Donald Trump’s oversensitive comportment at his daily press conferences. Joe Biden’s familiar manner with women comes back to bite him. The New York Times’ embarrassing capitulation to the Biden campaign. The prospect of nationwide mail-in balloting. The sustainability of open-ended lockdowns. This episode of the COMMENTARY podcast has it all!
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Welcome to the Commentary Magazine Daily podcast today is Tuesday April fourteen twenty two
Honey, I'm John Upwards, the editor of commentary with me is always associate at her no Rossman high Noah, I just ass senior writer, Christine Rosen High Christine again, and
in the process of closing are may issue which we will close today and have some highlights up as early as tomorrow.
Senior editor Egremont high Abe. I jump yes tomorrow we will have with us on the podcast Jim,
eggs who was the editor of popular mechanics and has a piece from the main issue which will be
first thing we release,
really remarkable. Look at a disaster at nineteen sixty four earthquake in Anchorage Alaska, where the
the elites panicked and the everyday people kept their heads above them and saved the city from disaster, and it's a very interesting story about a phenomenon called elite. Panic and vote will go into that.
The extensively tomorrow today we have no guest. I just wanted to
began by talking about how and around six o clock yesterday abe- and I were watching the president at his daily briefing and Abe said Trumpets internal defensive mode, four, this pressure, so I turned it on that.
Abe texted and he was going into all this detail about how they got all the
then to later is everything that has been asked for he got you know, he's have laid out all this detail about how Gavin Newsome asked for this and they gotta go. Promo asked them for that blogs. You asked him for this. You know they. They mobilise the marshal their resources. They would
said to aim. I listen to him after the video. This is a video they put together of all these people praising Trump for being so great and he's very convincing. I have to say about how much has been done so then
The mood in the press room turned when Paul read of CBS kind of started them
I thing to the principal: what did you do in February
So, are you throw barriers, January and March, but you're not talking about what you didn't February and then
He started with this, your fake, your figure, a fake, it's all fake, your fake, and she,
I didn't relent and they kind of had this squabble out in a house who would describe it and things apparently went very down hill from there. I had to stop watching too. Have you no dinner with my family, such that as CNN, at which has now basically become a kind of them. A version of Twitter Cm Ends, life seen with you now, basically raging captions in Cairo and so for four Cairo's, captured by somebody around six thirty p m last night. Angry trump turns briefing into propaganda session. That's an actual Cairum NEWS network. Second, one trump refuses to acknowledge it,
mistakes, third Trump uses taskforce briefing to try and rewrite history and corona virus or fought response and fourth Trump meltdown, an angry response to reports he ignored virus mornings and so by the end of the briefing Jim Cost of CNN said. That was the craziest thing. I've ever seen and looking on Twitter was, like, in twenty years, are going to study this press conference to show the trunk was insane, and you know- and this is more of this sum
weird thing like what are they going to say tomorrow? Like I, I don't understand this. This tone of everything being Trump has just done. Something unprecedented like every day of his presidency, can't involve some unprecedented outrage like
already said that he's a fascist? They worry said he was elected by Russia. They ve already said that he's in the pay of Putin. They ve already said that he's rapists, they ve said everything you can then, and yet yesterday was worse.
So I've had. My meeting will listen. He does some of this to himself. So, as we were recall your yesterday, the President issued a tweet. We should make any sense sunset damn paraphrasing here, but is that basically, the fake news is making up this controversy that the federal government cannot reopen the country this. I have these sole authority to reopen the country and sorted dismissive of this tweet, because it's entirely contradictory,
The administration has done his record so far is to be extraordinarily deferential to federalism across the board. Any is defended that approach when pressed on it by reporters who want him to take, wanted him to take a firmer hand with the states that we're not in full.
Seeing men the whole lockdown orders and defer to their mayors and their local municipalities. So now he's essentially contradict his on policy. Any seems to be running with that at best conference he says of noxious things like the president has absolute authority is absolutely should have and every civic bow in every american body and might be exhausting to say that, because it happens so frequently, but exhaustion is no excuse. Occasionally you have to pay up and say now the president's actually wrong here, and this is a gross rhetorical abuse of american civic propriety, and it is also a complete contradiction of ministerial is actually doing so. Why doesn't he defend his own administration? Here again, you can't apparently because it
also it would sacrifice ride some face. I don't get it we'll, because you have, because you said something stupid initially by saying that it was up to him to close things down. He was called on that and then you know to respond to
that sense of humiliation. He came
defending it I mean it and then it's such a monument to waste of time. Now, because you have Cuomo sort of you know
challenging him on this on tv and end and in the press, and it's like, I think,
you know what you gotta know is. I dont think Trump has actual any actual interest in using the attempting to use. The federal government is too
down to reopen the country and away he can't anyway, or that it already hit again, he has responded. This whole thing
evolved. Verdi's land use this phrase. I have absolute authority,
right so now we have this whole. Nowhere does. How can you say this, and you know that the left is saying this is horrible and and and appropriately you know, Federalist and you know with constitutional conservatives- are like this is a horrible display of monstrous terrible
like he means it is how to get an occasionally the president doesn't mean now, it's. I think it's fine frontier blow back. I think it's a good that people say no to the presence of the United States does not have absolute authority to do anything ever. There is no such thing as absolute authority of our system
the people are the are the sovereign and there is no sovereign in the United States. All that's good. Like it's a kind of teachable moment,
but the notion that he means it. He doesn't mean it. He saw in this comes into his mouth- is what comes into his head to respond to some provocation of the last
twelve seconds well, and this is where the opposite of later. This is where I think your beer earlier point on is correct in that
the media does have a likes to after these mobile,
where he you know, has an outburst like a toddler after being goaded, he should
do that you're right, but than me
here, then loves to dawn the sanctimonious mantle of- oh, my god, we're just doing our job here, we're just pursuing the truth and look at this crazy person when in fact they are actively poking.
Bear and they know they're doing it in their doing it for ratings, and he and CNN in particular, in this, it's like watching a really bad marriage. The two of them are just like at each other in poking each other. They know exactly how to push each others buttons, but they're both obviously getting something out of it as well.
