Posted on 06/14/2020 12:17:40 PM PDT by John Semmens
President Trump's plan to resume campaign rallies has been called "too risky" by Democrats. The gist of their criticism is that the packed arena and sports stadiums that have characterized past Trump rallies would spread the COVID-19 virus. This criticism contrasts with the fulsome praise Democrats have heaped upon the George Floyd protests over the past two weeks.
Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla), a rumored contender for the VP slot on the Democratic presidential ticket explained the apparent hypocrisy as "the conflation of two distinctly different activities. At Trump rallies you have thousands of deplorables crammed together in a confined space for hours. Masks are optional. Attendees enter at their own risk. There's lots of cheering and shouting. This, obviously, is a prime infection environment."
"The Floyd protests are largely outdoors with only sporadic incursions into stores to grab free stuff," Demings said. "Windows are quickly smashed. A portion of protesters take their turn to rush in and grab whatever they can and run out to place appropriated items into waiting cars and trucks. Because of the security cameras, everyone is wearing a mask. So, from a COVID standpoint, I'd say the protests are basically safe."
Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt) contrasted the two activities as "fundamentally different. Trump's rallies are irresponsible. There's no social distancing. People will be allowed to decide for themselves whether to wear masks. This is not the kind of anarchism we want for our future. The Floyd protests against police brutality are progressive action at its finest. People are striking back against oppression, seizing and redistributing property selfishly hoarded by capitalists, and almost all are wearing masks. I will grant that there may be some who risk getting infected when they could've stayed safe at home, but revolutions have casualties. Remember, not everyone who fought for Castro's Cuban Revolution survived. I am proud that our young people are willing to put their lives on the line for the new American revolution."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) argued that "the key distinction is whether the activity is essential or nonessential. Not only are Trump's rallies dangerous, they are also nonessential. If Vice-President Biden can campaign from his basement, so can Trump. On the other hand, as I see it, the need to publicly protest the murder of George Floyd is essential. It is also not dangerous. There are more than ten people participating, but it's not a coherent group. Since it's a spontaneous gathering the virus has no foreknowledge of where to strike. So, I think that the protesters are unlikely to come down with COVID-19. They are far more likely to get hit by breaking glass, bricks, bottles, or stray bulletsnone of which are apt to be as deadly as the virus."
if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...
http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php?topic=405170.0
Chris Wallace used his airtime to disapprove.
Shocker!
But a tiny virus...even a dangerous one...won't enter into my thought process whatsoever.
“too risky” for democrats to allow
might hamper democrat election efforts
Well, all of that is comforting to know, and well make note of your ambitions and potential schedule. Great job!
“Since it’s a spontaneous gathering the virus has no foreknowledge of where to strike.” !!
There’s a certain ‘logical’ consistency to the Cuomo bros utterances.
I’ve attended three Trump rallies...two of them in large auditoriums (10,000+ seats).On those two occasions the lines for the concession stands were 30-45 minutes long.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.