BTRTN: Operation Gambit....Kemp Offers Georgia as a Test for What Happens When We Ignore Science

[reggieandlee]

Born To Run The Numbers on the implications of Governor Kemp's decision to re-open Georgia for business even though the state's new-case-per-day rate remains high and there is no adequate testing program in place to monitor contagion.

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2020/04/btrtn-operation-gambitkemp-offers.html

Excerpts: "A 'gambit' in chess is 'an opening in which a player makes a sacrifice, typically of a pawn, for the sake of some compensating advantage.' Thank you, Governor, for offering up your state as America’s 'Operation Gambit.' We're grateful that you are willing to risk sacrificing an unknown number of your citizens in order to test the validity of sheltering-in-place and social distancing...
"However, Trump’s intent in the three 'liberate' tweets was to create civil unrest in states with Democratic governors. That was a win-win. If Trump could pressure those states to open too soon, he could blame the Democratic governors for upticks in sickness and death. If the economies surged, he could take credit for pushing them to re-open. Kemp had foiled his plan by offering up a state with a Republican governor to be the petri dish for an aggressive timetable. By Wednesday, Trump attempted to socially distance himself from Kemp. 'I want him to do what he thinks is right, but I disagree with him on what he is doing… I think it’s too soon...'
"The worst part? For at least a month -- probably longer -- it is going to seem as if things are indeed just fine. Why? Two reasons. The first is that the citizens of the United States don’t buy what Kemp and Trump are selling. A Politico/Morning Consult Poll conducted on April 18-19 shows that 76% Americans believe that social distancing should continue 'as long as necessary.' The second reason, however, is the nature of how this virus spreads through the population..."
"Which brings us to our final topic: Governor Kemp is turning the engine of commerce back on in Georgia without having an adequate testing program in place to know whether it is working according to plan – or not..."

[LastDemocratInSC]

1. Georgia: The Petri State.