And they're, not in it. So there there is a kind of its the sanctimonious media reaction when they, when they provoke trumped that drives me now,
even though Trump himself, my god, I wish you would just calm down and not take the bait every time because yeah he sets
sell for being called dinner, the mad King George, after a press conference at last and were also they do not do this. They do provoke. But what's it legitimate about the question of the president and his administrations touting his own record, saying? What precisely did you do in February? The answer is: none nothing right which, by the way, is, could be justified by circumstances. If anyone who is interested in justifying it, but the president then goes about and establishes the
predicate fur, this rhetorical war with the governor over something new governor of York over something that will never happen, and I know you didn't make that happen, president. It yet well, but that, but that is also I mean, but the press is also in the same way that they were looking to to get get the rift going, but
in the present it than doktor fatty they now they now want a White House governors war over this thing that that, as John says, Trump doesn't even means something. Does anyone actually
think he means, but I think in the moment he think he has absolute authority. I think- and I don't think he's just saying it did to say it. I think he thinks I think he gets his back up its his ego. His his is very thin. Skinned
answers to say no, I'm in charge I'm in charge of the most important one I mean it's, it's a mean US psychotherapist would probably have
breakdown of worth that's coming from. But it's I don't think he's just performing their he's too angry illegally
he's rather emotional and those moments in a way that suggest those he's is speaking some kind of truth there about his feelings.
These angry to have been challenged on think he's angry because he wants to institute
a policy that the other interesting thing is usually when he says something completely ridiculous. Some trump supporter herb at sums you know trompe outlet will write an up at a p saying actual
Donald Trump is correct. He does have the sole power to reopen the country
but no one. No one is even done that this time round they came up because it contradicts the actual administrations policy
penda. Trying dogging ACT is federalist with the president is now saying is that my administration is wrong. The cognitive dissonance there is sort of hard to get your head,
if you have even in our little bit of integrity, but what he said last week
which he got the EL. That four was you know where the backstop, the federal government, is the backstop on emergency response. The governors are supposed to take the lead and we can help if we can, but we are not supposed to be the deliver. The ventilators every state government is supposed to have prepared itself for a pen
MAC and then, and then there was all this. How dare he is he's leading from behind all remember, leading from behind exemption that is actually true. Fema is not to lead a giant c on crises in the United States. This, the state governments own emergency, any state government's own emergency response is, is the first line of defence.
Against an emergency crisis, and then the federal government can respond by having money or providing logistical helper. Helping to you now break down barriers between states and stuff, like that. If there are things or if that's necessary, but that's it like that, and so he went it was convenient for him because he was getting attacked for firms
I'm being you know a dictator. He then several I'm not supposed to be a dictator which was correct,
and now because he got into a fight with Paul rid of CBS. Now he is a dictator. I have absolute authority, I'm a private figure with absolute authority has even want he the ito, because one absolute authority, just doesn't he just wants to have a get into a Emily.
Hold dramaturgy is because there is no enemy in the virus. The media are the enemy heat. He needs to create a dynamic in which he is fighting an enemy, but there is no. There is no enemy, because in fact, even the Democrats that he would like to fight with like one.
When new, some in various other people, he he and his men have decided- have made up a prudent calculation that they need to ally with them as much as possible and not just to help people, because they want to help people, but also politically
there's no, they getting a there at eighty percent in the polls and even Trump understands that. That's not like a good policy to attack somebody who is like twice as popular as you are. I'm just saying that
The it's like gum ever know. Anybody who, like a really terrible relationship with them with their mother and, like I, had girlfriends like this, like each other,
terrible relation with their mother and then every day it's like
believe what my mother just said to me. You know that it's like she said this granted she's terrible but, like she said the same thing yesterday aims will say the same thing tomorrow. Egg I mean do you have no capacity for like a certain amount of emotional distance you now I an end. So it's like that,
we get into this link basically argument with Trump, and then she had two thousand tweets from everybody in her profession. Saying you go you're, fantastic, don't know, no one should ever don't mess with Paul red boy. Let me tell you you don't like that. Like that dynamic is
No one should ever don't mess with Paul red boy. Let me tell you you don't like that, and it's like that dynamic is very predictable and completely of noxious ran. It does create an incentive structure to be less than professional. I don't think Pollard is really the offender here, but there are quite a few reporters
you have asked superfluous questions that are really of noxious based on only on their intuition, and then they get blow back from the president and the entire industry says of Europe. This is this woman. This man is the best our profession has to offer. How dare Messer heroism myself
But of course the other thing about about this Paul everything is APOLLO. Reed was the one who, earlier in the press conference, asked Anthea fatty. If he had been coerced into saying things that weren't you now attacks on Trump or some thousand that now and at, and he got he he got quite prickly about it and respective yeah. What could she was? She was
I mean if he hadn't I didn't choose questioning, is integrity so and then you get that all things like well, that was a tough question, but that was a good question.
Familiar to say something like whether they set up a beating your wife. That's me: wait you're, trying just get him on the record. Saying yes, I mean I'm a whore, I mean it was. It was blowing up their their attempt to too. You know too
widening reft, you look ass, he was he was saying. The administration has
Our guidance every step of the way you as has vowed, recommendations every step of the way, and then that was not that's not what they wanted to hear right.
Well I mean the whole point about this is I think this is the thing that gets me.
And maybe this is true, but this always but
This is a moment, is, as we keep saying, an unprecedented moment of crisis, and none of this matters like to say that none of it matters live it matters to the matter. The trump didn't do things in February. Yes, is that something is going to be located. Judah caves in disgust from now, not only until the election, but like four for a decade. Yes, how are you gonna sort through
blame yes, but that these daily fight, don't matter and what is going on here is a is a is a kind of watching. The, though, doesn't feel like back as were all in the media in all its like watching gnats buzzing around something you know it's not. The trumpet trump is not very good at Swat swatting away than that's really. But none of this you know well, are you get our did? Did you did you? Let voucher speak it? Yes, why didn't fatuous begin? Yesterday's press conferences? Was these press conference,
All that stuff is like Trump is either going to win or lose. You know he's either going to win in November, he's going to lose in November, he's either going to be blown out or he's going to survive, based on the sense of how the nation thinks he responded to this after six months of it- and I mean maybe you're setting the table for a conversation about that, but I really think so. I don't think that any of this,
even remotely meaningful and because of the button pushing they push these buttons and say he's doing a bad job and do articles in which some chat group. You know someone finds a list of emails that shows that medical professionals knew that things were going to be bad and then he creates a video to show that he was great and it's it's. A kind of
Pavlov you they each have a pebble opium response to each other, and none of it is going to matter. I dont believe, as I think I think the does better in this sense, I think there's a kind of cathartic.
