Remember when Republicans fear mongered with hysterical ads that Democrats would defund the police and emergencies would go un-responded to? Well thanks to DeSantis, you’ll now have trouble getting through to 911 in Florida because he opted to let a pandemic surge uncontrollably. https://t.co/crXkKJqwVi
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 11, 2021
Assuming Trump isn’t around to contest it. Assuming DeSantis is still around…
lots of people dunk on DeSantis for being terrible on Covid. But this is a deep systematic look at the record and it's pretty devastating https://t.co/9meYTwDs4z via @TPM
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) August 11, 2021
… The proof is in the pudding: Florida’s case rate has jumped 60 percent over the past two weeks.
A dive beneath the surface of that data further shows the real catastrophe that’s unfolding. After all, with vaccinations protecting most people from severe illness, case counts themselves only say so much. But Florida hospitalizations have also been steadily rising, hitting 14,787 on Tuesday…
If Florida were a foreign country, the feds would consider banning travel from it, said Dr. Johnathan Reiner of the George Washington University School of Medicine, referring to the COVID-19 situation in the state this weekend.
“The viral load in Florida is so high right now, there are really only two places on the planet where it’s higher,” he told CNN. Those places, he added, are Botswana, and another U.S. state, Louisiana…
Let me get this straight: Ron DeSantis is banning mask mandates while — at the very same time — the federal government is sending hundreds of emergency ventilators to Florida as the state breaks hospitalization records?
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 11, 2021
"The reality of it is people are dying. [Gov. DeSantis'] state is in a Covid mess. It is a hot mess. If it were a country, it would be leading the globe in the number of deaths and infection rates," @MichaelSteele says. https://t.co/j1D1bZh0Yl
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 12, 2021
my latest — we’re looking at you CNN, Politico, NYT, WSJ; https://t.co/HuIZuBosh7
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) August 5, 2021
"Florida is in the grip of a Covid surge worse than it experienced before the vaccines. More than 10,000 Floridians are hospitalized," writes @paulkrugman. https://t.co/W0efs3TVe9
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) August 6, 2021
Next stop on the Trumpkin train: ‘Miracle cure’ + (probably) kickbacks!
DeSantis sets plan for Regeneron monoclonal antibodies to fight COVID-19 https://t.co/hCsXgaWKOg
— Chericane, HRH ? (@1chericane) August 12, 2021
Suspicious that Ron DeSantis is suddenly pushing Regeneron so hard
Costs $1500 per dose while vaccines are FREE. Company has a history of kickbacks
Is this another case of insider trading?
He had a call with Regeneron’s CEO last week. Any campaign donations involved?
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) August 12, 2021
Don’t DeSantis my grandchildren! pic.twitter.com/RwdRzf48cq
— Joe Domestic (@RonDoucet3) August 11, 2021
Mary G
Nobody deserves a fall from grace more than this guy. I hope parents in Florida know who to blame when their kids come down with a virus that frightens doctors.
West of the Rockies
DeSantis just looks so damn joyless… he’s mostly just authoritarian resentment, colored with a visceral thirst for power and the stench of impending chaos.
West of the Rockies
Anyone have a guess as to when an indictment might thunder down upon Gaetz, another reptilian Floridian?
dr. bloor
As long as the mediots insist on framing his homicidal negligence as “a bold strategy, Cotton, let’s see if it pays off,” he’s the frontrunner for the nomination in ’24.
Brachiator
The crazy thing is that this is fine with the GOP death cult. They have made the calculation that their freedom and a roaring economy is worth a few deaths. Worth a lot of deaths. Worth countless deaths.
And yeah, this Florida guy looks good for the GOP presidential nomination right now, even a possible VP choice if Trump runs again and doesn’t select Ivanka as his VP pick and prom date.
Ken
I still have hopes that Abbott can come from behind, with Texas’ lower density being offset by its greater population and lower vaccination rate.
Well, “hopes” isn’t really the right word…
debbie
Somewhere, Greg Abbott is weeping.
debbie
I wish I could figure out who’s advising DeathSantis…
JMG
This is a guy who didn’t win by all that much in 2018 and is assumed to be bulletproof mainly because Washington political reporters assume “Republicans win” is the default state of American politics. I don’t believe the slogan “those of you who’re still alive here, we really owned those libs” is a particularly winning one.
debbie
@Ken:
He’s too soft. Look at those counties defying his ban.
