biden... what a leader! look at how he's defining a new vision for america.... w/ silence... during a pandemic.... while our leader self-combusts nightly... and our society melts down. so inspiring! looking forward to all of the nothing he's going to do if he's elected.

also, i think you've misinterpreted the data in the final link. the inference isn't that people are dying of things other than coronavirus at much higher rates. the inference is that we are undercounting coronavirus deaths.

@2 eh, i guess it is both. my apologies for being hasty.

At the moment Biden is being smart, in a political sense anyway, sit back and watch tRump destroy himself.

Right now one of the biggest risks is that tRump ill get us into a war, he's trying to provoke both China and Iran

" Boeing lost $641 million"

But when Shawarma Sawant nationalizes them and starts making "People's Buses" just watch those numbers turn around!

I mean, Tupac's filing an unemployment absolutely IS pretty objectively funny.

Nothing about the Irish Times Op-Ed about how sad and pathetic our country is?

Donald Trump Has Destroyed the Country He Promised to Make Great Again:

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-donald-trump-has-destroyed-the-country-he-promised-to-make-great-again-1.4235928?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fopinion%2Ffintan-o-toole-donald-trump-has-destroyed-the-country-he-promised-to-make-great-again-1.4235928

Devastating Opinion Piece in Irish Times: US has lost its leadership, is object of pity not envy:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/4/28/1941225/-Devastating-Opinion-Piece-in-Irish-Times-US-has-lost-its-leadership-is-object-of-pity-not-envy?utm_campaign=recent

"I'll admit it. I did try and fuck her, she was married."

"I moved on her like a bitch."

"she's now got the big phony tits and everything."

"I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything."

"Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."

-Joe Biden

/good news/

A wonderful profile of Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s PM. Truly a portrait of the intelligent, courageous leadership that we all need right now.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/04/jacinda-ardern-new-zealand-leadership-coronavirus/610237/

@4,

Agreed. Every time Trump opens his mouth he makes as compelling a case for his ouster as Biden possibly could by way of issuing any sort of statement, or whatever it is those folks criticizing him think he should be doing. And honestly, what's he gonna say that's not blatantly obvious to any living creature with a couple functioning neurons in their noggin? The President is a racist, brain dead asshole whose actions have killed countless people unnecessarily? Don't inject disinfectant into your lungs? Be like issuing a statement to announce the sky is blue.

You know what the real Object of Pity is?

Pathetic insecure American'ts who give a flying fuck what foreigners; especially Europeans, think about our country...

'Oh No! They don't like us......'

True Leadership doesn't look over its shoulders to see what the losers bringing up the rear think.

Frankly, the Tara story gives us the first smattering of respect for senile Joe;
at least he had good taste back in the day.

@ 13,

Apparently, 40% of the country needs to be told not to drink bleach, since it will cause certain death. The number of deranged, cruel, malevolently stupid people that continue to go along with and support Prezirapist AntiChrist is the worst aspect of this whole, nation-ruining freak show. The French shaved the heads of the Nazi collaborators, so that the public would be able to easily identify their enemies. The greedy, sadistic GOPnazi traitors deserve so much more.

@13: It's fun to trash Trumpists, but no, 40% of Americans DO NOT thinks it's ok to drink bleach.

Be careful, otherwise your gullibility is looking worse than your average Trump voter.

https://reason.com/2020/04/28/the-myth-of-the-bleach-drinking-masses/

*@17 => @16

I just want a president that won’t put kids in kennels and won’t go to to court to argue he doesn’t have to give them soap while they die from the flu.
Who new the only way for this country to be great was to keep kids locked up. Maybe we can at least get back to a time when we locked them in factories so they could die a fiery death when the machinery catches fire.

"while they die from the flu. "

2 kids died of the flu in detention out of 69,550 held. Seems like it's statistically safer in US immigration detention than, say, Guatemala.

Agreed, I'm not letting Donald off the hook. I just take issue with needlessly tossing out fictitious percentages.

Maybe I shouldn't let it annoy me. I'd hate to dampen OA's passion and creative commentary.

Trump loves to call other places shit holes (and to call places he hates in this country shit holes) and yet he has turned this country into a national and international shit hole.

Since 2016, U.S. Suffers Greatest Global Decline in Trust
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2020-01-15/us-trustworthiness-rating-dives-in-2020-best-countries-report

How Trump Is Ending the American Era
For all the visible damage the president has done to the nation’s global standing, things are much worse below the surface.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/10/is-trump-ending-the-american-era/537888/

Under Trump, America's Global Standing at Record Low
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/07/01/under-trump-americas-global-standing-record-low

America's global reputation will take 'years to repair' from the Trump era, experts warn
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-global-standing-will-take-years-to-repair-from-trump-2018-7

@7: You are correct, however it's not the election yet, Biden has plenty of time to stomp tRump, for now just let the idiot stomp himself.

