our 11.11. 19 reading as well as several others also felt here was that there would be an interruption in the election. If you check the 11.11.19 predictions for November 2020 you will see it.
@polarberry I did not see the stock market ceasing to exist. In fact I saw it trying to rally in 2022 and 2023 and an understanding that the bottom had been reached around 2021 and coming back in full in 2028. Those dates can change over time. But I never saw it ceasing to exist.
@jeanne-mayell several in the press have commented on this question (i.e. what happens if he cancels the election?) and according to the law, he cannot unilaterally make that decision. The new congress *has* to be sworn in on January 3rd, and the new president's term on January 20th. No matter what, he and Pence have to cede power in January, 2021.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/us/politics/election-postponed-canceled.html
I just heard on CNN that the governor of Ohio is closing the polls using the coronavirus issue as justification. I am very concerned about the precedent that this establishes and the great potential for abuse in the general election, not just the primaries. I very definitely do not trust politicians who have a stake in the outcome of elections to make such decisions. I worry that millions of Americans won't see the elections as legitimate if there are any very unusual poll closures which is now occurring in Ohio.
Interesting article by Politico. To sum this article T team was unwilling to work with Obama administration. They learned nothing and here we are today.
Seven days before Donald Trump took office, his aides faced a major test: the rapid, global spread of a dangerous virus in cities like London and Seoul, one serious enough that some countries were imposing travel bans.
In a sober briefing, Trump’s incoming team learned that the disease was an emerging pandemic — a strain of novel influenza known as H9N2 — and that health systems were crashing in Asia, overwhelmed by the demand.
The briefing was intended to hammer home a new, terrifying reality facing the Trump administration, and the incoming president’s responsibility to protect Americans amid a crisis. But unlike the coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the globe, this 2017 crisis didn’t really happen — it was among a handful of scenarios presented to Trump’s top aides as part of a legally required transition exercise with members of the outgoing administration of Barack Obama.
And in the words of several attendees, the atmosphere was “weird” at best, chilly at worst.
POLITICO obtained documents from the meeting and spoke with more than a dozen attendees to help provide the most detailed reconstruction of the closed-door session yet. It was perhaps the most concrete and visible transition exercise that dealt with the possibility of pandemics, and top officials from both sides — whether they wanted to be there or not — were forced to confront a whole-of-government response to a crisis. The Trump team was told it could face specific challenges, such as shortages of ventilators, anti-viral drugs and other medical essentials, and that having a coordinated, unified national response was “paramount” — warnings that seem eerily prescient given the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
But roughly two-thirds of the Trump representatives in that room are no longer serving in the administration. That extraordinary turnover in the months and years that followed is likely one reason his administration has struggled to handle the very real pandemic it faces now, former Obama administration officials said.
..
None of the sources argued that one meeting three years ago could have dramatically altered events today. But Obama aides say the Trump administration’s fumbling of the coronavirus outbreak is partly rooted in how unprepared — and in some cases unwilling — it was to engage in transition exercises at all in late 2016 and early 2017.
i totally understand your concerns and we are fearful about Republican interference in elections. However, I think Gov. DeWine’s attempt to close the polls is just one more step In his aggressive, proactive attempt to slow the spread of the Coronavirus in Ohio. Relying on medical experts, DeWine moved much more swiftly than the federal government in shutting down schools, restaurants, bars, and he began cancelling large events very early on. Members of my family live there and their businesses are hurt by these actions. However, I think there’s an understanding that DeWine is trying to save lives and protect healthcare providers and facilities.
@jeanne-mayell several in the press have commented on this question (i.e. what happens if he cancels the election?) and according to the law, he cannot unilaterally make that decision. The new congress *has* to be sworn in on January 3rd, and the new president's term on January 20th. No matter what, he and Pence have to cede power in January, 2021.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/us/politics/election-postponed-canceled.html
Here's the counter-argument: Alarming Scope of Presidential Emergency Powers
Spoiler alert: As soon as the WH resident declares a National Emergency (which I believe has already happened?), he can institute martial law and gains numerous powers, including "postponing" elections.
Excerpt: "Unknown to most Americans, a parallel legal regime allows the president to sidestep many of the constraints that normally apply. The moment the president declares a “national emergency”—a decision that is entirely within his discretion—more than 100 special provisions become available to him. While many of these tee up reasonable responses to genuine emergencies, some appear dangerously suited to a leader bent on amassing or retaining power. For instance, the president can, with the flick of his pen, activate laws allowing him to shut down many kinds of electronic communications inside the United States or freeze Americans’ bank accounts. Other powers are available even without a declaration of emergency, including laws that allow the president to deploy troops inside the country to subdue domestic unrest."
