Trump officials lay groundwork for May reopening

[Algernon Moncrieff]

The Trump administration is laying the foundation to push for a reopening of parts of the U.S. economy as early as the beginning of May amid rising pressure over unemployment numbers rivaling those during the Great Depression.

President Trump and top government officials in recent days have talked about seeing "glimmers of hope" and "light at the end of the tunnel" while publicly discussing ideas for how to revive the economy.

The president has floated reopening businesses in parts of the country that do not have outbreaks. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday unveiled guidelines meant to encourage those in critical sectors who have been exposed to the coronavirus but aren't showing symptoms to continue working.

Link : The Hill

I'm pretty well convinced that the next two months decide the election. The roughly 1/3 of the voting public that only engages politically during Presidential election years (i.e. not DU) will look to some extent at what has happened so far, but will look more closely at what happens next:

1) We re-open starting in May; there is no spike in cases - Trump will likely be seen by that middle third as having led the US out of a crisis. The most recent apt comparison would be George W. Bush, who had many critics laying the blame for 9-11 at his feet, but who ultimately was seen as someone who led the nation through the crisis (and into Iraq - which is another story).

-or-

2) We re-open starting in May; there is a spike in cases; and either we stay open despite many deaths or the reopening (and hence the economy) sputters. Trump will likely be seen by that middle third as not having responded competently. The most recent apt comparison would be George W. Bush, and the response to Katrina.

It is already clear that there will be economic pain that will last beyond the Summer. Biden's responses to that will be key to his prospects.

I would also point out that the recent stimulus was passed with little real opposition. This is a far cry from the opposition Barack Obama received to what seems now like a modest request to stop the economic free fall that started in 2008.

[Newest Reality]

1. From what we have seen so far,

It looks to me like a premature "opening" will most likely end up in another wave, (a Trump Wave) of infections and deaths. We don't know if it will be the same or worse than the current, initial one.

The reason I say worse is that, if people get the sense it is okay to be lax on the preventative measures like social distancing, masks, not gathering in crowds, and the virus is already rather prevalent and still circulating, that could bring a huge, grim and high mortality rate spike in the Trump Wave to follow due to the lack of immunity by the rest of the population.

The Trump Regime's aspirations are taking precedence once again and you know what? Screw them. Health and life are the priority here.

[Iliyah]

2. It will backfire . . .

[BootinUp]

3. The Feds have limited authority in this matter of

When things are reopened. Political pressure and perhaps financial pressure, IDK.

[C_U_L8R]

4. Why would anyone trust Trump on this?

He's been deadly mistaken on everything... I'd wait until I hear from trusted doctors and officials before going anywhere.

[bdamomma]

25. Drs and Nurses

are continually telling people to stay home period. This is not over. Not until a vaccine is found, and testing needs to be done.

[VMA131Marine]

5. One thing of note...

China is already starting to se more cases in Wuhan now that things have started to open back up. The US cannot open back up again without widespread access to testing and a commitment to do contacting tracing and quarantining on anyone who tests positive. I doubt we have the commitment to do that.

[hlthe2b]

6. What makes you think the Governors will agree to lift stay home orders against Public Health

recommendations?

Trump does not have the power to force them and given what little help he's given them, I'm not so sure he has a lot of "carrots" to offer either.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

18. I think it depends on the Governor, the state, and the political climare

In lower-populared midwestern and mountain states rhat, to this point, have felt lower impacts, I think governors will be inclined to want to reopen sooner than later. That wont be the case in places like Illinois and California.

[hlthe2b]

20. Well, given how hard Colorado has worked to date, I do NOT think my Dem Governor will bend

to pressure either--despite the RW loonies in CO Springs (with high transmission, mind you) or the idiots in RW-governed Weld County that fought social distancing to the point they have among the highest case and second highest case fatality numbers in the state.

[Ferrets are Cool]

27. These are my thoughts also. nt

[underpants]

32. I see the Feds only control/leverage here as the unemployment supplement

If memory serves they set aside money to extend unemployment and supplement it for 13 weeks. Now, will they need to set aside more money? I have no idea. They could possibly start withholding that money basically forcing states to open back up. There are a lot of details I am skipping over here but I think that is they viewpoint on this.

