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Seems a fair enough claim to me

The leftwing ideology poses a bigger threat to the economy than the rampant coronavirus, Larry Kudlow, the economic adviser to Donald Trump, told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

“The virus is not going to sink the American economy,” he said at the National Harbor near Washington. “What is, or could, sink the American economy is the socialism coming from our friends on the other side of the aisle. That’s the biggest fear that I have today.”

Current best guesses are that coronavirus will shave a couple of percentage points off US GP – maybe – and what, 10 to 15%, short term, off share prices?

At least one reasonably sensible estimation of Bernie’s policy choices says 25% off US GDP (no, not a counter factual, rather 25% off today’s) and a 50% fall in the stock market.

One, t’is bigger than t’other.

21 thoughts on “Seems a fair enough claim to me”

  1. Americans need to realise the poison of progressivism is damaging them right now. Keeping the Dems out won’t be enough.

    Of course this applies equally to the UK and indeed ‘the West’ generally.

  2. Bernie may yet be claimed by COVID-19. He’s old, has a dodgy ticker, and likes shaking hands with the crowds. On the other hand he’s alert enough to change his habits, I’d think. Poor old Biden, stumbling into dementia, can now be hidden from crowds on grounds of the virus. Lizzie Warren will presumably be immune, being a Cherokee. Bloomberg probably thinks he can just buy the virus.

  3. Election of Bernie could trigger states to reconsider their association with the United States.

    You are correct, MC, and Bernie is just the guy to get it going.

  4. The corona virus will blow through in a year or two. A Bernie presidency is at least 4 year. And maybe forever if the Bernie Bros. get their wish. “One man, one vote, one time.”

  5. Gamecock, wouldn’t it be more likely that, in case Bernie wins, and wins the Presidency, the seats in the Houses would switch to Republican majority asap, so the eternal deadlock remains?

    And although it’s always hard to call, I somehow get the feeling the Dems aren’t even trying this time around. It’s as if they shook the bag for trial candidates to “see what works for Next Time” along with the geriatric squad.
    They can’t Not Run, but it seems to this dumbfurriner that the Dems have already decided to simply weather a second Trump term, and use the time to prep someone to pitch against whoever has to follow up on Trump, and possibly/preferably secure both Houses if they can in the meantime.

  6. Harking back: do you remember the opining on whether Boris had a “family estate” or whether his father owned a farm?

    WKPD: In 1969 the family returned to England and settled into West Nethercote Farm, near Winsford in Somerset, Stanley’s remote family home on Exmoor in the West Country.

  7. About 56,000 Americans die from the flu or flu like diseases each year. Coronavirus is apparently particularly virulent, though reports so far seem to suggest that for 80% of the people who get it it is a very bad flu but then they recover. We’ll see how bad it gets, but what seems to get lost is the simple fact that lots of people die form the flu anyways without the media ever noticing.

  8. BlokeInTejasInNormandy

    Grikath

    My opinion too.

    It’s just much simpler to wait this one out – it pays as well to be the disloyal opposition as to be in power, and it’s a lot less work. You’d imagine if they were serious there’d be a credible candidate..

  9. Triggered by Grikath. Rambling comments:

    Grikath, don’t expect Democrats to embrace reality.

    The reality is they have no chance to unseat Trump.

    So the party elites get together and decide who they want to setup for the 2024 election.

    NOT!!! They conduct a standard, self-appointed candidate primary. The candidates arrive in a clown car. The only chance they have this year is to lose the House. Down ballet is going to be murder for them, regardless of who is selected. I still say this primary is for naught; the convention will select their nominee. They better hope they get to do that. But I have no faith they’ll select anyone suitable. I still say Bloomberg, because of his money. Completely unelectible.

    “Gamecock, wouldn’t it be more likely that, in case Bernie wins, and wins the Presidency, the seats in the Houses would switch to Republican majority asap, so the eternal deadlock remains?”

    Yes. But Bernie has no chance. He even scares Democrats.

    “The Dems aren’t even trying this time around.”

    It seems that way. They aren’t grooming anyone. The Dems are freaked out by Trump; they must get rid of him at all costs! But they don’t convince some western governor to run.

    Biden’s “use by” date ran out many years ago. Bernie is a freak who appeals to the 10% youthful socialists. No chance to win a national election. Buttjudge, Lieawatha, Crowbutcher . . . nobodies.

    Is this the end of the Democrats? Has the party already died? Has the coalition of misfits finally collapsed from its own false existence? This damn sure isn’t the Democrat Party of 60 years ago. John Kennedy was actually a good president. Screwed up a few things, but, overall, good. Even Bill Clinton wasn’t insane. Didn’t hate America.

    Is this actually the death of the legacy press?

  10. “Current best guesses are”: how on earth can you know that those guesses are best?

    “John Kennedy was actually a good president”: pull the other one. He’s the idiot who fomented the Cuban missile crisis, started the expansion of the Vietnam war, and pretty much ignored the civil rights people.

  11. @dearieme

    BBC News were ecstatic last night that Biden won SC, the “impartial” news readers and reporters didn’t even try to hide their glee.

    Trump in SC: nothing, not a single word – usual bias by omission

    Biden ‘produces demolition job’ on Democratic competitors
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SgB7rmWLJA

    An ugly and chaotic showing on the Democrat debate stage
    “They couldn’t find anyone good to run”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8UiwPdZQa0

    Markets:
    US Fed to ‘step in’ if coronavirus continues to hurt Wall Street
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lW-LrQ9Zg

    Market is pricing in ‘pessimism” as world grapples with coronavirus
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TClBQmN0tLw

  12. @BiG

    Coronavirus – Covid-19

    Your thoughts on this please

    Word of Mouth English 3 hours ago
    I live in Taiwan and got this email forwarded on to me by a Taiwanese friend who has a relative working in a hospital in Shenzhen, China:

    My classmate’s uncle and nephew, graduated with a master’s degree, and work in Shenzhen Hospital. He is being transferred to study Wuhan pneumonia virus. He just called me and told me to tell my friends: If you have a runny nose and sputum when you have a cold, you cannot be a new type of coronavirus pneumonia, because coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough without runny nose. This is the simplest way to identify. Please tell your friends that if you know more about medical knowledge, you will have more awareness of identification and prevention.