Feeling that it gives both sides who were involved in this sort of
theatre right, a theatre for them for the Euro. The CNN contributor or the reporter who one so I can get the? U go girl tweets for a couple for forty. Eight hours is theatre for Tromp who wants a stage and who is most comfortable on as we discuss before, probably misses the the adulation of the crowds and that's it
He reminds me a lot of Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton when he had to get away from crowd, certainly become really at the edge
and and more short tempered and his briefings and stuff. You know when that when they had a kind of unlocked out when he was out among the b, he loved to shake hands, love to see people trump slightly different temperament, but still loves that adulation. I think that the cathartic aspect of it for the both of those parties is genuine. It's just really, I feel like I'm.
Absolutely watching the same car accident every night. Acknowledgement that media that that's the problem for the american people as part of the catharsis
for the people in charge and for the media. Is there really really is difficult to absolutely pinpoint blame on one individual or one institution for the failure here, because its widespread? It's also a virus, not not a foreign enemy in the same sense, and we ve talked about that before, but I think for them it is actually serving a cathartic function in the rest of us who have to watch it. That suffer would be one thing if this
was happening in isolation of the president was only giving these these briefings. We didn't have anything to contrast them with, but
it level governors are doing the same thing every day and they are relatively devoid of politics which make for really kind of boring viewing, but also really informative else, guidelines and and data points as to where we are in the course of this crisis and the contrast between almost briefing which can be really difficult to watch, because it's sort of dour and doesn't really leave you with any hope, her entertainment mergers, the president's on which are very entertaining and sort of uplifting in a way
I don't know if it benefits him necessarily as well, but I just want to say, MRS aside point, but I but Como has made a concerted effort at some point to be very entertaining in these press conferences and was celebrated for it. You know like his serve, you know back and forth his brother and and whatnot and without doubt, was among the press conferences speaking of his brother, who was that a guy I like personally very much Chris
I think, he's actually fund enjoyable and candid person. I have I why I guess I wouldn't say that
the mind, but I really like him
he went on a serious ex em. He is apparently a serious ex some show and dumb. He said he doesn't. He doesn't approve or like what he does for a living and then he feels like he's peddling nonsense and then it's all terrible. Ah, ah, this is one of the most interesting.
Things. I think that as a creed occur, no one has a torrent known really. I haven't seen transcript of this, yet
full transcript, but it is pretty startling and trying to look for a quote.
I hate when he gets back to work, he's going to claim it was the fever talking right. When I don't like what I do professionally, I don't think it's worth my time. I don't want some jackass loser fat, tire bike or some guy who, like yelled at him from a street in Southampton I'll, be able to pull over and get in my space in.
A crap to me. I don't want to hear it. I want to be able to tell you to go to hell to shut your mouth. I dont get that doing what I do for a living me being able to tell you to shut your mouth, or I will do you, you guys do each other meaning because he is like a big tv star and has to mind his public reputation when somebody like a b
some on the street. He can't like get into a fistfight say I have no sympathy for that. Does link that that's the price of celebrity right now. I've got a mouth off until you're an idiot, but then you, you know, are extremely rich and do not have all the perks of celebrity. So yeah he's he's somewhere. He thinks you're smarter than his job, which is always a Dane there's no other way,
but for that wasn't the only, but he was also saying- and I don't like having to question democrats about saying things that you know they didn't mean and
I don't like having to question Republic, I'm paraphrasing Republicans, who are just tired of towing the line. You know that that he was talking about the actual meat of the job to which he tried. It sounds like he doesn't like journalism.
Being a performer boy doesn't like me to prevail right. I think what he what he wants is to have this serve hake. Why,
got up twitter right, maybe what he what he wants, he he is combative and he wants. When somebody you know like right up to his house on a bicycle and starts abusing him. He wants to go deck the guy and he can't do it like he wants to attack back, and he can't do it because he represents a cable tv that work and he can't get himself into that kind of Kant. Bialik Baldwin. He can't get himself into that kind of trouble. So, but I would say that, aside from that very specific reason that he went into this in a monologue that
the only other person. I can think who kept saying like I hate what I'm doing here and I'm a cat is, was Keith Overman about ten years ago, when he like walked off his show and MSNBC saying I can't do this anymore. All nonsense, solid garbage, you know a partially, I think, because a bomb became president he had like made his bones in attacking.
Bush and he didn't know what to do with himself with Obama's president. But it's interesting when people do this
I mean they're version there versions of it all the time like when, when the Glen back said, I'm just a rodeo
clown in everybody's. Taking me seriously like, I think there is something about this weird position that people come to occupy in the psychic wives of others.
That an honest person or a bore a person with some genuine emotion who hasn't gone totally. Two dimensional on flat, because he's on tv recognizes, is some fantasy in out of the person who had the person he is or she is on. Air bears no relation to an actual human being, and at some point, and maybe getting really sick can do this to you. You know you say there is something off here. This is not real. I am not real. I just thought it's a very interesting out of as we talk about Trump,
The present the present trump- and I mean it's also, you know- maybe his brother is like the king of the world and he's like, and here is the king of the world, and here I am sitting here. You know like
I'd say tell, I think, that's one thing: is it like his brothers actually make
policies that impact everybody's lives in a different and more concrete way, but I actually do
you just said made me think that maybe four trumpets actually the opposite right. He feels most alive when he is that two dimensional character on screen or
twitter or on you know, in a format where he's knows he's broadcasting himself, but he doesn't have to listen to that much feedback. So when it gets feedback like in a press conference he's not so happy about it, but he may. I do think that there is a way in which his personality thrives. Most in those two dimensional sort of you know he likes being that blank that Thou persona that that actually his real self. Why
I think a lot of people do. I mean I've known people who became tv stars after you now being other things in life and an in it. That's. Why said two dimensional like it flattens them and they become kind of slightly.
