The Banter Brief: Coronavirus Freakout, Trump's Polling Disaster, And Ragnarok

The best round up of the week is now out!

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Banter Brief! Before we get going, we wanted to remind you quickly why getting a Banter Membership is the best thing you’ll purchase this year.

As we approach the 2020 election, American democracy itself is on the ballot. The Trump administration has taken the country to the brink of collapse. It has gutted the infrastructure of government, lied to the public about so many issues factcheckers cannot keep pace with them, and gone to war on the media. We know that they are planning an extraordinary, unprecedented attack on Democrats that will involve fake news, disinformation, and conspiracy theories. Using technology pioneered by dictators and funded with billions of dollars, Trump’s re-election team plans on dismantling the public’s trust in reality. It is going to get very, very nasty from here on out.

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1. Most Important Story Of The Week

Coronavirus, coronavirus, coronavirus.

Or if you are Donald Trump, “Caronavirus”. The virus is rapidly spreading around the globe, and no one knows exactly how to stop it. This has presented huge challenges for governments all over the world as they scramble to keep their populations calm and respond to the threat appropriately.

Luckily, most nations are relying on scientists and experts to inform them. Unluckily for Americans, a man who believes global warming is a Chinese hoax and vaccines cause autism is in charge. The stock market is in free fall, conservatives are busy blaming Democrats for “politicizing” the outbreak, and Trump is hoping the Pandemic team at Center for Disease Control (CDC) he fired in 2018 will come back and save the country. In other words, buckle up America. This could get pretty bad.

Read more: BANTER MEMBERS: Trump Can't Spell 'Coronavirus', Let Alone Protect Americans From It - Trump is at his very worst when he pretends to be president, says Bob Cesca.

2. Poll Analysis

Trump vs Democrats: This week’s big news in polling world was the Fox News poll showing Trump losing against every major Democrat in 2020:

In other news, the GOP friendly Rasmussen Reports pollster saw Trump’s approval rating crash 5 points overnight after his Coronavirus press conference.

Democrats: This is officially Bernie Sanders’ to lose. He is up in Texas and California before Super Tuesday, and will likely be so far ahead after no other candidate has a real chance of beating him.

3. Quote Of The Week

Ok, so no quote of the week today. Instead, take a look at Facebook’s “fact checker” team in action, flagging an article by The Onion (screen shot via Facebook):

Right wing news sites spreading demonstrably fake news is apparently OK by Mark Zuckerberg. But satire published by the nation’s most prominent satire site is apparently not.

4. What to Watch

Ragnarok

Ragnarok is a Norwegian-language drama now playing on Netflix. It is one of the most original takes on the popular Norse myth, and translates perfectly into modern times. The series follows misfit teenager Magne who moves with his family back to the bleak, strange, industrial town of Edda. Upon arrival in Edda, odd things begin happening to Magne. He discovers he has superhuman strength, and speed. He can sense weather changes before they happen, and has the ability to recover rapidly from extreme injury. He also discovers a dark secret about the powerful family that controls the town and their involvement in the murder of a teenage environmental activist.

The series is steeped in Norse mythology that is cleverly updated to make relevant to modern environmental angst, teenage drama, and the conflicts between old and new. For those tired of ceaseless super hero movies with non stop action and dazzling CGI, don’t skip on Ragnorak. It focuses on dialogue, intriguing characters, a compelling plot, and a reverence for the traditions of the country it is set in. Definitely worth a watch.

5. Good News

Whether you like him or not, it is now becoming clear that Bernie Sanders will be the Democratic nominee for President. Even if you don’t agree with his politics or like his style, it is also now abundantly clear that he has a very good chance of beating Trump. And that doesn’t just mean nationally — he also wins via the electoral college. Writes Steve Phillips in the NY Times:

Almost all of the current polling data shows Mr. Sanders winning the national popular vote. In the most recent national polls testing Democratic candidates against Mr. Trump, Mr. Sanders beat him in every single one, with margins varying from 2 percent to 6 percent. This has been the case for nearly a year now, with Mr. Sanders outpolling the president in 67 of 72 head-to-head polls since March.

As 2016 proved when Hillary Clinton defeated Mr. Trump in the popular vote by nearly three million votes, however, the Electoral College is what matters most. There, Mr. Sanders also does well, outperforming Mr. Trump in polls of the pivotal battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. In the one poll showing significant Trump strength in Wisconsin (Quinnipiac), Mr. Sanders still fares the best of the Democratic contenders.

Democrats might not get what they want going into the 2020 election, but they might just have what they need. And that is good news.

See you next week!

Read the latest for Banter Members:

Trump Can't Spell 'Coronavirus', Let Alone Protect Americans From It

Trump is at his very worst when he pretends to be president - by Bob Cesca.

I Wanna Be Like Mike

My unconventional donation to Mike Bloomberg's 2020 presidential campaign - by Rich Herschlag

This Is What Happens When Democrats Win

Here's a taste of what Virginia Democrats have been doing since winning power last year - by Justin Rosario.