[oregontim]

And yet 25 Million people protesting, with as many as 500,000 in a crowd did not.  I want Trump to lose.  But if you don’t think politics plays a role in these studies, I have some swamp land to sell you. ...

I also want to see a semblance of journalistic integrity again.  There has been very little the last couple years. You have most of the major media openly leading the charge for Biden (or more specifically, against Trump). CNN has become a joke.  Fox, of course, does the opposite.  Internet sites are worse.  With no journalistic standards to begin with and the giants running the show deciding what can or should be highlighted, or repressed.  This is not good for the country.  Because it spurs further division.  How that gets “resolved” in this age of internet dominance and social media is beyond me.

Lex, you make an interesting point here, IMO. It dives into what's "news." Dog bites man vs. man bites dog. When the President of the United States scoffs medical advice and endangers crowds, that's more remarkable than when a random crowd does it.
Regarding the larger statement of media bias, IMO, this President of the United States has behaved in ways that make accurate reporting look like bias. I could hang pages of bullet points on this simple statement. On the specific issue of Covid, to go no further, we have his war on caution, undermining CDC and FDA, etc.
In the end, the lies of a President of the United States, like the gaffes of a President of the United States, and the crimes of a President of the United States, are more news than anybody else. Like it or not.

BTW - these aren’t science.  They are extrapolating from statistics.  And statistics are easily manipulated.  I mean c’mon, that these people were at rallies means lesser crowds at bars and tattoo parlors. Right?  Lesser crowds mean less spread.....

A valid point, IMO. We could also dive into the likely convergence of behaviors, in that people at Trump rallies are probably more likely to also be people who scoff at masks and distancing. Statistics are so often subject to the details of random or not with the assumed whole population.

When Trump got the GOP nomination in ‘16, I said to anyone who’d listen to me that were Trump supporters that his “legacy” should he win will be ultimately to drive the country left.  Because we are essentially a reactive electorate.  And I think I’m correct  on that.  Trump is the best thing that’s happened to the left since Nixon/Watergate.  Probably even better.

And this is a fascinating point. Too soon to tell, of course; but I can hope. If they do win, I'd like to see the Dems be true to Biden's promise and halt the pendulum of tyranny of majority party. They could start with a unifying national plan to deal with Covid with best practices of safety that could also lead to eventually better control of the pandemic and easier opening of the closed parts of the economy. And then enact legislation to codify more safeguards against either party overpowering checks and balances in the future. Tighten up the judicial nomination process, codify transparency with tax statements, investments in blind trust, subpoena powers, Hatch Act, emoluments clause, etc.

[oregontim]

And yet 25 Million people protesting, with as many as 500,000 in a crowd did not.  I want Trump to lose.  But if you don’t think politics plays a role in these studies, I have some swamp land to sell you. ...

I also want to see a semblance of journalistic integrity again.  There has been very little the last couple years. You have most of the major media openly leading the charge for Biden (or more specifically, against Trump). CNN has become a joke.  Fox, of course, does the opposite.  Internet sites are worse.  With no journalistic standards to begin with and the giants running the show deciding what can or should be highlighted, or repressed.  This is not good for the country.  Because it spurs further division.  How that gets “resolved” in this age of internet dominance and social media is beyond me.

Lex, you make an interesting point here, IMO. It dives into what's "news." Dog bites man vs. man bites dog. When the President of the United States scoffs medical advice and endangers crowds, that's more remarkable than when a random crowd does it.
Regarding the larger statement of media bias, IMO, this President of the United States has behaved in ways that make accurate reporting look like bias. I could hang pages of bullet points on this simple statement. On the specific issue of Covid, to go no further, we have his war on caution, undermining CDC and FDA, etc.
In the end, the lies of a President of the United States, like the gaffes of a President of the United States, and the crimes of a President of the United States, are more news than anybody else. Like it or not.

BTW - these aren’t science.  They are extrapolating from statistics.  And statistics are easily manipulated.  I mean c’mon, that these people were at rallies means lesser crowds at bars and tattoo parlors. Right?  Lesser crowds mean less spread.....

A valid point, IMO. We could also dive into the likely convergence of behaviors, in that people at Trump rallies are probably more likely to also be people who scoff at masks and distancing. Statistics are so often subject to the details of random or not with the assumed whole population.

When Trump got the GOP nomination in ‘16, I said to anyone who’d listen to me that were Trump supporters that his “legacy” should he win will be ultimately to drive the country left.  Because we are essentially a reactive electorate.  And I think I’m correct  on that.  Trump is the best thing that’s happened to the left since Nixon/Watergate.  Probably even better.

And this is a fascinating point. Too soon to tell, of course; but I can hope. If they do win, I'd like to see the Dems be true to Biden's promise and halt the pendulum of tyranny of majority party. They could start with a unifying national plan to deal with Covid with best practices of safety that could also lead to eventually better control of the pandemic and easier opening of the closed parts of the economy. And then enact legislation to codify more safeguards against either party overpowering checks and balances in the future. Tighten up the judicial nomination process, codify transparency with tax statements, investments in blind trust, subpoena powers, Hatch Act, emoluments clause, etc.