Caricaturist versions of themselves and they enjoy it. Because, really isn't you now face
And end up becoming a major public figure and making a huge amount of money. Isn't that better than being not famous and not,
a huge amount of money and beings, but you're not being somebody who nominally has the self respect of being a serious critic or something like that. But the truth is,
That temptation is real and it is something that people in out that sucks people in- and this is what this is, what partially, what we value in the United States right, it's like being famous, is a is of value in itself and
the boar famous you are in them and when the wealthier wharf were being famous or whatever the more incentives you have to be more and more yourself- and I remember once asking tv producer friend of my acquaintance when lost and the tv show you know
just created mysteries and then never solve them right did so. At the end of the show, there were like eighty nine plot points that they had never resolved over six seasons and
This was very infuriating fans of the show, and I said to my friend: why did they do this and he's like? Listen? I've had hidden. I've had flop,
and the thing is when you, when you have a show that to hit like lost what you wanted.
Keep your audience. So what are they love about? The show they love mystery, so you give them more mysteries. They don't they don't love the solution to the misfortunes, so you just give them.
Find more. You give them what you give the people, what they want and they'll keep coming, and so you know, if you are, I don't know Mark Levin. Who was once a very you know:
like shy, serious kind of conservatives of rights lawyer starts becoming like
screaming maniac on the radio and people like it like. This was not the mark Levine. I had I known in his. You know much younger pays, but he was given them what they want it well, but adds that and that that's a risk of cement.
Culture infecting elective office in the way that it had. I mean I think this started. Obama was a perfect example of this.
There was the whole celebrity glow with which he ran and one and then one reelection was consider.
Anodyne in fine because the policies tended to comport with mainstream media people,
the word who were giving in this adulation and ninety
and he played into an and worked for him truck did a version of the same thing I mean the celebrity culture is his that that's who he is, and I think that
we are seeing now is, if you have someone who either doesn't surround himself with people making good policy judgments on his behalf and and gets too involved in fighting his little wars, things don't get
I mean you, couldn't you can argue against the Paul. I disagreed with the low the policy choices the Obama administration made, but you didn't feel an entire lack of competence, like you do sometimes with the Trump administration, but that solar,
He culture I mean it's not you know, we see it in senators and
presented like we sought with the squad when they were elected. It's it's very dangerous. It does not. It has serious consequences for how we understand our institutions and our leaders
very true ranch over also, but that's the political aspect- and I think in in this Chris cuomo- ran to on,
on satellite radio. You see that this cognitive dissonance of how
how do I home? How do I be an inauthentic person and be a tv dues celebrity star at the same time you know
The only person who remained that I've known who remain entirely incompletely himself despite becoming a mass of tv star, was Charles Grammar, who was exactly the same person, although I think you know, like marginal mildly happier, because he was you know so adulator it in an head
had taken. This is life had taken this unexpected turn into massive american celebrity. But of course, Charles had you know much more difficult things to deal with them,
more existential life problems to handle. Then you know the than that than the says: seductions or temptations of fame, so
Let what are we moving? Can we actually have an election? There was an election. Wasn't there was an actual or not. Last night was last Tuesday, but they took them, but he no six days count the boat either these two things, one of which was Biden, blowing up sanders away. For the last time I, with her, was a twenty point: victory at thirty point, victory in in Wisconsin primary
maybe we have that number. I think it was twenty, but I'm not sure and then a, but that wasn't really the issue that was once a primary was election for the states, Supreme Court and the after observe ten years of republican or twelve years of republican triumphs and convey taking control of that court. A dad democratic candidate, one this ten year term, hum and by a very convincing margin, so
The only question is for harbinger of four November is the scene of the canary in the coal mine the way the special elections were in seventeen and eighteen for further gigantic democratic victory November of eighteen
Well, I have a small observation and probably won't go anywhere beyond that. Little observation I meant that offer, but this election probably deserves to have asterisks in part because of the conditions that prevailed when it was held, and it was
briefly. The republican legislator was battling with the democratic governor,
or whether or not to hold this thing, paralysis prevailed for many many weeks and the afternoon before the vote, the governor said: that's postpone this thing into June and went to the democratic up democratic governance states Supreme Court said it has to be held on that day and as long as absentee ballots are marked on that day.
And the states of pre court, or rather the Supreme Court of the country and revealed and then said by five four margin. With the conservative majority saying not asked to go forward as it is, you can hold it open that would change the nature of the election, so went forward, much lower participate
as a result, and everybody was pretty angry who participated in it. So I was a problem, but nevertheless, Democrats gotta result they want and the knight of the election results. Yesterday Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez wrote this tweet quote in the face of unprecedented voters. Suppression efforts by Republicans, judge Steel Kerensky has one
its content Supreme Court race by by ten points so up. I wonder if anyone's gonna really
ruminate on the implications of the notion that Democrats have one this election that was quote marred by republican voter suppression efforts. Does that challenge the legitimacy of anything and if it doesn't why and when applications are there that just that seems like there's the rhetoric here that they reach for which is very superficial and very opportunistic. Then they dont fully comprehend the implications
just like Republicans when the issue charges a voter fraud in elections, they win dont fully comprehend the
claims that they're making.
Well, I'm in the other way of looking at it is it's like you see, even despite the media, is you no evil baleful influence? Republicans when elect
so even despite the Republicans load
suppression efforts when the people need to speak, they will speak
Ultimately, the legitimacy of the election is in question, but we one well,
Unless, when you, when, of course, nigher recognise, wait now because your swimming against the evil tied and yet you know they can't they they get out, they they will never. They will never suppress our freedom as Bluely Wallace, says, of brave heart or whatever is in contact with a camera.
For when it where they will be another Jews control the world whenever, wherever milk himself a moment to say no, I thought what striking about this is that the rule that the election ended up basically being held on the grounds of the Republican Republicans wanted to hold.
