The Covid-19 Re-Election Strategy
March 17, 2020
Cynicism is not in my DNA. I generally trust people, probably to a fault, and believe that leaders are acting broadly in good faith.
As I sit in self-imposed isolation, reading A Very Stable Genius, and watching the daily press briefings about the coronavirus outbreak, I wonder. Am I the only one who thinks that The Donald has figured out a perfect re-election strategy?
From January to this week, he has minimized the threat, deflected the responsibility, and offered obvious, and dangerous, misstatements. First, he had tried to dismiss the threat, saying it was “totally under control,” (January 22) and that it would “disappear one day like a miracle” (February 27). Then, he tried his standard approach of blaming foreigners and Democrats, calling it a “foreign virus,” a “Chinese virus” (March 16) and a new Democratic hoax. He talked about how “anyone who wants a test can get a test” (March 6). His ghastly teleprompter address just 5 days ago reeked of an unstated message: “I know I have to read this crap but I don’t believe a word that I am saying.”
The Donald’s tone and approach during the daily briefings changed dramatically on Monday. He was suddenly solemnly concerned and actively leading the fight against the outbreak. (BTW, although it is an old cliché, I really think that the next addition of every dictionary will have a picture of VP Pence associated with the definition of “sycophant.”)
Am I being a cynic to think that his transformation results directly from the realization that every “incumbent advantage” for re-election was suddenly open to him, in spades:
1. A foreign threat to which he could respond with strength. Generally, this tactic has been a military threat, but coronavirus is even better. He is fighting off deaths, but not directly sending Americans to fight, and possibly be killed.
2. Give away lots of money to lots of voters. Generally, this tactic has involved indirect gifts, through public works projects and the like. Again, coronavirus is even better because he will be sending checks directly to all adult Americans. Maybe he could sign them himself.
3. Tell the Fed to reduce interest rates. With the Dow Jones down 9,000 points since mid-February, he hardly had to speak up to make this happen.
4. Give away lots of money to big companies to “save the industry.” He said the government “really” has to help airlines that showed net profits of $14.7 billion in 2017, $16.6 billion in 2018 and 16.5 billion in 2019. I know that airports are virtually empty this week, but didn’t they save any of that $47+ billion as a cushion for a downturn? The hotel industry had $80 billion in profits in 2018 but has been to the White House looking for a bail-out. Whose capitalism is this, anyway?
Faced with Americans who are sitting at home while their employers are closed, Democrats seem happy to go along with extravagant spending that may double the anticipated $1 trillion federal deficit this year.
Should we sit back and do nothing? Of course not. But the small cynical part of my brain (used primarily to analyze The Donald) thinks that the coronavirus may have found its most important victim — the Democratic candidate for president.