    This time, the Wuhan virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed at a temperature of 26-27 degrees. Therefore, drink more hot water. You can tell your friends and relatives to drink more hot water to prevent it. Go under the Sun. It has been cold recently, and drinking hot water is also very comfortable. It is not a cure and is good for the body. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink ice, remember!

    Doctor’s advice about coronavirus:

    1. It is pretty large in size (cell is about 400-500nm diameter), so any normal mask (not just the N95 feature) should be able to filter it out. However, when someone who’s infected sneezes in front of you, it will take a great 3 meters (about 10 feet) before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.

    2. When the virus drops on metal surface, it will live for at least 12 hours. So remember if you come in contact with any metal surface, wash your hands with soap thoroughly.

    3. The virus can remain active on fabric for 6-12 hours. Normal laundry detergent should kill the virus. For winter clothing that does not require daily washing, you can put it out under the sun to kill the virus.

    About the symptoms of the pneumonia caused by Coronavirus:

    1. It will first infect the throat, so the throat will have the dry sore throat feeling which will last for 3 to 4 days

    2. Then the virus will blend into the nasal fluid and drips into the trachea and enter the lungs, causing pneumonia. This process will take 5 to 6 days.

    3. With pneumonia, comes high fever and difficulty in breathing. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You will feel like you are drowning in water. It’s important to go seek immediate medical attention if you feel like this.

    About prevention:

    1. The most common way of getting infected is by touching things in public, so you must wash your hands frequently. The virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 mins, but a lot can happen in those 5-10 mins (you can rub your eyes or pick your nose unwittingly).

    2. Aside from washing your hands frequently, you can gargle with Betadine Sore Throat Gargle to eliminate or minimize the germs while they are still in your throat (before dripping down to your lungs).

    Folks, take extra care and drink plenty of water.

    Betadine – what is Betadine:Water ratio for throat gargle solution?

  13. “He’s the idiot who fomented the Cuban missile crisis.”

    Absolutely true! He gets a lot of credit for handling it well, including from me. But, yeah, it was his damn fault in the first place. When the Soviets put up the Berlin Wall, Jack did nothing. Embolding Kruschev to try more.

  14. *sigh* Formal name for the virus is “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)”
    For some silly reason the WHO keeps the nomer CoViD-19.

    The SARS in the virus name is the hint: the virus is, in fact, a direct cousin of the “old” SARS virus. with about 70% of its genetics the same, and almost all of its effects. Most notably: simultaneous upper and lower respiratory infection, which is makes it so troublesome for the people who have frail immunosystems. It makes it very hard to breathe, and a full infection would be potentially lethal because of the resulting anoxia.

    As far as prevention goes, it is still a common cold
    It’s not even on steroids… If it was more infectuous than any of the “normal” coronaviruses we all attract once every odd year, the utter failure of quarantine worldwide would already have caused far more cases. FAR more cases.
    So all the usual measures you’d take preventing catching a cold from someone around you work, and work well. Although given that it’s a cousin of common cold, “effectiveness” is relative. Your actual best bet is eat healthy, pop the odd multivitamins, and generally make sure your body is ready to take a hit.
    As long as SARS-CoV-2 doesn’t team up with all the other Nasties around during Flu Season, most of us should be set well enough to get away with no more than severe sniffles if we run into it.

    As far as that little circulaire is concerned… seriously?
    “This time, the Wuhan virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed at a temperature of 26-27 degrees.”
    That’s why it happily multiplies in people with a high fever…. What a load of croc…
    And “hot water”…. That’s what we got coffee/tea (select to taste) for then… we are SAFE!!! [facepalm]

    Anything after that is what you expect from that bit of drivel: bovine excrement.

  15. “Homeland S08E03” becoming Reality – please God make it not happen

    Trump plans to meet with Taliban after historic peace deal was signed
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnAVjG8KviU

    Saul B/Donald T to Taliban leader: “Your wealth and influence will increase if you agree”

    Tony Blair to IRA leader Jerry Adams: “Your wealth and influence will increase if you agree”

    :facepalm

  16. @Grikath

    I was hoping for a:
    Correct on…
    Wrong on…
    Maybe…
    Don’t know…

    Analysis. Not “this sentence is rubbish, therefore it’s all rubbish”

    “That’s why it happily multiplies in people with a high fever”

    Pretty sure that is how body kills infections – “fever & sweat it out”, are you recommending ice baths?

    imo Temp depends on conditions: warm, dry, no food vs warm, wet, lots of food

  17. “This time, the Wuhan virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed at a temperature of 26-27 degrees.”

    That is correct. This is like SARS and is expected to die out as the NH warms up, which is what happened to SARS.

    Whether drinking hot drinks helps or not, I have no idea! The Chinese do love their hot water.

  18. If the 26-27°C thing is true (I’ve no idea), it’s obviously referring to the ability of the virus to remain infectious on an external surface, such as a door handle, not while in a warm (37°C) body.

  19. “ This is like SARS and is expected to die out as the NH warms up, which is what happened to SARS.”

    Ah, good job we’ve got all of this global warming around at the moment then…

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