In the end and they they lost by ten points. So how do we want to slice said they? They thought that the Democrats or trying to steal it day, prevailed in their view of how the election should be run, and the Democrats one a landslide, thus suggesting that if the democratic version had had had prevailed Democrats, my
one by more and they were again arguing. I think, on the basis of their of their priors in this sense, which is that they thought that you know. Damn Democrats are the ones who are gonna steal the selection, and so we need to have it despite the virus right we need, we need, I dont, let the don't let a governor every like say we're not having this election causes, trying to steal it and- and you know Republicans turn out,
election day and global Bob. Well, maybe not I mean the behaviour of voters in the face of a pandemic is now
I'm going to follow the pattern that you wish to follow. You know, particularly if your voters are say disproportionately
elderly, while not going well they're, not gonna, go stem online overreact weight which suggests that you know that
The argument that mail in voting always benefits Democrats might also not prove to be. If, if that, if we see that
November, by not also prove to be, the rule is always long has been. I think that's very true in this sense, which
You know yeah p,
who are people who are stirred to vote will vote, and so the idea that Balin voting will benefit. Democrats seem three based in part on the fact that, where the states that have gone very heavy into mail in voting are very democratic statements, but that does it, but that's putting the cart before the horse like you would be an example of you know I donno Mississippi being a male and state, so you could know whether whether Pygmalion State would still maintain the republican, decisive republican advantage or West Virginia, or something like that. Clear.
Really there? This will, in the absence of an incredible clear up, be a melon election in November. I be unless the virus burns itself out in July, and no one guys between July and October, there's no way it can't be. How does it can anybody think of a way in which
this will not end up being a male and election. Now I agree with you
and I thought I think when it is by the way that I think is part of the reason bringing to see so many accusations of fraud and suppression and, like you know,
trickery, because people who sail on you know you put this thing in the mail and then who knows what happens to it from United
there is a sense of connection to the election when you're actually show up, and this this this is gonna lino create this
sense of insecurity. Hanging Chad hanging Chad will be a grunt will seem. Quite I don't know. If I do agree, federal government does not hold elections, states holding
some states will go to all male imbalance, some states will not. Some states will have. Poles will probably have both
and also many states are going to open up a lot sooner than I think. A lot of people would like very soon within the next couple of weeks,
turning to see federal officials acknowledge that out of necessity, look we had an opportunity to do this right. We had an opportunity to pay people not to work. We have an opportunity to pay employers to keep payrolls open. We didn't do it, wouldn't do it in time. There is no more time. People are gonna need to start opening up and start working and that's gonna be the status quo that will prevail into May June July August September, and not a lot of states- and I was States- will have a much more relaxed relationship with their environments. Then places like New York, New Jersey, California, ok, Republicans, are going to one
there could be a male and is once once all the dusk clears and people think this through carefully. Republicans are going to want this to be a male in election, because maybe states will open
and maybe they'll be there. So maybe they'll be that, and it will still be the case that it will be dangerous for people
over the age of sixty five to stand in crowds and republican,
me. I'm not arguing that. I'm just saying that this notion, yes, you're right, that the state mad manner place and time of elections is a state function except for the date right. The date of the presidential election is set by the constitution, but this place manner in time of the election is set by the states. Republican states are going to want there to be,
Ellen Election- every single one of them- they are alone. It is a good what I don't agree that, just by virtue of how you ve seen these lockdown orders on
old across the country. I don't know how you can say that republicans are of one mind on this, because when it becomes clear that this people who remain at risk
are. Ninety percent of them are over the age of sixty republic,
are going to want there to be a bail and election taxes is not Texas, which apparently
I believe I may I maybe I have this entirely backwards, but I read about this yesterday, so either I'll be there.
Only writer until totally backwards, Texas makes it all but impossible to vote. Absentee Texas will not want elderly voters and Texas Republicans will not want elderly voters in Texas Tab notes
waste but to go line up at the polls, because many of them will not go line up at the polls. Their doctors will tell them not to go out onto the lineup
the pulses ably got relatives over the age of seventy. You know my paradigm, but out of the apartment and in five weeks, because the idea and granted there if they're much older than seventy but you're not was to go outside now that some of that is just not going to change.
Even when the states open up that doesn't mean the states won't open up, but that it will be a republican interest to make it easy
Europe for the elderly to vote is what I'm saying.
Because of the young, don't have much to fear. Then you have that's the irony. That's where these things of shift, I think around in time now, will see because yeah that'll be state by state, nor that when Trump says when Brow,
parts girl comes to trumpet says you know we need the ninety percent. Participation of all of our voters are we're gonna be screwed, and he knows some. Fifty percent of them are over. Seventy and we'd better have mail and voting. You think trampled start advocating mail in Voting Yang said it was terrible a week ago that doesn't keep him from changing his mind. That's ok!
any Christina name, where do you? Where do you follow us now? I mean I agree. I think that they're gonna it from us from a sort of thirty thousand foot perspective and setting aside partisanship. I think we should be able to have a system that allows for as many people as possible to vote without risking their lives and their health
without even even setting aside, if you count the older elderly voters who won't go to the polls, then there's all the
but who are taking care of the elderly.
So who are in contact with them. Who also then might might not go to the polls as a result, and I
who think that there were too many results vision it has to be made like in August.
Yeah. No due to Revalue that lives, demographic of migrant, two hundred, but I'd honoured and fairly people vote, but you're gonna have to print every household or something is going.
To get some kind of a ballot and little grey eyes just old system in which the male goes too
I'm facility at there are an equal number of democratic and republican vote counters and blah blah blah blah blah. You know well, but that part is important, because I do think that this this election
is obviously going to be tendentious and what you dont want.
The situation where there is any room for four trump. If he loses to say it was stolen, it was stolen,
it was taught me my say it anyway, but I think you do want to be extremely transparent from the outset like this is what we're doing you're all the things we are aware of his possible issues,
Here's how we're gonna result those up front, but that is no says state by state there going to be extremely competent efforts.
