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"Has Trump guaranteed himself the win by getting coronavirus and showing a more human side?"

Asks somebody on Quora. The top-rated answer comes Mark VandeWettering:

No, I don?t think so. If there is one thing I have to give Trump, his popularity has been remarkably consistent throughout his Presidency. Not actually good, mind you, but at least consistent. But I think that this bout with COVID-19 so close to the election isn?t going to actually boost him, and very well might hurt him. First of all, he?s sick because of his disdain for the consensus opinions for science and medicine.... Trump?s policies couldn?t even protect himself. He?s likely to recover... He apparently hasn?t learned much at all about showing a more human side. His followers will likely continue to follow, all the while tutting about how we should show empathy for him as he recovers in a luxurious, dedicated suite at Walter Reed. But I don?t think he?s going to gain a lot of followers.

Second-highest rated, from Wayne Spillett:

In what way does catching a disease show his human side? What this shows is that the flagrant disregard that Trump and other White House staff have not only shown but also actively encouraged hundreds of thousands of supporters to show is dangerous and stupid. Hicks continued to attend events when she felt unwell with Covid-19 symptoms, and it seems that she is the cause of the outbreak of the disease in the White House, not just the Trumps but numerous others that they have all been in close, unprotected contact with....

Oh, for a second I thought Spillett was insulting the rural folk who attend Trump rallies: "Hicks continued to attend events...."

Now, after completely failing to take the situation seriously, the 74 year-old Patron Saint of Hamburger Abuse is not only infected, but hospitalised.... The only way he can show a more human side coming out of this is to admit that he has been wrong the whole year, to behave responsibly from here on in, and to make sure the rest of the White House and the rest of the Republican party behave responsibly also so that the public doubters can see that behaviour in action....

"Hospitalised.... behaviour"... I don't think this is an American.

Anyway... I read a bunch more comments and no one was answering "yes." Notice that the question is framed in a super-strong way ? "guaranteed himself the win" ? that seems designed to force "no" answers. For a more interesting and fruitful conversation, the question should be:

Can Trump take advantage of the misfortune of his illness and use it as an opportunity to infuse his campaign with new spirit and meaning? 

Full post as published by Althouse on October 05, 2020 (boomark / email).