This evening, I talked to a woman who said she cannot read the news any more. It’s all just too much. If you feel this way, please understand that it is fine to look away when you need to. We are already exhausted, and we are entering a period that is going to be chaotic. Even a normal campaign year is crazy, but this year, the extraordinary chaos feeds the needs of this president to destabilize the country and emerge as a savior. The current chaos is designed to make you hopeless about creating change so that you give up. To combat that, look away and recharge your batteries. Focus on the things that ground you: family, friends, pets, gardening, movies, books, biking, church… whatever works. Just come back when you can… and remember to vote.
Although I know it's therapeutic to look away from the news every now and then, I find I'm almost afraid to do so. I'm afraid of what could be overlooked or missed if I let down my guard, even for much needed rest. I do try to stay grounded, but I'm not going to let the chaos defeat me. You, Prof. Richardson are a major part of that grounding - I've said it before, and so have so many others - you are a beacon and a voice of clarity amidst the darkness and chaos. So thank you!! As for the current news of Trump testing positive for COVID-19, my thoughts are sort of all over the place, and none of those thoughts, I confess, are Christian or charitable. My first thought was that it's all a hoax, the "big surprise" he boasted of revealing this month; a way to gain sympathy and votes. Then I thought, perhaps it's actually true, and the word "irony" immediately came to mind. Followed swiftly by "karma" and "justice." I would never wish for anyone to be sick or hurt, but I couldn't find myself feeling the slightest bit saddened by the thought that he and the FLOTUS might really be ill. I feel much more concern for the people outside the administration with whom he came into contact and may have infected. I find I couldn't care less about Kushner, Ivanka, Eric, and all the rest. I'm not proud of these feelings, but there we are... And just to give you a further idea of the contempt in which I hold this entire administration, when I read that he and the FLOTUS had gone into quarantine, I likened it to Hitler and Eva Braun hunkering down in their bunker when the end of the Third Reich was imminent. What a horrible comparison, I know. All I can say now is, VOTE!!!! And tell everyone you know to do the same so we can end this nightmare.
How is it possible that Governor Greg Abbott can get away with this act of blatant voter suppression? If any voters die after waiting in the resulting crowds at the one remaining voter drop off location, should he not be charged with murder?
Thanks for breaking your midnight rule. I'm in the "healthy dose of skepticism" camp. Not letting up on my Voter Protection efforts. I'm engaged in "Ballot Chase" in Florida which is where people botched their Vote-by-Mail ballot; failing to sign the envelope is the most common problem. I'll be driving all over my county getting people to sign a "cure affidavit." One vote at a time. Whatever you are doing --big or small-- keep it up! Every effort counts!
Several commentors on the NY Times story of Trump's COVID test results strongly hint that it's a ruse by Trump. I get their and HCR's point, but I'm still skeptical that Trump is playing us for suckers again. This story puts Trump's mis-handling of the pandemic out in front again, where he doesn't want it to be. And the White House physician would have to be in on the lie, and I'm sure he would be agreeable to that. I still think he's really got the bug.
But I agree with HCR that this is why we need a government we can trust.
What's the chance that this is the "October surprise" by Trump and Team? Another ruse, pure strategy to avoid another debate? I respect Covid and mourn the loss of life from it. I DON'T trust Trump and team and would put nothing past them. I hope I am wrong!
Some random thoughts…it was bound to happen. Taking such a cavalier, arrogant approach to this thing is a dangerous game and we’re seeing the result. There are theories and rumours all over the place. Both right- and left-wing pundits are having a field day right now. Yeah…I’m one of those disgusting Christians who simply will not wish someone ill, even though I detest him and all he represents. What I do hate in all this is how we got to this point. One cannot trust ANYTHING anymore. We can’t trust him, or anybody around him. Yes, he could really get quite ill, but there is always that huge element of mistrust that he and his minions have cultivated. I hate that I can’t trust anything. IS this an elaborate ruse? IS he using this episode of his close aide’s being infected with the virus as an opportunity to totally grab the headlines again by claiming he and wifey have it? WILL we now have to endure daily “Covid-watches” with updates every hour? WILL they both emerge victorious after fighting this horrible virus, citing God-knows-what kind of cure? WILL he try and use this to help his sagging poll numbers? And on and on and on…
Speaking for myself I think it best to stay alert, keep watching things, “keep my powder dry”, as they say, and not jump to premature conclusions. Careful about rumours, y’all. Wait. And. See. I’m just gonna keep a cool head, stay calm, and watch.
The level of schadenfreude (especially in Europe, apparently) is super high--including with me, whose own governor (Missouri) and his spouse tested positive but STILL WON'T WEAR A MASK OR MANDATE MASK WEARING (P.S. He's an idiot). But I am worried about Trump's spittle spread on Tuesday, which no doubt was epic. Thank goodness the Biden "audience" was wearing masks, although Joe is vulnerable. Trump's family? They deserve whatever happens to them. But I also thought that it was likely Trump would find a reason to cancel the other debates, as they are not performances in which he can get the vampiric feedback from a crowd he needs. And the next one is supposed to be a town hall style--which turned out to be a disaster for Trump the last time he tried it.
