The recent news about the spread of this new virus has me worried.

[thucythucy]

Aside from the potential for a pandemic, which may or may not happen, what worries me tonight is how all this might impact the 2020 election.

If we indeed are facing a public health crisis, or the appearance of a public health crisis, I expect Trump and the GOP will use this to further divide the nation and reinforce their message of xenophobia and anti-immigrant, anti-other hatred. I expect they’ll deny the scientific facts, and spread all kinds of wild conspiracy bullshit to further confuse and frighten the general public.

And so I wonder if the various Democratic presidential campaigns are looking at this and considering how best to respond, both to the public health emergency (if it comes to that here), but also and especially as a political issue.

Imagine if a week before the election Trump makes some grandstand play “to protect the nation”—for example like closing the borders. Imagine if he calls for various groups of immigrants to be “quarantined”—that is, incarcerated—leaving Democrats to either accept this abuse or to appear “weak on protecting the public.”

Perhaps I’m exaggerating the political (not to mention the health) danger. I certainly hope so. But I also hope all of the candidates and their campaigns are following the ongoing story, and laying out contingency plans for how best to deal with both the health and political dangers.

Does anyone else share these concerns or have any thoughts about these developments?

[CountAllVotes]

1. Yes, I am worried

My worry is that many people will die.

To hell with politics.

To hell with the stock market.

To hell with everything else.

The priority must be to fight this pandemic.

It is a virus that mutates and has an incubation rate perhaps as long as 42 days.

No way in hell can I say I am not scared.

The elderly and infirm will be first to die.

= damn right!

[thucythucy]

4. I worry about the health consequences too

but the political aspects are also frightening.

Bad enough to be facing a possible pandemic, but to have "the stable genius" in charge of the response is just plain terrifying.

[Thomas Hurt]

2. or just declare a fake national emergency and postpone elections...

which all the GoP controlled states will gladly do for him

[alwaysinasnit]

6. It has the added advantage of keeping control of the Senate and keeping Moscow Mitch

running defense for the thing occupying the WH.

[ecstatic]

3. My concerns are moreso related to the virus itself and all the conflicting info

about how it's spread and how long it can survive on surfaces.

But you bring up some great points about how it can be used politically, assuming we're not all infected by then.

[applegrove]

5. Coronavirus exists because of unregulated food markets in china. Who

is the party of safety regulations? Also the economy may slow. Neither are good things for Trump. Don't get me wrong. I would trade those two marks against Trump for the health of victims of coronavirus in a flash.

[thucythucy]

7. Good points.

Though on regulations, when has the GOP (or low information voters) ever cared much about the facts?

They're just as likely to blame a pandemic on "the gays" or "immigrants" or on God punishing us for not genuflecting to their Great Leader.

I worry too that an outbreak will keep people away from the polls, though that troubles me less than the nonsense that Trump might pull.

[applegrove]

8. Maybe it might panic voters in to voting for a science based leader. A

real leader. Erase the smug MAGA's 'sticking it to the pointy-headed experts' raison d'etre.

[thucythucy]

13. Well, let's hope so.

I've never understood American anti-intellectualism. Voting for a president on the basis of "who would you like to share a beer with?"

But for a science based leader to win that leader will have to lay out a cogent plan and explain in a way that voters will understand.

Which gets back to my original point, that I hope the various candidates have people working on this, and don't end up reacting to the debate, instead of framing it.

[captain queeg]

9. I watched a good YouTube video about the 1918 Spanish flu

Scary stuff but back then infected communities tried to hide it and sweep it under the rug which let it spread all over the world. Reminded me of the resort town in Jaws. I don’t see that happening in the US but suspect that’s what’s been going on in China. There’s so much not known; people should be talking it very serious. Yes, so far it’s mostly people that have some condition that precedes the really serious cases and deaths. But at this stage we shouldn’t make any assumptions. Though certainly the old and informed are most at risk, just like any flu.

[rwheeler31]

10. We need to make people aware that they have cut back funds for CDC and WHO.

They also have curtailed inspections for meat processing. They are doing very little to try to manage this outbreak.

[thucythucy]

14. Absolutely.

Though I expect the GOP/Trump will simply lie, like they do about everything else.

A sad state of affairs, all around.

[nocoincidences]

11. Watch Japan.

They aren't dealing with this, and that is scary for the rest of the world.

&t=331s

[MyNameGoesHere]

12. It is an extremely contagious infodemic.

I am worried also.

[defacto7]

15. More info from experts..

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212998357

[thucythucy]

16. Thank you.

Interesting, and also rather unsettling.

[applegrove]

17. Are you Donald Trump looking for 'how to respond to coronavirus' ideas?

If not, i need the password.

[thucythucy]

18. Not sure I get the joke.

I'm sure Trump isn't even aware that there might be a crisis.

But when he does learn about this (probably through Faux Noise) I'm sure his first and only inclination will be to use the crisis to his political and financial advantage. And that the GOP will fall in lock-step to whatever divisive and corrosive nonsense he decides to float.

Which is why I'm hoping each of our candidates are paying attention and planning her or his own response

[applegrove]

22. Oh you were asking about how effective ot would be for donald trump to

use the coronavirus for political ends and i was being silly. Of course there is no DU-Democratic password

[Wounded Bear]

19. It is certainly one more thing for Repubs to scare the rubes with...

[thucythucy]

20. And not just the rubes.

Which is why I'm hoping our candidates are thinking about possible responses.

The reaction to 9-11 went completely against all reason. The attack happened because Bush II and his cronies decided to ignore the experts on the coming threat. Instead of holding Bush/Cheney accountable their poll numbers skyrocketed and they then were able to lead us into a disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq. Even so, they were able to win re-election because they were "strong on defense."

Trump has led an anti-science crusade, and cut funds for public health. But if this pandemic hits I fear we may see the same sort of reaction we saw to 9-11: the president making one or two speeches in which he doesn't step on his own dick, which the mainstream media will fawn over and call "presidential." His base will eat it up, the media will ignore, as always, his blatant lies, and our candidates will be at a loss to respond.

That's my nightmare scenario. Which is why I'm hoping someone in the party is watching this and preparing for every political contingency.

It should go without saying that our public health officials are also preparing for the worst, but these days it's difficult to trust that even that much is happening.

[Wounded Bear]

21. I've been scared of that for many years...

our for profit health care industry is not prepared for "the big one."