For those of us who've known people w Covid who's lungs became involved,

[NightWatcher]

Do you think trump will be able to speak well for longer than a minute at a time?

I doubt, if he's had lung issues, he'll be able to resume any campaigning, debate, or speaking that is required.

My Stepmother still coughs, sounds winded, and is tired all the time and she had a very mild illness and never went to hospital.

I believe he will appear weak and frail if he is able to appear at all.

Keep Biden/Harris well.

[Claustrum]

1. I think he will appear weak and frail too

But I wonder if that would be good for him. At least, he won't be the aggressive asshat he was in the first debate. Secondly, some of that sympathy votes thing but it will run counter to his "strong" personality among his supporters.

Disclaimer: I just think it makes it harder for Biden to focus his attack on Trump when Trump is appearing sick. But it's a townhall so it shouldn't have much of a direct confrontation between Trump and Biden.

[EarlG]

7. Only the people who support him already will feel any sympathy

He's been a world-class prick for the last five years. Polls show that he is consistently disliked and unpopular.

If swing voters were going to swing back to him in the final stages of the campaign, it would have been for something like economic reasons, or because they felt doubts about Biden.

Since he no longer has a strong economy (and the Burisma stuff was a bust), Trump has spent months trying to flip swing voters by sowing doubts about Biden's health -- flooding the zone with ads calling him weak and frail.

It seems unlikely that the wavering swing voters Trump has been targeting -- who, remember, don't like Trump personally -- are going to come back to Trump now that *he's* the one who's weak and frail.

[Laelth]

9. +1 n/t

-Laelth

[Claustrum]

11. I agree with you on the overall "sympathy vote" thing.

I've said in other posts that I think the approval rating will have a small uptick but it will mostly come from red states shoring up his support there but have no real help on his EC chance. Matter of fact, I think he will drop in swing states that are hard hit by COVID.

But specifically on the debate, the optics of going hard on a person that looks or sounds sick/frail is not a good one. And I think Biden won't do that out of his principle. Remember, when he shuts up and not talk, his approval rating ticks back up. So it could have a marginal difference for Trump when he appears weaker than normal and not the aggressive asshat that he was in the first debate.

[EarlG]

13. Interesting point about the debate

Trump could be in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation though. I feel like he talked all over Biden in the first debate for two reasons: first, so he could appear "dominant," and second, so that Biden wouldn't be able to get his message out in front of a large national audience.

If Trump is forced to stand there looking sick and tired at another debate, he's going to lose his projection of dominance, and Biden will be free and clear to talk directly to the American people. Biden is definitely not going to smack Trump around in that situation -- in fact he will probably show an excess of sympathy to him, which will further cement Biden's image as a "good guy" while simultaneously making Trump look even more submissive.

I gotta say though, I'm still not sure there will even be any more debates. If Trump survives, I'm not sure he's going to be fit to participate.

[Claustrum]

15. Another point I just thought of, imagine if Trump cough during the debate

How would the world react to that? How should Biden react to that?

Yeah, I think I am with you that Trump might not participate.

[Doodley]

16. The poll out today that showed 50% of Republicans blame his own actions, doesn't bode well

for any sympathy boost in red states or blue.

[LeftInTX]

2. It's gonna be awhile

It's gonna put a big damper on his yelling..LOL!

If he had another speaking style, he would probably rebound quicker, but he's gonna have trouble channeling Mussolini and Hitler...LOL

[Siwsan]

3. My brother seems fine, now, but it took several months to get past that winded problem

Of course, he's several decades younger than trump*.

[NightWatcher]

4. trump has a month to look like a strong leader ahead of the election.

I doubt he'll be able to even GOLF for a couple of months.

[BusyBeingBest]

5. I think he'll be sick for a while.

He'll be forced to appear better, but he won't be well for some time. He will feel fatigued and shitty and then watch himself lose and have his fat ass kicked out of the White House.

[NightWatcher]

6. Weezy won't be able to command his army of proud boys into battle

[Leghorn21]

8. Hey, did you say "proudboys"??!

[NightWatcher]

12. The trending hashtag is fabulous.

[tulipsandroses]

10. Definitely will be fatigued for a while- My son still has fatigue

He still has a cough -
As far as the debate - Knowing trump, he is not going back away from the debate to look " weak"
He may end up being even more aggressive due to steroid treatments. His anger and rage may be even more prominent
So we may see an even bigger shit show when he's triggered.

[Boogiemack]

14. A lot depends on the circumstances.

If he was never on a ventilator he chances of speaking almost normally are excellent.

I he was on a ventilator. it depends on for how long and if any damage was done to his vocal cords or throat.

My spouse had to endure the ventilator after which he could not speak because of the length of time and the number of times intubated. Remember, during this time most of the hospital staff in the ICU did not know what the hell was going on as many patients in ICUs began a surge of pneumonia. My spouse contracted first, what was thought to be pneumonia that cleared up and then came back. After 4 weeks in the ICU he had to have a trache inserted and was moved to an LTAC (Long Term Acute Care) for weaning off the vent There is entire story I could write about what occurred at the hospital where the initial heart surgery took place. But too many horrific details for now. But the medical staff from surgeons on down to the housekeeping were awesome as they tried to deal with something new and strange to them. The antibiotics worked until they didn't, temperatures fluctuated without explanation, some patients even had bizarre hallucinations. a few patients showed signs of complete recovery before they died unexpectantly.

10 days after admittance to the LTAC facilities in the area began to close down as word spread about dealing with a new, highly contagious COVID spread in the area. My spouse was successfully weaned of the ventilator but had to be transferred to a re-hab facility for work with and weaning off the trache. I could not accompany my spouse to the re-had which closed down the day he was moved. He was showing signs of improvement for about two weeks but never regained speech. After our last face-time about 8PM he was rushed to the hospital having gone into cardiac arrest and was found to be COVID19 positive. He died within the hour after admittance having uttered no words for three months and being alone, without family in the care facilities for 8 weeks. Looking back at the sequence of events I do believe my spouse had exposure to the virus from all three facilities where he was treated. They just didn't know at the time what they were dealing with. Even 11 of his caregivers died as a result of the virus. Before we left the hospital where his original surgery took place (which, by the way was a successful operation until the infection set in) two of the ICU nurses fell ill and could not return to work. I learned later they had succumbed to the virus. IT WAS HORRIBLE!

[yonder]

18. I am sorry for your loss.

[Johnny2X2X]

17. He can't speak well for 20 seconds right now!

A nice Ute would be an improvement.