That in another say that will be a disaster. We just gotta hope that that it's out the swing states where it's the most disastrous right eye fixed watch interesting, is if, if Republicans make the kind of calculation John that you're talking about Will
Liberals and the press then say this is
this is an outrage. This is wrong. We can't we can't
make it so easy, a conspiracy is significant for fur agent. Americans did to develop
by mail. This is this. Is this? Is the running away with it man? Well, you know I mean the cross pressures and all that are very very interesting.
I'm in the is is out there saying today that in a ballot, harvesting is terrible and right for fraud, and you have near the usual set over.
What are we to jump on it and say there is literally absolutely nothing true about this tweet and he's not wrong
we ve been law, is not an outlet harvesting for a long time well having to prove it in particular, in California. California has a has a system of voting system that sort it is designed to create the possibility of ballot harvesting
in an odd way, so, but Balin harvesting only takes place in certain states, a particular form of generating the vote that I once could have like last year. I could, if I could have gone into detail on, but I've forgotten
We did forget speaking for God, we forgot talking about the elderly in voting to mention that Bernie endorsed by right. This was sooner and they figured out how to do it on soon to get work quickly. Before we move on from the ballot harvesting. Point Democrats had a really big new cycle in February of last year during a special election North Carolina, ninth congressional district, that was quote marred by ballot harvest,
The left had turned on this issue in and made it a big deal because
public and one in what was supposed to be a competitive election. But everybody seems to forgotten that, because we had this, we have this now this partisan dynamic around this thing. But it's not it's not M, made up issue. The president and inventors and Democrats agreed with him all thirty seconds ago. Nobody cares, stood Bernie endorse five months. That's that's! What's interesting right now, exactly because, of course, this notion that Bernie controls as followers you know and and ended his followers matter all that much yet fine, ok, so so twenty five percent of the down her part was going to vote for Bernie it. So it's not that it does.
Matter, but just get back to this fundamental point, which is: are they not gonna prefer Biden over Trump? Now I know there were Sanders voters who then voted for Trump, but one presumes that those Sanders voters about four trump are served calculated in the forty five percent. A trump might get anyway. Yet another it's on. My question is: what is Lisbon Warren Thinking, because now about bombers coming out in Dorset Biden in the primary is over, but she's making very conspicuous show of
Holding her endorsement is, though, she has some sort of hand here. Why don't I don't wanna? She has dreadful political, instant, right, yeah right now. Clearly, why would you stop doing everything wrong right, but I mean I mean you could suppose that somebody's in your ear sang and you can pull a tete crews here and sort of play both sides in establishing itself as the alternative fin twenty for the last person to last hold out. Who was saying look I knew I knew this is what was gonna happen, but it didn't work, effort accrues, it don't look. I say I just think
Well, if you're, if you're asking why pollutant, why Elizabeth warn the acts are behaves the way she does. The answer is that in some ways this was probably heard nomination to turn to have in her pocket and she does she destroy sheep. She took herself down. Nobody took her down every single thing. She did was a mistake, every major political decision
she made was a mistake. You now the twenty three me test. You know well flip
automatic care for all the fifty trillion dollar wealth tat in every single thing she did was. It was a mistake, and so now she's continuing show the deep political skills. Then
made it impossible for when the presidency, I more see knowing you let me just guy
one other guys out. We want to talk a little bit about the dean because the New York Times and stuff, but
You say: there's a lot of pressure reopen, and I feel that myself and in part, because I think it you know, I hope that that will be able to reopen whatever reopening means. I just don't see it manifesting,
Data like the the draconian measures are popular they're, not unpopular right,
but you're starting to see. Some of these public officials who have been the harbingers of death soften their rhetorical positions, Anthony Voucher, has begun to say later, maybe we'll be that in September I got leave this morning was on a tv sang gap. Parts of this country are gonna, start opening up may not because we want to because we have two. There are no alternatives, people
not gonna, make it another four months for weeks, but we have to point out, as we ve been saying said yesterday, and all that that the government didn't shut the country down right record right that what has why, which is obliged us, the company, goes and went inside their homes and stop flying and stop going the restaurants and stop going malls? Well, that's. It was looking back its own revisionist
wasn't justness. It wasn't just individuals, it was business. Is why Europe thereabouts them? He never decisions. If I had a state governed right, but that businesses corporations are people. My friend right corporation people, I mean I was looking back through photos of by like from four or five weeks ago and of my family. We took a dry after our schools are worried and clubs
we took a drive to be the nations most successful outlet. Mall would very common about an hour north of New York just to go somewhere and walk around, and you don't go to some stores
everything and them always forfeits closed. There were no shut down orders. Cromwell is already saying there should nothing should shut down its there. You know they're, like thirty. Five million people go to this place a year and there were like six of us. I mean I've I've, this video of me walking out of a thirty second video me walking round one of these
small town areas, as are all set up like little villages. This outlet malls right so and we are the only people there is like an arrow stem and now let us that was eight or nine days before the shelter in place. Order.
That's how it will begin to unravel the closer they, the smaller, the firm them or local the fur,
the closer to the ground. It is the more likely it is to open before gradually larger, more NASH.
Was statewide. National entities will follow suit. Maybe I mean the other thing: is you open and then how many
Do you have worked for you other cases, so the other night we ordered in from a kosher for it that there are restaurants and open on pass over and will serve culture for Passover foot. There's a stake ass in New York that we went. We drove to to get some food and bring it home very successful restaurant on the Upper EAST side. So we we ordered, and we don't want them to deliver. It was taken five hours deliver, so we went to get it walk in and
there are three people there. You know the proprietor, I think his wife and then delivery guy and then some people in the kitchen.
