Thursday, March 12, 2020

"Best of the Best of the Best! Sir!"



Imagine if, in his address to the nation during the Cuban Missile Crisis, John F. Kennedy had announced a naval blockade of, say, Jamaica, and then had to walk it back minutes later to explain that he meant Cuba. That’s what we had Wednesday night when, minutes after the cameras in the Oval Office went dark, the White House had to rush out explanations that the president*, in discussing his own new policy proposals, didn’t know what in the hell he was talking about.
....
That was not the speech of a president*. That was not even the speech of a bad president*. That was not even the speech of the worst president* we ever elected. It was the desperate wailing of a man who has fallen down a well, and there’s nobody up there to hear him.
And consider this, a straight news report on the speech:

A besieged President Trump, who was slow to treat the coronavirus as a serious threat as it has spread across the United States, announced a drastic emergency measure Wednesday night designed to save American lives from the pandemic.

Trump said the United States would ban all travel from Europe, where the virus has spread uncontrollably, for 30 days beginning Friday at midnight, although the president said the United Kingdom, which is an island yet still has reported hundreds of its own cases, would be exempt. The White House also later clarified that the travel restrictions do not apply to U.S. citizens and can be waived in multiple circumstances.

Although he read from a prepared script as he delivered a rare prime-time televised address to the nation from the Oval Office, Trump incorrectly described his own policy. The president said in his speech that the travel restriction from Europe would apply to cargo and trade as well as passengers. But the text of the order, later released by the White House, stated that the ban would not include cargo, allowing for continued trade between the continents to maintain the free flow of commerce.

Trump also urged all Americans to follow the guidelines of federal health experts — whose instructions he has contradicted or ignored in recent weeks. He said the government was moving “very quickly” to fix what has proved a chronic shortage of coronavirus test kits, yet he provided no specific information about how many Americans would be able to be tested, and when and where those tests could occur.

“If we are vigilant and we can reduce the change of infection, which we will, we will significantly impede the transition of the virus,” Trump said. “The virus will not have a chance against us. No nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States.”
...
For the 11 minutes he addressed the nation Wednesday, Trump turned in a laboring performance — one intended to project calm competence that instead seemed to reveal uncertainty. Seated behind the Resolute Desk, the president struggled at moments to read the words on the teleprompter. He clasped his hands and twiddled his thumbs. He spoke with a curious affect, his voice sounding raspy and his delivery lacking the passion typically evident in his speeches.

For some reason the reference to "11 minutes" reminds me of how long SoS Clinton sat before a House Committee investigating Benghazi. I highlighted the portions I find rather remarkable for a news account of the speech.  It doesn't quite say "Trump is an incompetent xenophobic boob who reaches for ways to blame others rather than grapple with the problem," but it's more context and awareness of the speech being more than just words than I had expected.

There's this bit, also from WaPo:

Numbers alone matter to Trump:

Because what matters is what is reported, not reality.

Trump understands (or thinks he does) numbers.  And when he doesn't like them, it makes him unhappy.  The purpose of Trump is to be happy; apparently.  Which is really more frightening than anything he said last night.  And what he said last night caused chaos in Europe this morning, as well as forced the stock market to halt trading for the second time this week within minutes after opening.  And to put that speech in context:

Trump will blame CNN.
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