Objectively intelligent.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

I think we’ve just seen, with the European travel ban, the autocrat pivot.

I wonder what cover this is providing for Johnson. The UK exception is obviously arbitrary.

In this moment, when the economy is and will be sideways, the better tack for Trump is to look strong rather than laissez faire.

Voters, most low information, want decisive leaders.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I think we’ve just seen, with the European travel ban, the autocrat pivot.

I wonder what cover this is providing for Johnson. The UK exception is obviously arbitrary.

In this moment, when the economy is and will be sideways, the better tack for Trump is to look strong rather than laissez faire.

Voters, most low information, want decisive leaders.

Still hoping for that moment when he turns presidential, are we?

Last night's speech was clearly written by Stephen Miller. Preventing only citizens of Schengen area countries from coming here is not about public health, its about Miller's fetish for border controls. Decisive, maybe, but a decision about something completely irrelevant to the reality that people have been getting six inside the country for weeks and the federal government has done fuck-all about it.

Seems like a terrible moment to have opened a bar or restaurant. Hope all our friends are doing OK.

Once Trump is out of office, what happens to Stephen Miller? He's young, but what will he do with the rest of his life?

I'd love to invest in e-sports now. With all the major professional leagues shutting down, and lots of people stuck at home and hungry for entertainment, I bet it's their time.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

In this moment, when the economy is and will be sideways, the better tack for Trump is to look strong rather than laissez faire.

While I note that you want to say that Trump looked strong but can't quite bring yourself to say it, let me just pass the mike to Roy:

WHAT WAS HE ON?
Horse tranks?

The Formula?

Coke heavily cut with Tuinal?

Coronavirus?

Discuss.

UPDATE. Seriously, apart from the parts of the text that are already being revealed as bullshit, the guy is so clearly fucked up that I'm amazed not one of all the network and cable talking heads going harrumph harrumph tonight didn't just stop mid-gabble and start screaming, "I CAN'T LIVE A LIE ANYMORE! THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS FLOATIN' ON SNEAKY PETE WINE!" I have checked it and checked myself and I know I am not projecting -- this man is unwell, and the fact that much of the country is going "It's good what Donald did -- real good!" is at least as frightening as the virus.

UPDATE 2. Well, that worked out great:

Trading halted on Wall Street after stock plunge triggers 'circuit breaker'
The Dow fell 2,000 points and the S&P plummeted by 7 percent, marking the second time on Thursday that trading was temporarily suspended...
All three major averages sank after Trump’s Oval Office address Wednesday night failed to satisfy traders who were hoping for more concrete steps to allay any economic slowdown from the viral outbreak.

Now, as I hope the financial crisis and all that came after has shown us, the Dow is not a good indicator of the health of the economy -- it's just a good indicator of the health of the market. And the folks who run that game don't like the... let us say unsteadiness of the government's approach.

Veep's doin' his part:

On CNN this morning, Alisyn Camerota explained that Trump isn't actually suspending "all travel" from Europe and asked Pence why the confusion.

Pence responded that there isn't confusion and praised Trump for his "historic" move to "suspend all travel from Europe."
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 12, 2020

Between his disastrous stewardship of the Indiana AIDS crisis and this, I begin to think that Pence's apparent stupidity is actually a ruse to mask the intentional destructiveness of his leadership in any given role. Almost makes me respect him!

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I think we’ve just seen, with the European travel ban, the autocrat pivot.

I wonder what cover this is providing for Johnson. The UK exception is obviously arbitrary.

It's not arbitrary. It's where he has golf courses. If there's any question about his actions, just look for how they serve his self-interest.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Last night's speech was clearly written by Stephen Miller. Preventing only citizens of Schengen area countries from coming here is not about public health, its about Miller's fetish for border controls. Decisive, maybe, but a decision about something completely irrelevant to the reality that people have been getting six inside the country for weeks and the federal government has done fuck-all about it.

