by David Catron
It is by now obvious that the Democrats are determined to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic in a last desperate attempt to get the president. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has launched yet another Trump investigation, said his call to reopen the economy is “sinful,” and colluded with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to block the GOP effort to pass financial aid without which even more Americans will lose their jobs. Meanwhile, the nation’s Democratic governors refuse to ease their job-killing lockdowns, despite indications that the spread of COVID-19 has already passed its peak. The Democrats clearly hope that the resultant recession will cause Trump to lose in November.
But the voters are well aware that the Democrats are motivated by pure partisanship. In a recent Harvard Caps/Harris poll, 60 percent of registered voters said Nancy Pelosi is “putting party over country.” They also know Trump wants to reopen the country. AP reports, “President Donald Trump gave governors a road map Thursday for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic.” Democratic governors will balk, but 22 million Americans have lost their jobs due to state lockdowns, and many are already protesting in North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan, and Virginia. Moreover, federal lawsuits have been filed against Democratic governors claiming the lockdowns violate the Constitution:
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer faces at least two federal lawsuits challenging her April 9 executive order to combat the coronavirus outbreak, including requirements that residents stay at home.… In complaints filed on Tuesday and Wednesday, several Michigan residents and one business accused the governor of violating their constitutional rights by imposing her “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order.
Whitmer is not the only Democratic governor to be sued pursuant to a lockdown. In March, a federal lawsuit was filed against Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) by Brooklyn resident Lee Nigen, who objects to Cuomo’s threat to use law enforcement personnel to coerce compliance. As Nigen’s attorney told the New York Post, “Clearly, there is a grave public health emergency.… But lawful process matters and emergency orders of this sort, if left unchallenged, will evolve into precedents with horrifying consequences.” Nigen’s lawsuit touches on an issue that will come up again. On March 23, Gov. Cuomo imposed an indefinite ban on large gatherings, an outrageous violation of the constitutional right of free assembly.
When April 30 rolls around, Americans will have had enough of living under house arrest while their livelihoods evaporate and it becomes obvious that the fatality projections upon which their Democratic governors based Draconian stay-at-home orders were wild exaggerations based on statistically meaningless data. Cynical partisans like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Gretchen Whitmer, and Andrew Cuomo will neither be able to keep their constituents imprisoned in their homes nor retain their trust. Trump’s instincts will have been vindicated, and he will leverage his advantages as an incumbent to convince the voters not to fall for any further Democratic skulduggery. Among these advantages is fundraising:
President Trump’s reelection committees said they have raised more than $212 million in the first three months of the year, a massive sum that boosts the president’s cash lead as presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden begins shifting his focus to the general election.… Trump, the Republican National Committee and their joint fundraising committees have now raised more than $1 billion toward his reelection campaign, and entered April with more than $240 million in their accounts.
The presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, is so far behind that it will be all but impossible for him to raise enough money to compete:
Biden and the Democratic National Committee haven’t released their March fundraising figures yet — they don’t have to report until April 20. And while they both are likely to reveal good fundraising months, Biden had just $12.1 million in the bank and the DNC had just $14 million.… The real human tragedy of the economic downturn is impeding Biden’s ability to catch up.… Less than 40% of his money through February came from donors who gave $200 or less, compared to 50% for Trump.
In other words, Biden’s irresponsible rhetoric concerning COVID-19 has come home to roost. His public statements and campaign ads have been exploitative and dishonest. Consequently, he helped engender the coronavirus panic and the very economic downturn that has left him at an insurmountable cash disadvantage. Moreover, the strongest fundraiser of the Democratic presidential field — Bernie Sanders — has dropped out and grudgingly endorsed Biden but plans to deploy his deep database of supporters on behalf of progressive down-ballot candidates. Biden will, of course, enjoy a disproportionate amount of “earned media.” The 2016 election illustrated the limitations of that once formidable resource, however.
Trump also has other advantages, of course, such as a sophisticated “virtual campaign.” As Jennifer Harper writes in the Washington Times, “President Trump has once again proven he can bypass the news media and take his message directly to the public.” This is, of course, why the media remain so hostile to him. It is also why the Democrats are anxious to shut down the economy. Their only hope is that the coronavirus recession will be blamed on Trump. As usual, however, they underestimate the intelligence of the voters and the president himself. When we emerge from the pandemic, Trump will have won yet again.
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David Catron is a recovering health care consultant and frequent contributor to The American Spectator. You can follow him on Twitter at @Catronicus.