More from me on this ploy. How about this scenario: Trump eventually can say, See, I got it. Nothing happened. It’s just another virus. No need to worry. Elect me for another 4 years. ❤️🤍💙
Hmmm. I hadn’t thought about this (Trump and Melania contracting COVID) be a ruse. That would make sense. I can see the headline on Fox News two weeks from now. “Our sick and dying President who, rather than seek medical attention for his illness, worked feverishly (literally) in a makeshift White House lab. His heroic efforts paid off as he, himself, discovered a vaccine to cure Covid-19.” I’m feeling a little nauseous now.
Dr. Richardson, I loved how you framed this letter with keeping the faith. Starting with "The current chaos is designed to make you hopeless about creating change so that you give up. To combat that, look away and recharge your batteries..." and ending with "As I say, the next few weeks are going to be wild. But don’t let it knock you off course." Keeping the faith is my plan. I signed up for a virtual fundraiser with President Obama this afternoon. I will be watching for text banking assignments from 2020 Victory this afternoon. Yesterday, between One Campaign for Michigan, 2020 Victory, and SuperMajority, I sent out almost 1500 text messages. I also think I may have talked someone out of voting third party {Fingers Crossed}. I gave the advice I heard on "The David Pakman Show" after Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris. Someone called into the show expressing the concern about Biden's selection of Kamala Harris for his Vice President. The caller was considering voting for a third party candidate. DP responded with if the caller did not want Trump to be reelected voting for Joe Biden was the only option. That is exactly the same advice I gave to the person on the fence. Thank you for keeping up on course.
Trump contacts CoVid. Karma sure is a bitch isn't it. Well, despite my feelings about him we will all pray for him, and all who contract and suffer from it, as well as all the rest of us. Perhaps, it will serve as a lesson to those who continue to ignore mask and social distancing guidelines.
You are a very good writer. I subscribed because you earn our attention. Having written a daily blog, Eye On Miami, for 7 years, I know how hard it is. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your letter today, Heather, and I'm glad you didn't wait until this evening to comment. I don't know when you sleep anyway! My brother sent me the news from England during the night and I saw his message before 5am, your Letter filled in the gaps. If trump does, in fact have Covid, I anxiously look forward to a negative test result for Biden and Jill.
My daughter txt'd me "Maybe it's time for him to inject himself with bleach." And now here I am sharing this. I do not like to find myself wishing ill on anyone, but there's some poetic justice and Karma at work here.
Although I know it's therapeutic to look away from the news every now and then, I find I'm almost afraid to do so. I'm afraid of what could be overlooked or missed if I let down my guard, even for much needed rest. I do try to stay grounded, but I'm not going to let the chaos defeat me. You, Prof. Richardson are a major part of that grounding - I've said it before, and so have so many others - you are a beacon and a voice of clarity amidst the darkness and chaos. So thank you!! As for the current news of Trump testing positive for COVID-19, my thoughts are sort of all over the place, and none of those thoughts, I confess, are Christian or charitable. My first thought was that it's all a hoax, the "big surprise" he boasted of revealing this month; a way to gain sympathy and votes. Then I thought, perhaps it's actually true, and the word "irony" immediately came to mind. Followed swiftly by "karma" and "justice." I would never wish for anyone to be sick or hurt, but I couldn't find myself feeling the slightest bit saddened by the thought that he and the FLOTUS might really be ill. I feel much more concern for the people outside the administration with whom he came into contact and may have infected. I find I couldn't care less about Kushner, Ivanka, Eric, and all the rest. I'm not proud of these feelings, but there we are... And just to give you a further idea of the contempt in which I hold this entire administration, when I read that he and the FLOTUS had gone into quarantine, I likened it to Hitler and Eva Braun hunkering down in their bunker when the end of the Third Reich was imminent. What a horrible comparison, I know. All I can say now is, VOTE!!!! And tell everyone you know to do the same so we can end this nightmare.
How is it possible that Governor Greg Abbott can get away with this act of blatant voter suppression? If any voters die after waiting in the resulting crowds at the one remaining voter drop off location, should he not be charged with murder?
Thanks for breaking your midnight rule. I'm in the "healthy dose of skepticism" camp. Not letting up on my Voter Protection efforts. I'm engaged in "Ballot Chase" in Florida which is where people botched their Vote-by-Mail ballot; failing to sign the envelope is the most common problem. I'll be driving all over my county getting people to sign a "cure affidavit." One vote at a time. Whatever you are doing --big or small-- keep it up! Every effort counts!