@laura-f with humour ( I hope ) luckily the Atlantic article, which was very good and detailed, is also way too long for anyone in the WH to read, let alone understand. I suspect as covid-19 progresses, senators will face increasing pressure on any WH shenanigans. The incompetence, of course, costing lives.
This could create a situation where any hope of survival causes enough GOP in the house and senate to go for a presidential veto override. It could explain the Blue Wins, Red Wins.
I also note @Bluebelle saw people would be worried about jobs and the economy, that she felt relief. Last June Covid 19 wasn't even on the horizon.
I also remember there was a post, I believe in the older predictions, that a TV news station would find itself SOL from its sloppiness. Maybe this all comes full circle, Fox's hypocritical and repugnant behaviour becoming so obvious to their own viewers, that the caveat that came with the prediction is seen to be aimed at the people in power, who would not suspect it. Again, Covid 19 may well be what triggers this.
Food for thought, predictions of that nature are usually warnings to those in power.
A comment on the primary election voting, here in KY ours has been postponed until the end of June from May. I think we might see more states going to write in paper ballots which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
a funny side note for the day. Ol MoscowMitch is calling on Amy McGraft to quit showing her campaign ads during this trying time of national emergency. I saw this on twitter and clicked on the comments to see the reactions. People are calling him out and burning him bad. Plus many people after seeing this are donating to her campaign. I like her and have donated to her whenever I can. Her ads are truthful! Boohoo poor Mitch.
This is a very sharp double edged sword. Both sides are right here. The polls should be closed to avoid spread and flatten the curve. That is a no brainers. We need to develop another way to vote remotely, or at the very least, spread out the people voting. On the other side, this is a HUGE advantage for Trump and I think someone told him that, thus the change in stance. He can invoke martial law, close the polls to elongate his tenure as President, and use this fully to his advantage. There is no right answer here but in my opinion, I'd rather have more of Trump and be alive to tell about it than have 1/3 of the population dead and a new President. We have no good choice in this matter so its gotta be the lesser of the 2 evils here
There is no reason that they can’t vote by mail. It might take a little time to get it set up. I always have to vote by mail with an absentee ballot since I live in a different country. They should be able to figure it out. It seems like it has become more popular over time in any case. I thought that in Washington they only voted in the primaries by mail. Is that correct, @Bluebelle?
So, I've been looking for one specific event during this time frame, like his horns breaking through the tangerine tarp he calls skin, maybe during one of his stupid speeches, but now I think we are seeing the March, April, May unraveling predictions happening more as a group event. The virus, the stock market, his obvious bumbling incompetence-more, still not enough, but more, people are finally seeing the buffoon behind the curtain.
All voting is done by mail here and in Oregon, too. It's such a no brainer, I don't know why all states don't get set up and do this. A few weeks before the election, you get a voter's pamphlet that describes every issue on the ballot and all ballot candidates are listed with profiles and platforms. Then you get a ballot by mail separately and have several weeks to fill it out and submit by election date at the latest. Plus it's nice that there is a paper trail....
I was just reading up on the possibility of the President postponing elections in a national emergency. He can't do it. Congress however can give him the power to do it. There's quite a bit written about this if you google. Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt he'll try to do it and say there wasn't enough time to campaign etc.
@mas1581 I know there is a lot of hype about how deadly the coronavirus is. However the vast majority of people who contract the virus will make it without dying or becoming seriously ill. This of course is no consolation to the 1 or 2 percent of exposed people who will die. I do not expect to die or become seriously ill even if I get exposed. One big concern I have is the devastating economic consequences of all the shutdowns. Millions of Americans are losing vital paychecks because of all the shutdowns. I would like to see more attention focused on building up people's immune systems so they can successfully fend off serious illness when they do get exposed.
You can't identify most of the carriers because symptoms often don't show up for weeks after exposure. There is no practical way to eliminate the risk of exposure. All you have to do is drive up to the grocery store and hand the clerk some money. You are already taking the risk of exposure right there. When you pick up the daily mail it might be contaminated with germs from the mailman who put it into your box.
@jeanne-mayell Regarding the November elections, I see that the elections will still be held, leading to a blue wave. What kind of voting disruptions can we expect in the coming months? I still see Trump losing.
@suspira44, about T postponing the Presidential election -- do you recall where you read that? I'm asking because a couple of us, myself included, have felt that. A couple of scenarios, actually. Some of us imagined/sensed that Presidential responsibility being temporarily shared (Dem/Rep) -- but that the Mad King wouldn't be part of it.