And they were doing everything so like. I had to wait twenty minutes to have my food bagged, because that all these bags, because people were ordering from them- and you know
yes, so you'll reopen a restaurant, will we open and into people do in the restaurant them when you order your food it'll take an hour for it to come, and now
he'll be sitting there? They won't have any waiters. They won't have any staff because they can't afford it and because they can only have five people in the restaurant or something for social distancing reasons and your
Can we go back to the restaurant costs can be unpleasant experience to go to the restaurant because it's not normal it'll feel worse than not, then going to it'll feel worse than being home. That's my crushing
possibly out of your budget, privilege lobby. Let me give you one example that maybe not tomorrow switches there there's also a lot of especially small businesses. I noticed syrian Deasey Alot of adaptability, so there are places that have turned themselves into like
the grocery stores. You know they still have supplier sending them stuff. They they have. You never see essays another farmers access to to farmers and to the bill bill. Had these boxes of producer boxes, of like eggs and
How can it switches week to week? You have to obviously be pretty flexible, but they are
You know that there is one that will it was a catering business and now they're just parking themselves in
in a bank a couple different bank parking lots around town different neighborhoods couple times it
he can delivering these things. You can also get food. That's been pre made, you know like if you want to hold dinner for they'll. Do that, but they are,
they are there. They also will sell toilet paper
hotels when they have him. So
There are a lot of businesses that are trying to adapt their trying to keep, as many people on the payroll is possible mean. I am hopeful that that
It will be difficult for restaurants and forget about theatres and others that that's gotta come later, but I am somewhat hopeful that the,
creativity of as the creative aspect of capitalism and free markets,
did it get up? Did there are opportunities here for businesses that make an effort and can do that so that somewhat heartening from adjusted a basic understood just element
the understanding of how people adapt distance, difficult adverse situations
when something becomes a new normal people treat it like normal and they will engages in as much risk mitigation as possible, but they do not languish in conditions that range from bad to suicidal.
Wherever bill here, I'll move before guidance to do so we're not talking about for anyone else
but this is an unsustainable condition for four weeks period. You, but I think, we're that, but it's not like Noah in high level.
It really is, as I know it feels that way, but it isn't. I mean
I'm sorry, but a lot of Britain ignore the first checks came out last week: you're not gonna, get a Czech until May. If you have a paper check, I simply added you can't live like that, but you're gonna have no choice.
It's like saying that people can't be unemployed than a recession.
An engineer recession, so if you don't have customers
a mechanic and no one's driving their car and they don't bring it to you. You can fix it or make money. I mean I lived, so you don't mechanic he's making money for here's the thing, but how will he put our twin? Does John fight for with a high weights, in LOS Angeles, have five percent capacity.
You see these pictures of the four or five or the five for the or the or the one on one.
There's no one driving. There are no car accidents
There are no there's no reason of an oil change. No gasoline is being sold in the United States. I'm just saying, like that's what you can't reopen, I favour Evan. Sorry, that's right! I think no is point about adaptability, we'll be right,
We put to the test if and when, and unfortunately I hope I have. I hope this doesn't happen if and when there is a post reopening optic cases and aspirations and whatnot is that, as sir is
circumstance that that humans will adapt to the new normal that that will adapt to Anne and forged through and keep going out. I dont know: ok, listen to this statistics
We are now at about twenty four thousand deaths in the United States attributed to to covet nineteen. The most optimistic projection says that there will be sixty thousand deaths. That means that word not we're not even halfway there. Yet so New York is going to see its death toll, basically reach zero by the end of April. So New York will, you know, is supposedly because that
yeah, because it's in it it's a it's a it's an epidemic. It's an epidemic levels here and I don't know how many people are going to die here
but supposedly we're gonna see sixty thousand deaths? That's the lightest number than any was come up with, which means that
gonna role elsewhere and the numbers
seeing here, maybe that'll, be spread out over over forty states or something like that or not, and so all the pain at work. Sperience in here people are
experience elsewhere? Who have an experience that yet, and maybe sixty thousand, is too low a number, maybe it'll be seventy five thousand. Maybe it's only sixty
because all the other social distancing stuff is working, and so
oh yeah, maybe they'll give people a false sense of security or not because all
is the more you know: people who have people who have gotten sick or have relatives who have died.
The harder it is to reopen. So
I don't wanna, be a peasant. Believe me, I want my kids to go back to school. I want them to go to summer camp,
I dont care whether baseball reopens
the summer and I don't really care football opens in the fall. That's that's me. You know I'm not an ordinary person, but but I do care that, like you know, people the aren't twenty four,
people are not employ, but I you know they can't just employ themselves magically. I mean some people can some people are. You know
The arts are small burial, entrepreneurial and that way, but most people are not entrepreneurial. That was always the problem with the Romney pension. Twenty twelve, if you remember, was you know the forty seven prince like most people, don't go and start their own businesses. Most people don't insect freelance lives they
for other people. They work in larger businesses, that's what most people do and you can't expect them to turn into.
Go getting entrepreneur, it's not in their make up. Nor should it be because most small businesses face. Oh I've him
Ninety per cent of something of all small businesses veiled at any given moment or new new businesses. That are
ceptin anyway, I'm just
I'm only saying that I wish it were so, but I just don't see, see how now can we stop for a minute and then move on and talk for like five minutes, and I will go about this New York Times interview with the editor of the paper deem the cat by by Ben Psmith about why the times took so long to write about or cover the
sexual miss ad aware when you call it sexual bad behaviour, allegations against Joe Biden by his former aid terror red
Well, it's very simple: it's because the american people weren't really talking about it and they didn't know who she was. So why should the types cover such a non entity? But this was one argument there.
Also was buried there. The fact that it, you know
they want to make sure that dividing campaign is on board with what their writing there is? There is a mention till they go. The campaigned in really likes of the language we use in some of the phrasing, so we had to kind of make a correction to the bees came up. It is you know, good. On Ben,
for asking the right questions in and I think before this peace came out here to ask on Twitter
like what should I be asking like the people I work with about this. It was the most
and persuasive cringe inducing q, and I
you and I have seen in the times and in a while in that saying something right. So I should really read this passage. So Ben asks his new boss deem the cat the following. I want to ask about some edits that were made after publication. The deletion of the second half of this sentence quote the times found no pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr Barton,
on the hugs kisses and touching that women previously said made them uncomfortable backing. My head with my hand right now, it's why
You do that, meaning. Why was the second half of the sentence beyond the hugs kisses and touching the women previously said, made them uncomfortable? Why was that deleted? And here is
I can't answer, even though a lot of us, including me, had looked at it before the story went into the paper. I think that the campaign thought that the phrasing was awkward and made it look like there were other instances in which he had been accused of sexual misconduct and that's not what the sentence was intended to say so move so the campaign called the cat and said you know, G that sends is really awkward and the kids like awkward. We ve got to get it out of their story right.
