The Banter Brief: America Is Burning, Trump Is Tweeting
Hello everyone and welcome to this week’s edition of The Banter Brief. We usually publish on Fridays, but we felt this week’s episode of The Banter Podcast was more timely given the events of the past week.
Anyway, here we are with the best round up on the interwebs.
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1. Most Important Story Of The Week
America Burns
In a truly horrific week of racism, death and carnage, America’s dark past has yet again returned to haunt it — this time during one of the deadliest pandemics in history. The timing could not have been worse.
On Monday morning, Christian Cooper, a Black bird watcher out walking in Central Park asked a white woman, Amy Cooper, to leash her dog. Instead of complying with the law, the woman called the cops on him, claiming there was an “African American man threatening my life”.
Later that day, George Floyd was brutally and sadistically murdered in Minneapolis by a white policeman, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for over 8 minutes in front of crowds of people in broad daylight. Floyd’s murder sparked off protests around the country that have now morphed into rioting and violent confrontations with law enforcement agencies.
The Coronavirus Pandemic was an opportunity for Americans to work together and look past their differences. But the racist, ignorant underbelly of white America has risen yet again, spurred on of course, by the White Nationalist in chief, who is doing his best to make a bad situation infinitely worse.
Not good enough, America.
(Photo by Chandan KHANNA / AFP)
2. Poll Analysis
Biden’s lead over Trump nationally and in crucial swing states is growing. And this is causing panic in GOP circles. From CNN:
Seven GOP operatives not directly associated with the President's reelection campaign told CNN that Trump's response to the pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout have significantly damaged his bid for a second term — and that the effects are starting to hurt Republicans more broadly. Some of these operatives asked not to be identified in order to speak more candidly.
Several say that public polls showing Trump trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden mirror what they are finding in their own private polls, and that the trend is bleeding into key Senate races. The GOP already had a difficult task of defending 23 Senate seats in 2020. The job of protecting its slim 3-seat majority has only gotten harder as the pandemic has unfolded. States like Arizona and North Carolina, once thought to be home to winnable Senate races now appear in jeopardy.
Go Deeper With Banter Members:
Trump's Reelection Strategy Is Going To Backfire Spectacularly
Trump is basing his reelection strategy on deeply flawed predictions, says Ben Cohen
3. Quote Of The Week
“No, I don't think there's systemic racism. I think 99.9% of our law enforcement officers are great Americans and many of them are African American, Hispanic, Asian. They're working the toughest neighborhoods, they've got the hardest jobs to do in this country. And I think they're amazing, great Americans, and they're my heroes.
But you know what, there are some bad apples in there. There are some bad cops that are racist, there are cops that maybe don't have the right training, and there are some that are just bad cops. And they need to be rooted out because there's a few bad apples that are giving law enforcement a terrible name."
— White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien speaking to Jake Tapper on CNN about systemic racism in law enforcement in the U.S.
4. What to Watch
What: ‘Selling Sunset Season 2’ - a reality series featuring glamorous real estate agents in the world of L.A.'s super high-end real estate.
Why: Because the rest of the world is going to hell, you might as well watch extraordinarily vapid narcissists selling houses to each other. The series is so bad, it’s actually good.
Where: Netflix
5. Good News
Chinese Coronavirus vaccine nearly ready?
Some exciting news from China on the Coronavirus vaccine front. Via Bloomberg:
A front-running Covid-19 vaccine candidate being developed in China is expected to be available as soon as the end of this year, according to a report published in the official Wechat account of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
The vaccine, jointly developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products and China National Biotec Group Co., has completed phase II testing and may be ready for the market at the end of this year or early next year, said the report.
This combined with Moderna’s early stage success means the likelihood of a workable vaccine before the end of the year is — while not certain — a distinct possibility.
See you next week!
Read the latest for Banter Members:
The Most "Unmanly" President? Trump Is The Definition Of Right Wing Manliness
There is no more weak and fearful creature than the white Republican voter.
Trump's Reelection Strategy Is Going To Backfire Spectacularly
Trump is basing his reelection strategy on deeply flawed predictions.
"But you know what, there are some bad apples in there. There are some bad cops that are racist, there are cops that maybe don't have the right training, and there are some that are just bad cops."
You know, the saying he's making use of is "A few bad apples spoil the barrel." It's meant to make clear that the whole barrel will end up filled with rotten apples.
And the "some bad cops" haven't been dealt with ever.
"Biden’s lead over Trump nationally and in crucial swing states is growing. And this is causing panic in GOP circles."
If they had any conscience or shred of basic decency, that would read "...And this is causing relief in GOP circles."
But, they're modern Republicans. Party uber alles. And the idea that "Thank God that we may be rid of this terrible leader we've created. Trump gone would be a good thing." never enters their minds.