Reality check: Republicans ONLY see red and blue.

[OneBro]

President Obama consistently fought and provided for ALL Americans, whether they were in "red" states or "blue" states, and he never failed or refused federal aid to "red" states whenever disaster struck. By contrast, Trump, McConnell and their merry band of grifters are openly taking a different approach: Whenever and wherever possible, they will use the full weight, authority and economic power of the federal government to punish "blue" states for being blue, and to reward "red" states for being red.

Housing prices in blue states going up because of good governance and quality of life? Punish them by cutting the federal deduction for mortgage interest. Red states harmed by Trump's disastrous trade policies that hurt the whole country? Tailor the $28 billion bailout so that it narrowly benefits only red state farmers. Blue California suffering catastrophic wildfires? Grab a rake, Trump says, and never-mind that most California forests are federal land. Even now, as Covid-19 ravages the entire nation, Trump again makes it clear that the only federal response will be in terms of red and blue.

The harsh reality is that Governors like Whitmer, Cuomo and Newsom must assume that Trump intends to use Covid-19 to hurt them and their citizens, not help them. That's who Trump is and that's who his supporters are. It's who they have always been.

[treestar]

1. The issue is the swing states

The red states will vote for him even if he hurts them.

Would the citizens of the swing states vote for him again if he favors them in the crisis? Putting themselves above the nation? They did it in 2016 without that factor.

[OneBro]

2. I think they really do see it as a war of sorts.

Republicans have already made peace with the idea that the elderly are mere collateral damage so long as they can turn Covid-19 into a weapon against blue states.

Republicans failed to keep America safe on 9/11, then convinced America that they were THE party to "keep America safe." Clinton should have killed bin Laden in Tora Bora, they said, so blame Clinton. Now, after disbanding the US Pandemic Response Team then slashing the CDC staff in China during the Wuhan outbreak, Republicans are saying Covid-19 is somehow Obama's fault, and any failure to contain it is the governors' fault.

In short, it is only at our peril that we underestimate a republican's ability to be cruel, vindictive and dishonest. The reality is that they love and support Trump because he is who they are. In their minds it is totally acceptable if granny dies so long as it means they are somehow sticking it to the "libtards."

[treestar]

3. So true. Though the part about Granny

I would say to them don't ever tell me you are "pro-life" again!