Oh we don't want an awkward sentence, many so mean, but yeah, let's make what you don't know what I've done, what they call them and said they said: what are you crazy? Don't you wanna be trumpet November? Why are you doing this to us? Are you insane brush back petrograd access? That's no way a day date. Theirs-
abreast back that day they call the knave endocrine Marianna same age. They probably thought they were protected from from any sort of
get a response from the Biden campaign because they make sure to put in their unit to revive the Trump allegations to basically say like well he's not by tromp. You know, even whatever this woman says knows, that has trump, but for for consumers for kids
it is following this story. It has been said
aside the legitimacy of her allegations, which obviously they do their a lotta holes in her story. Just like a lot of us said there were in Christine Blasi affords a story in De Sings
it should be thoroughly investigated. In particular, since you filed a complaint, that's another thing by the way the people pointed out is that the times made sure to note that filing a false police report is is a bad thing, something they haven't noted in.
When the accusations made against republic- and I might add, but this the standard that the that the times has set for me to style complaints has now
Ben met. In this case they delay the story. They made sure to pat it with
what kinds of references signal to trumpet to others to downplay to dig. You have not given this
whence claims the same legitimacy that they have granted to others, that I dont think they should be giving legitimate
to do a lot of these claims, but its very clearly dependent.
The partisan leanings of the man who has been accused, I thought, by the way, that it was a very good story. We I said this the other day. I thought it was a good story. I find her story incredible. I think that it is perfectly fine to talk about, binds handiness and whether or not it makes people uncomfortable and to point out that this is something about him. That's a real thing, and if it bothers people about us, we will have it. Doesn't it doesn't. That does not rise to the level of sexual misconduct or be no forcible sexual touching, or something like that in the case of terrorists, who did not does not strike me as a credible accuser,
and by the way, Christine Blasi for despite her extremely effective performance alive in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Did not strike me as a particularly credible accuser either, and you know I think
she didn't over. The house was, you know where she didn't know. Who else would
The party she didn't know how she got home. She didn't know she this end,
All anyone ever had to do if they they just wanted to believe or right. They wanted to believe or I dont have. I don't particularly want to believe disbelieve tarried. I don't care, but yeah I mean it's it's. What interesting is not that the two and the times that a story that I thought if it had done such a story about Christine,
lousy for that would have been good, but of course they didn't you know, and then they added completely unsubstantiated allegation
which, day in their own group reporting said we cannot substantiate a single one of these charges and yet they did
Don't worry from that, these other what that was bail, and that was the guy's yeah, but for part the both have the same target which was bright cabinet. So I think in this case I mean, I think it is fair from four conserved
look conservatives we tie ourselves out, you know going, the mainstream media is biased, but this is a pretty clear case of handling a similar situation against public figure in very different ways and bag. Hats, and we did not hung him right- will find itself what what what has been going on for less rears, fox and trunk Trump and Fox Hawks foxes, so evil foxes zero
Think television. All this when they enter the New York Times says I cut us. I cut a sentence out of a peace, because the campaign thought it was awkward how's that any. How is that any different? I mean that's a kind of that. That was a fascinating but afraid to say. Look, let's cut the crap of been. Obviously we are on the same page with the Bible campaign. We wanted the feed trump and we don't want to harm this effort. While fine, you know what that's all you know, that's the classic gaff right, it's it's! It's a mistake, because you tell the truth. Instead of instead of instead of providing spin, no rights, credit alter the rights that they have not treated. These allegations in the same way
The left treated the allegations against brick cabinet, which was to greet them with total credulity and to shout down anyone who noted that the evidentiary standards they were applying were not commensurate with what you,
fly to an actual criminal allegation where the statute of limitations is in doubt did
right has generally approach this by just illustrating the hypocrisy and double standards at the left, treats allegations of gross abuse and sexual assault and dumb with some exceptions, and that, Sir generally good I mean, makes them
responsible, almost insurmountable, and I think it's off don't you should probably give them a lot of credit for being the more responsible
as an ideological movement, the more responsible party here at its also tactically wise, because
any to do otherwise would be to overshoot and end to invite you noted to sort of bring all sorts of
non credible things to bear on the case and that certainly the temptation and to resist the temptation is a mark of maturity. Also, once again, I think that with this man,
now those matters because we have a met. We haven't. We have an issue that is going to overshadow everything everything everything selection is gonna, be conducted on how the administration responds to the virus, and if the public thinks that it did well, Trump will be re elected if the public thinks that he did poorly trumpet lose and everything else is a site
now, I mean that's what happens when there's a major issue if there had been an election right after nine eleven, you know there there's been an election day. Sixteen months have
nine hundred and eleven, the only thing we would have been talking about- was nine eleven and we are basically in a nine eleven such
patient now and of the very idiotic of the disease, makes it impossible for it to not be the central topic. Because of this question of whether or not even if a guy
the way in July, whether it's gonna come back in September October, and what the planning is gonna be for that and if we over
plan? We overshoot than the administration will be blamed for you now double dipping the recession, and if we don't and more people die, then it will be blamed for having participated in another round of fabulous. So
You know that I just you know, maybe I'm wrong. I I've been wrong before I don't see how you know what I did was Biden hands. He feel if, if, if you know, if Trump work a Pope Francis, maybe that wouldn't be
you know that wouldn't be. That would be an issue there were, can be a nice contrast from finds out can be running and trump because he, like you know he he there are credible allegations that he, you know he was a sexual salter, he's running against them, based on how he behaved with the virus,
so with that we will have Jim eggs on tomorrow. I just want to say by the way that we're now rang, credibly long, but over the last
for weeks as we ve gone daily, it's very heartening to see our audience is growing and growing were now serve like we ve.
We ve increased about twenty percent from
we were when we when we started and we had a very healthy audience them too. So thank you offer for listening and were landing.
Enjoying or getting some you know, entertainment or
Marathi or whatever it is from our from our efforts yourself for Christine name. No, I'm job,
warts keep the camera.
Transcript generated on 2020-08-04.