Fudge

I have been perplexed at the disconnect between the spike in COVID-19 cases and the continued downward slope of the deaths from this virus ... even with a two week plus lag. How can this be? Well I have posited some reasons: the virus is weakening, there are better therapeutics, mostly young people, with less morbidity being infected, etc. But I have not considered another possibility — the new cases numbers are being fudged!

How can this happen ... and why? Well the why is fairly obvious — politics is involved ... more cases equals longer lockdowns and slower economic recovery ... equals problems for the Orangeman. 

The “how” is just now being discovered. In Texas at least, health authorities have changed the definition of those with COVID-19 from one who tests positive for this virus to, ta-da, someone who has been in close contact with this positive person ... whether this “contact” tests positive or not! Clearly, good reason to see the number of cases surge in this state ... see: Conservative Treehouse explanation.

So, can politics affect public health? You bet your bippy!

Now, kind reader, are other fudgings of case counts happening elsewhere? We will have to wait and see. But, if new cases keep surging while new deaths keep to their downward path, one would have to suspect so.

Disconnect

I've tried to make this point before ... that Trump's demeanor is like a stone around his neck ... yet he keeps moving forward identifying and solving problems for the American people. Our president's detractors are legion ... most of the media, the Deep State, Hollywood, most Democrats, higher education, establishment Republicans, George Soros and his many well-funded tentacles, suburban woman, and big tech. A very formidable set of adversaries ... yet, so far, he survives ... and keeps getting things done.

To get back to his demeanor ... he is pompous, egotistical, simple-speaking, insulting and truth stretching. And, to all these labels that the media have painted him with, add  white supremacist, liar, antisemitite, mentally unbalanced, Islamophobe, racist, misogynist, Putin puppet, autocrat, etc. It's a wonder that he has any supporters at all. Yet he packs arenas to overflowing ... while prominent Democrats pad out their meager audiences with paid-for chaff.

Yet Trump has solved or seems to be solving many of America's knotty issues, trade, economic growth, employment and household income growth, higher consumer confidence, putting North Korea and Iran in a box, stronger military, more conservative courts, solving immigration issues, fixing NATO funding, better Israel relations, squashing ISIS, etc, etc.

So how can such a bad guy do such good things? Why the disconnect between his demeanor  and his deeds? Perhaps it is because he loves his country more than himself?

Disconnect

Every time I have blogged about non-citizen immigrants voting ... see: Dog's Hind Leg, I have been ridiculed by my friends ... claiming that I am smoking something funny. Even after providing obvious evidence, I still have not really swayed many that this illegal voting activity is pervasive. Now we find that, in Minnesota, Somalis are caucusing for the Democrats and speaking only Somali in this meeting ... see: The Gateway Pundit. It seems obvious that not all these Minnesota Somalis are U.S. citizens as, I seem to recall, speaking English used to be a requirement for citizenship. And, if they are now caucusing, I am sure that they will be voting in the general election.

So there is not just a disconnect between our voting laws and the election reality, but a much more serious disconnect between what Americans believe about illegal voting and what, in fact, our government is not only allowing, but probably encouraging.