There is always a lag time between when a candidate has it wrapped up and the convention. During that time, the press generally pays little attention to what they say. While candidates may have rallies, it is a time when they generally "rest up", and prepare for the general election campaign. This year, of course, things are weird, in that Biden can't have a rally even if he wants it. He can have press conferences (which he has) and other things of that nature, but don't except the press to get too excited about them. He gave one last week, and it wasn't exactly headline news.

The rape allegation (which is old, but has new information) could make things different. At some point he will have to answer questions about it. My guess is he will just repeat the talking point (he didn't do it).

The allegations are very serious, brutal and specific. This is not like him being a bit too "touchy-feely". That is a very grey line that Biden probably stepped over, but not with malice in his heart, and not to the point where the victim would need counseling. This is different. This is go to jail for two years type shit. Generally speaking, assholes who do this sort of thing do it more than once. This makes it different than, say Ansari, who may have only crossed that line once (and it isn't clear he even crossed it). Even Kavanaugh may have only committed rape once (and been so drunk he didn't remember it). It is highly unlikely a guy did what Biden is accused of doing, and did that only once.

My guess is either Reede misremembered what happened, or someone else will come forward. It seems crazy to think that you could misremember something like that, but it happens (someone else might have done what Biden is accused of doing). It is possible that someone will come forward at the last second (an October surprise, similar to Trump's "grab the pussy" tape). But that tape was released by a Democrat, specifically to foil Trump's campaign. The difference is that is highly likely that if Biden did that to someone else, he did it to another Democrat, who would have every incentive to come forward sooner, rather than later.

I think there is a very good chance that either we have a brokered convention (and a virtual one at that) or this blows over well before the election.

Completely different topic: Did anyone else hear a jet (or something) fly over very loudly last night? I live in the Northgate/Lake City area and it was extremely loud and relatively short, like a fighter jet. I've heard them in the mountains when they do that (it can be startling as hell, especially if you are in the valley) but the only time I've heard anything similar in the city is when the Blue Angels are in town.

@26 Trump had fighter jets, including the Blue Angels, flying over cities like Seattle and New York yesterday. Because, you know, that's a great use of money and resources while the entire country is going through a horrific crisis.

It’s actually good that we keep kids in cages, only 2 of them got a cold and died. Great.

If this makes sense you need to have a word with yourself.

Interesting. 15% of all Boeing Aerospace jobs will be cut. But we knew this BEFORE COVID-19 - flight shaming is taking hold everywhere. Expect more.

On the plus side, very very accurate antibody tests are being rolled out, starting with first providers.

@31 Of course not, they're patriots giving their lives for the greater good. They'll just hire more assholes fired up to make people suffer.

I will say that there are states that still baffle me. Texas is a good example. They didn't respond very aggressively, yet they aren't doing that poorly. If you look at the overall density, they seem like Northern Italy (an area that got hit really bad). My guess is that when they finally look at this disease, they will put the response, and the corresponding deaths per capita in three categories:

1) Countries that did a good job in terms of testing and tracking. South Korea responded late (relative to local infections) and got hit really hard. But they turned things around quickly, and have fairly low death numbers (5 per million). Unlike much of the world, those numbers are also clearly going down. Testing and tracing is the obvious best way to deal with this crisis, which is why it is so frustrating that we don't have nearly enough testing in this country, and haven't made it a priority. Holy fuck, Trump puts more effort in building his fucking wall than getting us enough tests.

2) Countries (or regions) that reacted early, if not aggressively. This would include most of the U. S., but not New York. These are areas that have done OK, but are still much worse than world average. This includes a place like Georgia, with 102 deaths per million, more than Germany, Portugal and several countries that have been hard hit with the disease.

3) Countries (or regions) that responded late as well as surrounding areas. This is basically much of Italy and New York, as well as Spain, New Jersey, Connecticut. These places have been the hardest hit, despite taking drastic action to deal with the massive hospitalizations.

I will say that Sweden is a bit of a mix, as they have not responded aggressively, but did respond early (canceling major events and hoping people acted responsively). Sweden has been hit pretty hard (much harder than Norway or Finland) which suggests that while acting early is important, active aggressively is almost as important.