Several commentors on the NY Times story of Trump's COVID test results strongly hint that it's a ruse by Trump. I get their and HCR's point, but I'm still skeptical that Trump is playing us for suckers again. This story puts Trump's mis-handling of the pandemic out in front again, where he doesn't want it to be. And the White House physician would have to be in on the lie, and I'm sure he would be agreeable to that. I still think he's really got the bug.
But I agree with HCR that this is why we need a government we can trust.
What's the chance that this is the "October surprise" by Trump and Team? Another ruse, pure strategy to avoid another debate? I respect Covid and mourn the loss of life from it. I DON'T trust Trump and team and would put nothing past them. I hope I am wrong!
Some random thoughts…it was bound to happen. Taking such a cavalier, arrogant approach to this thing is a dangerous game and we’re seeing the result. There are theories and rumours all over the place. Both right- and left-wing pundits are having a field day right now. Yeah…I’m one of those disgusting Christians who simply will not wish someone ill, even though I detest him and all he represents. What I do hate in all this is how we got to this point. One cannot trust ANYTHING anymore. We can’t trust him, or anybody around him. Yes, he could really get quite ill, but there is always that huge element of mistrust that he and his minions have cultivated. I hate that I can’t trust anything. IS this an elaborate ruse? IS he using this episode of his close aide’s being infected with the virus as an opportunity to totally grab the headlines again by claiming he and wifey have it? WILL we now have to endure daily “Covid-watches” with updates every hour? WILL they both emerge victorious after fighting this horrible virus, citing God-knows-what kind of cure? WILL he try and use this to help his sagging poll numbers? And on and on and on…
Speaking for myself I think it best to stay alert, keep watching things, “keep my powder dry”, as they say, and not jump to premature conclusions. Careful about rumours, y’all. Wait. And. See. I’m just gonna keep a cool head, stay calm, and watch.
The level of schadenfreude (especially in Europe, apparently) is super high--including with me, whose own governor (Missouri) and his spouse tested positive but STILL WON'T WEAR A MASK OR MANDATE MASK WEARING (P.S. He's an idiot). But I am worried about Trump's spittle spread on Tuesday, which no doubt was epic. Thank goodness the Biden "audience" was wearing masks, although Joe is vulnerable. Trump's family? They deserve whatever happens to them. But I also thought that it was likely Trump would find a reason to cancel the other debates, as they are not performances in which he can get the vampiric feedback from a crowd he needs. And the next one is supposed to be a town hall style--which turned out to be a disaster for Trump the last time he tried it.
More from me on this ploy. How about this scenario: Trump eventually can say, See, I got it. Nothing happened. It’s just another virus. No need to worry. Elect me for another 4 years. ❤️🤍💙
Hmmm. I hadn’t thought about this (Trump and Melania contracting COVID) be a ruse. That would make sense. I can see the headline on Fox News two weeks from now. “Our sick and dying President who, rather than seek medical attention for his illness, worked feverishly (literally) in a makeshift White House lab. His heroic efforts paid off as he, himself, discovered a vaccine to cure Covid-19.” I’m feeling a little nauseous now.
Dr. Richardson, I loved how you framed this letter with keeping the faith. Starting with "The current chaos is designed to make you hopeless about creating change so that you give up. To combat that, look away and recharge your batteries..." and ending with "As I say, the next few weeks are going to be wild. But don’t let it knock you off course." Keeping the faith is my plan. I signed up for a virtual fundraiser with President Obama this afternoon. I will be watching for text banking assignments from 2020 Victory this afternoon. Yesterday, between One Campaign for Michigan, 2020 Victory, and SuperMajority, I sent out almost 1500 text messages. I also think I may have talked someone out of voting third party {Fingers Crossed}. I gave the advice I heard on "The David Pakman Show" after Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris. Someone called into the show expressing the concern about Biden's selection of Kamala Harris for his Vice President. The caller was considering voting for a third party candidate. DP responded with if the caller did not want Trump to be reelected voting for Joe Biden was the only option. That is exactly the same advice I gave to the person on the fence. Thank you for keeping up on course.
Trump needs to be tested by an Independent medical team..I trust no one associated with him..He could have the virus.....Or not..
Am I bad person for smiling this morning when I read the NYT news on trump?
Trump contacts CoVid. Karma sure is a bitch isn't it. Well, despite my feelings about him we will all pray for him, and all who contract and suffer from it, as well as all the rest of us. Perhaps, it will serve as a lesson to those who continue to ignore mask and social distancing guidelines.
You are a very good writer. I subscribed because you earn our attention. Having written a daily blog, Eye On Miami, for 7 years, I know how hard it is. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your letter today, Heather, and I'm glad you didn't wait until this evening to comment. I don't know when you sleep anyway! My brother sent me the news from England during the night and I saw his message before 5am, your Letter filled in the gaps. If trump does, in fact have Covid, I anxiously look forward to a negative test result for Biden and Jill.
My daughter txt'd me "Maybe it's time for him to inject himself with bleach." And now here I am sharing this. I do not like to find myself wishing ill on anyone, but there's some poetic justice and Karma at work here.