He's an idiot.

[Demovictory9]

7. whatever happens in May, the state of the economy in Nov will be big factor in the election

[whathehell]

26. The state of Life and Death will be a bigger one. n/t

[Demovictory9]

8. also... a lot of people are just bone weary of Trump. Regardless of state of things

he'll still be talking crazy, shit stirring, firing people, hiring lackeys in November

[Algernon Moncrieff]

19. There were like two days when these press conferences started...

..where he sounded almost Presidential. His survey numbers spiked up. He let Fauci speak and indicated he'd listen to experts. Within two days, he reverted to form.

Presidents who are historically well regarded rise above politics and bring Americans together in crisis. They also tend to listen to experts and let them do their jobs.

[BootinUp]

23. thats a sure bet.

[Tanuki]

9. There he goes again.

[Squinch]

10. We reopen in May, no tests are available, the govt keeps pushing

the absurdly low death number they are pushing now, body bags pile up, but who is to contradict their number?

They declare victory.

Millions of Americans buy it.

[John Fante]

13. Many millions more don't buy it at all.

[Squinch]

15. Your keyboard to God's ears!

[GulfCoast66]

28. Millions of Americans buy it all right. Buy the Farm!

Once he is told that opening May first will cause a huge increase in deaths it will go the way of the whole open by Easter thing.

[OnDoutside]

11. There isn't a hope of opening up without testing on a massive acale

[MuseRider]

12. They just do not get that they

do not get to decide when the virus will stop virusing!

This is so outlandish that they would even plan for something like that.

[John Fante]

14. Option #1 is a total fantasy.

A massive spike absolutely would occur if we "re-opened".

Dotard will almost certainly walk this back on May 1st and say that the date was "aspirational".

[liberalmuse]

33. I think he is only saying this to get the stock market up.

He will probably change this to the end of May, and so on. Who knows? I can't keep up with evil on this scale. It's exhausting.

[MFM008]

16. he wants a "big celebration"

probably a HHHHHHHUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEE rally for himself.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

17. Overly optimistic in my opinion.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

21. So, assuming that we have freeish and fairish elections in November

...the President needs unemployment numbers back in the mid single digits. The longer this drags on, the harder that becomes. The longer this goes on, the more businesses that closed doors wont reopen them. They keep talking 2 quarters of recession. My guess is maybe 4 at this point. People will want a return to normalcy, but won't have the funds to run out and take that Disney vacation or go to that NFL game. Even with stimulus, we will be tapped out.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

31. He needs low death counts too

I don't understand (I mean, I do but I don't) why they think things are really going great the same week that NY is preparing mass graves and how May will be different without taking any new measures to keep the virus from going buck wild once current social distancing measures are eased. These deranged fools are so focused on "re-opening the economy" they're totally overlooking the fact that the economy is going to suck a lot harder if a lot of the people who are running it are infected/exposed/sick/dead. These ghouls are perfectly fine with sacrificing. And even those of us who don't get sick will be right back to giving it to grandma and grandpa and all of these elderly legislators aren't going to be safe either.

[forthemiddle]

22. It will be interesting to see how Sweden does in those few weeks

Not to be morbid, but if Sweden starts to show a peak by that time without doing the lock down, even if there death rate is awful, I can see some pointing to them, and saying “see without lock down, They are still getting over it”.

If on the other hand there are still sharp increases there, with dead in the street ( again sorry to be morbid), then I think the public will be more inclined to wait a bit.

I, honestly, just don’t see the US public “waiting it out” for long. Especially if their rural areas aren’t seeing the impact of the disease. Our Country is too big, and too diverse to all follow the same rules.

[GulfCoast66]

29. Most Americans can't find Sweden on a map.

Their results will mean little.

[pstokely]

24. what about a gradual reopening after May 1?

outside of the any hotspots

[GulfCoast66]

30. That is actually the correct route.

Evaluate each location based on their situation. But until we have widespread testing we cannot know anyone’s situation.