@34: This clamoring for testing and tracing is staring to look impractical. Reinfection can happen immediately and nullify negative test results. Tracing has legitimate and practical privacy concerns in our society. At some point we just have to let social distancing and other safety measures be the norm and get back to work.

I say this to my fellow "democrats", and I say this as respectively as I can knowing we're on the same team, but you NEED to get your head out of your ass if you think the smart strategy is to let Trump self-destruct while Biden and other democrats sit idly by.

I just can't figure out WTF is wrong with democrats who see the exact same thing play out year after year, decade after decade, still thinking that "America" at some point is going to "wake up" and figure it out.

NO, democrats have to be on the offensive... they have to attack, they have to set the narrative, they have to lead... they are HORRIBLE at this, and it's why they keep losing, even when they think they're winning.

@37: But they're not just sitting idly by. Biden's schedule is packed and his team is doing what they can because, of you know, that pandemic thing. You're just nostalgic for the rallies and marches.

Here's your friendly reminder that Biden is not the nominee and anyone with integrity (i.e., not tolerating rape) can demand he step down. The comparisons to Trump are a partisan distraction. Clean up your house, Dems, because I'm not voting for a rapist and you can bet I'll be recruiting others to my side.

Of course, the fact that he led the Senate effort to go to war in Iraq, killing nearly a million civilians, should also have stoked some fears in Dem voters, but alas... I'm setting my goalposts very low these days.

@37 I don't get it either. It's harder to get a group of extremely diverse people from all kinds of backgrounds to agree on something and at the same time the Democrats are deeply entrenched in the power/money/white supremacist triad in this country, despite the aforementioned diversity. Republicans are unified against everyone and everything they hate. They have proven they will literally allow their chosen leader to destroy the entire country rather than give up any power/money/white supremacy.

The Democrats are held to a higher standard of decency and humanity than Republicans ever are (hence Biden's current sexual assault accusation vs. Trump who is a known rapist, misogynist, wants to engage in incest with his daughter, self-avowed pussy grabber, who spews vile and hate filled derogatory commentary about any and all women other than his bought and paid for wife and his favorite daughter). Democrats are expected to be better and do better. The amount of better they actually have in them is better than the GOP will ever have, but the amount of better they actually have in them will never be the amount of better needed to bring about actual change, will never be progressive, and will never dismantle the power/money/white supremacist triad.

This country has made it abundantly clear what kind of country it is (same as it ever was) and that it will not change, ever. Trump's existence and the damage he's done are irreparable. Democrats just put up a front that this country is not the hate filled, rotting from the inside shit hole it is. Trump has chosen to not even bother pretending to a degree the Republicans rejected before, but they will never be able to pretend they didn't allow Trump in and enable him, support him, use him, and back his every move. The mask they allowed to be removed can never be put back on - and so the bar is set pretty low for Democrats since the facade they have to present is just not as horrifying as their opposition.

There is so much crazy shit out there about Tara Reade, I don't know what to believe (and I am someone who believes women need to be believed). I also believe Biden is a problem candidate - like Bernie he never should have ran - just another old white man who thinks he deserves to be POTUS just because.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/4/29/1941307/-The-evidence-you-need-to-see-regarding-Reade-and-Biden?utm_campaign=trending

No one here dares mentioning the funeral in NYC where hundreds of people gathered illegally, since any criticism of Jews or Israel will almost always be brushed off as "Antisemitism" regardless of the actual acts. Mayor De Blasio apologized for his earlier tweet suggesting people should abide the restrictions.

Would a Muslim funeral fare that well?

@43

"Look! Jews!" isn't a very compelling case.

@43: A far more pressing matter are the homeless residing in NYC subways, who are gathering most illegally, hampering essential workers getting to their jobs. It's disgusting, as the governor said.
.

@43 Mayor DeBlasio was right the first time. EVERYONE, no matter their religion, should be following the rules. I lived in that neighborhood for nearly 3 years when I lived in NYC. Fuck them. Why should they be allowed to gather and get people sick in the city where there are over 300,000 cases and nearly 24,000 deaths? EVERYONE should have to follow the rules and pretending that ANYONE be exempted from that because they are religious is 1000% bullshit. Meanwhile some old man asshole at the grocery store who didn't want to properly follow distancing rules got into it with my mom. It is ALL of the entitled assholes - whoever they are - whatever they look like - whoever they may be (MAGAts in red hats protesting in the streets, Jews holding a funeral, individuals tired of having to follow the same rules put in place for everyone) that will make this shit show go on and on and on longer and longer.

@36 - I think it is still unclear whether people are actually getting reinfected in the sense of producing more virus and being infectious. I've seen no reports of anyone having symptoms reappear after recovering (if anyone's heard of this please correct me). Based on what we know from many other diseases, it seems very likely that infection and recovery will give at least some immunity.

