you almost couldn't design a crisis for which donnie was so ill-equipped to handle

[unblock]

sometimes the times define a presidency. some presidents rise to the occasion, others muddle through.

despite all his serious defects, donnie has some traits that can sometimes be effective, and his presidency could have played out differently. his bullying and blustering could have worked if his presidency solely involved pushing other people around, especially if they were weak.

but the traits and skills required to lead a nation through a pandemic are almost diametrically opposed to whatever of use it is that donnie brings to the table (which isn't much, of course). it requires a calm, reassuring, leader with gravitas, who can comfort and unify a nation and let us know he is on top of the math and the science, someone who can help us through the practical, social, and economic challenges while dodging health challenges and waiting for a solid medical solution.

donnie is none of these things.


the religious right-wing loves to claim that god sends us hurricanes because he's angry about gays or whatever. i'm loathe to play that game (especially being an atheist), but if there was a god, it would make a lot of sense for him to look at donnie and say, hey, let's throw him a pandemic to illustrate just how horrible a decision it was for anyone to have ever voted for him....

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Your comment about God sending the pandemic to make a point

about choosing leaders kind of makes sense, or at least it would if one believed God exists. I'd throw it at the next fundie who claims Trump was chosen by God - tell him that God sent the virus to show you what can happen if you don't use the fucking brain God gave you when you choose your leaders.

[unblock]

3. indeed. the solution is always prayer and sending money to churches and doing nothing.

the lord moves in mysterious ways, and we can never understand him and his plan is ineffable, but somehow they know it's definitely not through science and math and technology and medical advances and so on....

[BeyondGeography]

2. "God writes straight with crooked lines."

If there ever was a situation that fits that quotation to a tee, we’re looking at it.

[grumpyduck]

4. Crisis?

That piece of amoeba excrement probably couldn't handle dropping a piece of toast on the floor.

[unblock]

5. true, but it's been challenging making that obvious to more than a slight majority of america

i think this crisis has the potential to actually cut through to some of his core support, in a way that little else seems to have been able to do.

even though, yes, his incompetence is blatantly obvious to a majority of us....

[Caliman73]

6. He isn't equipped to handle any crisis. He is not equipped to lead...Period.

He never was equipped to do ANY kind of leadership or public service.

His antics worked as a small fish and semi-pariah in the New York real estate market. He is good at conning and manipulating people and at bullying weaker people. Other than that, he possesses nothing that would even remotely make him a good leader.

I would argue that his whole presidency has been one crisis after another with most of the crises being started by him either directly through his stupid actions, or by his inaction. He was given a solid economy and he blew a hole in it with trillions in tax cuts. Granted we don't see the effects of that for some time. He blustered us to the point of possible war with Iran. He allowed North Korea to advance its nuclear arsenal and develop missiles that can now reach the US. He abused his power twice trying to cover up a conspiracy to cheat in the 2016 election AND THEN trying to cheat in this coming election by coercing Ukraine to make up dirt on his potential (now certain) rival; for which he was impeached.

There were so many crises and scandals that they blur together.

COVID-19, because it has threatened the lives and the economic welfare of the entire nation, has shown clearly JUST how incompetent he really is. His only "skills" of bluster, deflecting blame, and playing people off one another have made the situation worse and we are all suffering. That is the difference.

He would never have had a decent presidency. He would have been mediocre at best, but likely would have continued to mess everything up just lower key.

[unblock]

8. i agree. but the demands of the times play to a president's strengths or to weaknesses

covid-19 plays to all his weaknesses.

maybe if china had a weak leader or bigger internal political problems, his tariff crap might have worked.
maybe if some external terrorists actually launched a big attack, his stupid macho response would surely have played very well politically (even as it made matters worse).

but dealing with covid-19, he's got nothing. he can't bully it away or convince people that people aren't dying, he can't just badger a vaccine into existence. he really has no tools in his arsenal.

i agree that even if things were going better for him politically, he still would have been a horrible president (nepotism, grifting, cheating, hatred, etc.) but people would have put up with it otherwise.


covid-19 highlights the need for a president who is very different from the one we have at the moment....

[malaise]

7. Some of us predicted that the only thing that would bring down these scumbags

was an epidemic or a pandemic

[unblock]

9. even that remains to be seen. november is a long time away

and the russians and the trumpies will not be idle trying to cheat their way into a second term....