Scout211
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article253442554.html
Apparently realizing that he can’t dock school board members’ and superintendent’s salaries, he is calling on them to dock their own pay.
Scout211
Not Florida, but that emergency petition to the Supreme Court by the students of Indiana University to block the vaccine requirement was turned down by Amy Coney Barrett.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/12/politics/supreme-court-indiana-university-vaccine-mandate/index.html
dr. bloor
@debbie: Abbott can always crash the power grid if he needs to make up some ground quickly.
lgerard
As someone pointed out the other day
Florida’s Death Toll Now Exceeds DeSantis’ Margin of Victory
dr. bloor
@debbie:
Found him.
smith
The media slobbering all over DeSantis for his covid strategy is all the more galling when you look at infection rates per capita over the course of the pandemic. Florida has been decidedly middle of the pack at all times, except during last summer’s surge and right now, both times when it’s been among the worst. The is NO point in the last 18 months where you could look at FL and marvel at how well they’re doing.
MagdaInBlack
I keep asking myself who gains from this, and I haven’t found an answer. But then I’m looking at it from a (relatively) sane point of view.
Do I listen to too much Thom Hartmann? Is it really, as he suggests, about crashing the economy so the GOP can take the White House next round?
Comrade Colette
So this really belongs in the California governor recall election thread below, but it’s dead. My son turned 18 a couple of months ago and is registered to vote. Today we got our recall elections ballots in the mail. I had to apologize to him that his first-ever vote will be cast in this clusterfuck. He’s already unenthusiastic about voting or any other political action; I hope this doesn’t turn him off for good.
ETA: at least the equally dumbass but less expensive recall effort for the San Francisco District Attorney, Chesa Boudin, failed to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot for now. I begrudge every penny spent on this bullshit.
SiubhanDuinne
@Brachiator:
Won’t/can’t happen. They’re both from the same state.
Anyway
OT. Took the day off and went to the Phillies game with friends I hadn’t seen in a while. It was a hot day but we managed a little tailgating. Good game with some tension in the last out. So nice to hang out …
debbie
@dr. bloor:
You think? I figured, based on the stupidity, it was TFG.
Leto
@Mary G: Hope that fall includes a nut punch on every level down. Just that bit extra.
Morzer
Ron DeInsanity is never going to beat out the Loser of Mar-a-Lardo, but he’ll kill a lot of folks trying.
Leto
@Anyway: always nice to see a fellow Philly neighbor; my base gave my wife and I tickets to a game back in 2017 when we first got here. Had a really nice time, but definitely agree that today was too dang hot.
Ruckus
@debbie:
That’s not advice.
And if you are looking at a religious angle, he has to be in direct contact with the devil. Although I can’t imagine that the devil wants Covid in hell, even he has standards.
Roger Moore
Right wing Christians claim to worship Christ, but they actually worship Mammon and Moloch.
Ruckus
@dr. bloor:
I should have read down before I answered debbie….
bluehill
@Comrade Colette: Low turnout special election combined with an uninspiring incumbent …
Does DGA have an election fund? If so, better direct some of that GOTV money to this election.
Ruckus
Hey, I got a twitter time out!
I’m so proud.
schrodingers_cat
@Ruckus: What did you do to land in Twitmo? Curse like a sailor?
Roger Moore
@smith:
The pro-DeSantis argument was never that Florida was particularly successful at stopping COVID; it was that they had relatively few government interventions to stop COVID while still staying in the middle of the pack. People were constantly saying that COVID in Florida was going to explode if the state government didn’t do anything, but they weren’t really that much worse than California.
There is a grain of truth to that- Florida’s numbers weren’t any worse than a bunch of states that were much more aggressive in imposing rules to stop the spread- but also a lot of BS. People never strictly went by what their state governments said. Plenty of people here in California ignored the strictest rules, and plenty of people in Florida wore masks even when the state government didn’t require them. If anything, that’s an argument that the governor wasn’t nearly as important as people give him credit (or blame) for, not that DeSantis is some kind of genius.
The thing that’s happening now, though, is that DeSantis has gone beyond being governor log. Rather than just letting people do sensible things without forcing them, he’s actually interfering with people who want to take sensible precautions. I think that’s going to wind up blowing up in his face.
hueyplong
@Anyway: There was tension in the last three at bats. As a SFG fan, I was sweating it out.
Poe Larity
These words will forever be seared in my memory re Florida.
