How Trump went from a massive convention bash to no party at all

[JoeOtterbein]

Politico

The about-face indicates that the president finally realizes how serious the coronavirus problem is — for the country and his reelection prospects.

By ALEX ISENSTADT, MATT DIXON and GARY FINEOUT

07/23/2020 09:57 PM EDT

On Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump convened his top political advisers, including campaign manager Bill Stepien and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, for a conference call to consider a move that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago: Cancel his party’s upcoming convention in Jacksonville, Fla.

By Thursday afternoon, with coronavirus raging in the state, the president who all year envisioned a boisterous send-off to the final months of his reelection campaign, had made up his mind: It was a no-go.

It was a stunning reversal for an optics-obsessed president, who'd been so adamant about a massive convention that he moved it from Charlotte, N.C. to Florida to ensure it would happen.

But for Trump, who for months has resisted pleas to take the virus seriously, the decision reflected a sudden shift in posture. Over the past week, the president has resuscitated his coronavirus briefings, urged people to wear masks and conceded that the virus would “probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better.”

snip

more at link

But it's all fine and good with the Trump/GOP, for the rest of us to go to work/school.

Or maybe, they do not think we are as "essential" as them.

[NCjack]

1. So, the Repugs say coronavirus is a hoax, but they are running from it.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I believe the other part of the story for the cancelation is

the Security Issue. The county's Sheriff claimed that he couldn't guarantee adequate security for the RNC Convention. That could mean the scope was daunting. And that could also mean that Jacksonville and the County wanted financial "security," that is, money up front to cover police, clean-up, etc., something that Trump rallies don't pay for. These government entities aren't stupid. They've seen how cities around the U.S. have been stiffed by the Trump Show and the RNC. Florida, particularly Jacksonville, is facing a crisis with the never-ending spike in Corona cases and they have no more money. No money means no way to pay for the Convention.

So Trump can claim he decided that the health crisis made his decision all he wants. I say it's his theme song, "Money, Money, Money.

[struggle4progress]

3. Donors didn't step up again after losing their money to the Charlotte cancellation, so there

wasn't going to be enough money for the Donnie Two Scoops gang to skim off the top of the Jacksonville cash