30
"Interesting. 15% of all Boeing Aerospace jobs will be cut. But we knew this BEFORE COVID-19 - flight shaming is taking hold everywhere. Expect more."

LOLZ "flight shaming"...hahahh, that's a hoot. Ya, that must have been the reason passenger flights were at an all time high prior to COVIC - must have been all that flight shaming going on.

You are a serious dolt Will....is it any wonder why nobody takes your shit seriously. Musta been the same reason you were removed as precinct chair.

@37,

If you were trying to be respectful of your fellow party members, you'd not feel it necessary to include those telling quotes around "democrats." You're right in that we're all on the same team; you're wrong if you think that there's one single strategy which needs to be employed in this fight simply because you say it does.

I agree that we should be heavily on the offensive and pushing our agenda at every opportunity. I'm doing so, and see many of my friends, co-workers and prominent politicians doing the same. And if our candidate were literally any other from the field save Biden, I'd say he or she should be doing so as well. Bernie, Castro, Harris, Warren, Booker, Klobuchar, Mayor Pete, even Steyer or Marianne fucking Williamson, would be laying into Trump on the regular and it'd be satisfying as all hell to watch.

Unfortunately, we didn't get any of those candidates. We got an 80 year-old gaffe prone centrist who was carrying around a hefty amount of baggage even prior to what's recently been made public. I'd fully expect him to become more visible in the coming weeks and months and I'll absolutely admit we're probably overdue for a scathing campaign ad that spells out just how horrifically Trump has handled the virus and the untold death and devastation his incompetence has wrought.

But to suggest there's no chance an increased presence on his part could conceivably backfire would seem brazenly naive. The rest of us though? Yeah, we need to fucking bring it.

(sorry if this came across as angry and/or defensive! I do wholeheartedly agree with much of your sentiment. Not the first time I've seen invocation of "democrats," as a method of questioning one's motives though and I'll freely admit to finding it annoying.)

@11: Was Abra Kadabra of Vietnamese ancestry? Was he ( yes: he) wearing any clothes with Communistic symbols?

@16 Original Andrew and @41 & @42 xina for the WIN!
@47 xina: I know. That really amazes me, too. NYC is the largest city in the U.S. with over 8 million people at risk. We need a vaccine for TRUMPVID-19, and fast.

Perhaps Biden's bidin' his time till the digital penetration shit blows over -- it's just what a Biden'd Do.

Let's hope he's got a Presidential Campaign in him, should he evade her and covid19.

It SUX not having some Heavy Hitting Dems out there, (figuratively) breaking skulls and trumpf-style lies, double-speak mis- and malinformation, all over the teevee/innerwebberys. Or maybe they're out there but I'm not looking in the right places.

i was diagnosed with Herpes for 1year  ago i lived in pain with the knowledge that i wasn't going to ever be well again i contacted so many herbal doctors on this issue but my condition never got better i was determined to get my life back so one day i saw mis Albert post on how Dr JOE saved him from the VIRUS with his herbal medicine i contacted Dr JOE on his email address drjoehome@gmail.com we spoke on the issue i told him all that i went through and he told me not to worry that everything will be fine again so he prepared the medicine and send it to me through courier service and told me how to use it,after 3weeks of usage I went to see the doctor for test ,then the result was negative,am the happiest on earth now. this testimony is real.thanks to Dr JOE God bless you. you can also reach him on his whatsApp number +2348155730398..

@51 mike blob, I put "democrats" in quotes for the exact opposite reason - I was trying to use the quotes to indicate it as an umbrella term for anyone who's not (still) a Republican or "conservative" (there, I just did it again... my bad). I can see now that it was a poor usage of quotes, but the meaning in my head was so far removed from the way you interpreted it, it just didn't occur to me.

I can understand my previous comment may appear dismissive of your previous comment, and yes, I was stating my frustration of Democrats who still think just doing the same thing over and over again when it keeps failing is anything but stupid.

It's certainly not my way or the highway - I'm open-minded and genuinely interested in hearing why a strategy of Democrats largely sitting on the sidelines is going to work any differently this time?

And everything you said about Joe is exactly why I'm so frustrated that the Democrats nominated him - because what we really need now is a Democratic leader who we can't let lead, because he might fuck it up running against the worst POTUS the country has ever seen in the middle of an historic pandemic. How is this still a contest? That's what I'd like to ask my fellow Democrats.

No worries about the misunderstanding. I enjoy your perspective on things. Take care.