James E Powell
@JMG:
I think that he is regarded as lock for re-election because his popularity with Republican voters hasn’t declined & the Florida Democratic Party doesn’t seem to be a threat to win a statewide election.
Gin & Tonic
@Leto: The correct rendering of the phrase is “Too Darn Hot.”
Yes, Ella’s rendering is better vocally, but Ann has better legs.
CaseyL
@James E Powell: According to my Mom, who has lived in Florida for 60+ years, the most redneck parts of Florida are divided into dozens of tiny counties, while the hugely populated areas are all in a couple large counties (e.g., Dade and Broward), which means the rednecks will always dominate the State Legislature.
Statewide elections woulda coulda shoulda been a different ball of wax, when once upon a time Broward and Dade were more reliably Democratic. But Dade is pretty well dominated by Cuban and Venezuelan immigrants, for whom Democrats are anathema. Broward is about the only “blue” part of Florida left, and it is not enough to swing the whole state.
James E Powell
@smith:
The press/media promotion of DeSantis is in sharp contrast with their treatment of governors who didn’t do things that made more people get sick & die.
No one outside of their states has heard a word about Kate Brown, Jay Inslee, or Tim Walz. California is doing well despite all its many challenges, but the only thing they say about Newsom is he had a maskless dinner at the French Laundry. It’s the EMAILS!!! of the recall campaign.
VOR
@Roger Moore: I have little faith in the COVID statistics coming out of Florida. One known way data was massaged was the exclusion of all non-Florida residents from the tally. That means all those snowbirds wintering in Florida were not counted.
Leto
@Gin & Tonic: you know, I’ve heard of the musical but have never seen it. That’s some flashy dancing though. I see that they also did a 2019 Tony Awards show presentation that looks pretty good too.
scav
@SiubhanDuinne: Nah it can. Not prohibitted really, only matters in certain circs and quick drivers licenses (esp for the multiply second homed) are easy.
debbie
Oh, FFS:
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Roger Moore:
anecdata, but two different friends whose wealthy parents live in trumpy enclaves on opposite sides of the state (Marco Island and…. Boca? I forget exactly) said those rich old people were very careful with their own health
Gin & Tonic
@VOR: Another factor skewing the vaccination data is the foreigners flying into FL to get vaccinated. A *lot* of Latin Americans with the means did so (pretty much all my DIL’s extended family from CDMX, f’rinstance.)
Gin & Tonic
@Leto: Not necessarily wild about the musical, but that’s perhaps my fave Cole Porter tune. I mean, who could write
According to the Kinsey report
Every average man you know
Much prefers his lovey dovey to court
When the temperature is low
?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@scav: What did Cheney do in the summer of 2000? Open a PO Box in Wyoming? Of course, he was going home…. Thinking about it, FL is the only state that I can think of where trump owns property and has a political base (NY, NJ, VA, CA, IL… am I missing any?)
mrmoshpotato
I love quotes like this. Mike, tell us more about the hot mess party that you chaired for 2 years – including during the racist “Tea Party.”
Leto
@Gin & Tonic: Hahah, ok, that’s good :)
West of the Rockies
To answer my own question, the Daily Kos lead story presently has someone saying Gaetz could be indicted by late August or early September.
Nettoyeur
@Brachiator: Thanks to deSantis and Abbott, we are heading to 700K total COVID deaths. This is greater than the total of all US combat deaths in the 20th C.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Did we do this already?
I’m guessing NBC is getting out the same money-trucks it used when Ted Danson let it be known he was bored playing Sam Malone after ten years. But who knows?
MisterForkbeard
@West of the Rockies: True, but it doesn’t seem to be based on anything in particular. It’s a guess from a fairly informed bystander, essentially.
zhena gogolia
@Gin & Tonic:
I thought it was Much prefers to play his favorite sport
At least that’s how it is on my original cast album
With the inimitably great ALFRED DRAKE, who originated the role of Fred Graham, and whom Howard Keel is not worthy to tie the shoes of.
Cermet
While not relevant to this thread, nice to see that the fall of Afghanistan is rapidly accelerating; our useless bombing that also kills civilians will, at least, end sooner rather than later.
Steeplejack
Where is Omnes? Scaramouche coming up on TCM in 20 minutes!
scav
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I doubt they’d be worried about geographically balancing the ticket and we are talking TFG who’s tether to the logical is antagonistic. It would probably appeal to his ego to claim the White House as his real (usurped!) residence (Pence did that too, with the governor’s mansion, no?) and the rabid fans would cheer. Or run a reality show contest with states vying to provide him with a mansion and the honor of being his residence. Who knows.