Having completely failed to act, up to and including not speaking the Pelosi who is ready and willing to work with him, they had nothing else to announce.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

While I note that you want to say that Trump looked strong but can't quite bring yourself to say it, let me just pass the mike to Roy:

I wasn’t trying to say that at all. I didn’t watch the speech. I was saying what I said: The speech was an attempt to look strong, which is good strategy.

From reviews I’ve read, he was dumb and political in the speech and it did not look strong.

But closing off Europe does look strong. It looks decisive. Whether it’s a good idea is another matter. I don’t think it is.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Adder

Having completely failed to act, up to and including not speaking the Pelosi who is ready and willing to work with him, they had nothing else to announce.

No one can convince the President to take the virus seriously as a public health matter, and Jared's proposal for a peace plan with the virus wasn't done yet, so Stephen Miller seized the moment to make this a border problem.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I wasn’t trying to say that at all. I didn’t watch the speech. I was saying what I said: The speech was an attempt to look strong, which is good strategy.

From reviews I’ve read, he was dumb and political in the speech and it did not look strong.

But closing off Europe does look strong. It looks decisive. Whether it’s a good idea is another matter. I don’t think it is.

I didn't watch the Titanic's voyage, but it was an attempt to cross the ocean in a ship that looked really strong. Decisive ship, that.

[LessinSF]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

But closing off Europe does look strong. It looks decisive.

No, it looked random. Why not the UK? Why not Australia, where the Hanks contracted it? Why not Asia?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by LessinSF

No, it looked random. Why not the UK? Why not Australia, where the Hanks contracted it? Why not Asia?

Trial balloon. If perceived positively and without adverse econ impacts, it would perhaps be expanded. If not, you've learned your limitations regarding this type of policy response.

I think the latter applies.

It's easier to progress in, or unwind, incremental moves rather than go big at outset and then have to incrementally or entirely unwind what you've done.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan

It's not arbitrary. It's where he has golf courses. If there's any question about his actions, just look for how they serve his self-interest.

I think that's a bit cynical. And those clubs are all losing money anyway, and not because of lack of US golfers (golf in general has been a bad business for some time now).

My guess remains that he is coordinating with Johnson. Maybe Johnson needs cover to pass a ban of his own. Or it might just be us recognizing our "special friendship" with the Brits.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

I didn't watch the Titanic's voyage, but it was an attempt to cross the ocean in a ship that looked really strong. Decisive ship, that.

People demand decisions in these situations. They think doing something, anything, is necessary.

This is more an Edmund Fitzgerald situation. The weather's bad, but fuck it... we can make Whitefish Bay. Full steam ahead. Anyone got a compass?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

People demand decisions in these situations. They think doing something, anything, is necessary.

This is more an Edmund Fitzgerald situation. The weather's bad, but fuck it... we can make Whitefish Bay. Full steam ahead. Anyone got a compass?

"Thank God the President did something last night! It was necessary!"

- no one this morning

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

He's a 7x-year-old guy with heart problems. I can't believe he's running to enrich himself. There are many better ways to do that. But just as every circuit court judge thinks they belong on the Supreme Court, every Senator thinks they should be President. And he's come so close, compared to most of us, and he surely knows this is his last shot at it.

I think there are two things driving him:

Ego. Adoration. He loves being in front of cheering crowds.

$$$. The guy says everyone else is controlled by money, obviously that view of the world comes from somewhere. Somewhere deep inside. I think he got a couple million in royalties from the book and has spent the last six years travelling where he wants, living in style, and doing what he wants, and he likes that.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I think that's a bit cynical. And those clubs are all losing money anyway, and not because of lack of US golfers (golf in general has been a bad business for some time now).

My guess remains that he is coordinating with Johnson. Maybe Johnson needs cover to pass a ban of his own. Or it might just be us recognizing our "special friendship" with the Brits.

Expect him to be a big beneficiary of the bailout. What good is being president if you leave and there is still money in the Treasury? I mean, do we think his buddy Putin is going to leave a crumb in the cupboard when he goes? Did the Shah leave Iran without a few nice wires going first?