Gin & Tonic
@zhena gogolia: I’ve seen it both ways, but I agree yours is better (although Ella sings the “lovey-dovey” version, and I can listen to her all day long.)
SiubhanDuinne
@Gin & Tonic:
I could Brush Up My Shakespeare all day long.
https://youtu.be/aSmZfnax1yw
mrmoshpotato
@West of the Rockies:
Reptile hater.
mdblanche
@debbie: At least his first name isn’t Seymour.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I wondered why she was trending. Not what I was hoping for, but I’ll take it.
Mary G
Small study on breakthrough infections in people with autoimmune disease is out on pre-print, per creakyjoints.org:
Of course, one of the drugs I’m on is singled out:
It’s only 16 people and only six had to be hospitalized, so I’ve decided if even after all my efforts I catch COVID I’ll be one of the 10. The two who died had a much more severe lung disease than I do, so my odds are better than I thought.
Betsy
@West of the Rockies: TFG v2.0
SiubhanDuinne
Ann Miller had interesting antecedents. Wikipedia:
mrmoshpotato
@SiubhanDuinne:
We’re bustin’ outta here, ya see? Naaaawwwww!
SiubhanDuinne
@Steeplejack:
Mmmmm, Stewart Granger.
mrmoshpotato
@Steeplejack: Do they do the Fandango?
SFAW
@Scout211:
Why would covidiots dock their own pay? I’m confused
debbie
@Mary G:
I’m asking my doc about this when I see her tomorrow.
brendancalling
@Anyway: I miss Philly. Such a great city.
SFAW
@Gin & Tonic:
Better legs, sure, but that was not one of her better dance routines.
Steeplejack
@mrmoshpotato:
Please to delete your account.
Steeplejack
@SiubhanDuinne:
Mmm, and Janet Leigh.
Steeplejack
@SiubhanDuinne:
Oops, this is the 1923 version with Ramon Novarro, Alice Terry and Lewis Stone. (Just switched over from Miss Marple on PBS.)
Scout211
@SFAW:
The school board members who the Governor’s spokesperson is talking about are those from the districts that are defying DeSantis’ no-mask mandate orders. Definitely not Covidiots. The Governor is still making threats to cut funds to the school districts that defy his no mask mandate order but now he is insisting that they cut their own pay first. It’s not clear that he can cut district funds, but he still threatens.
SiubhanDuinne
@Steeplejack:
Ah, have never seen that. And can’t, as I don’t get TCM.
Loved the book, though, and the 1952 (?) movie.
ETA: Ramón Novarro would be great in the lead role. I’ll have to make a point of seeing that.
Kent
The competition for worst governor isn’t over quite yet. South Dakota’s Kristi Noem says “hold my beer”
They are going ahead right now with the biggest Sturgis fest in history. https://www.inforum.com/news/government-and-politics/7150704-Gov.-Kristi-Noem-is-the-new-star-at-the-2021-Sturgis-Motorcycle-Rally
Of course the problem is that, unlike Florida, most of those folks don’t actually live there so whatever epic super-spreader event they cook up is going to explode across the entire center of the country.
Richard
I would like to know more about his family and friends. I would like to know more about his business dealings.
I don’t trust this guy. He looks like bad news. His baby blue eyes look like they are full of lies.
Also, we have cause for complaint. Isn’t this guy the governor of Florida? Is it true that in Florida they have a covid problem? Is it true that he wants to be next president of the USA?
Sorry, i will wipe my ass with a corncob before that happens.
SFAW
@Scout211:
Yes, I know. I was being ironic. Or allegorical. Or bathetic. Or something something.
In case that wasn’t clear: DeathSantis referred to That Particular Group He Hates (Today) as “anti-science,” when it’s his own supporters, not the defiant boards/supers, who are anti-science.
Parfigliano
@SiubhanDuinne: cant happen. Like Bush-Cheney.
Feckless
Federal aid to Florida?
FUCK THEM.
free to be stupid MUST mean free to pay for it yourself
Federal aid to Florida is nothing more than a subjugated slave states’s tribute to it’s de facto barbarian tyrants.
Arrest the parents of the kids in the ICU for abuse and negligence. Ship the innocent sick to a non death cult state and let the rest stew in their own evil lies.
FUCK FLORIDA.