DAILY KOS | The Brief | By Markos Moulitsas, Founder

'Tiger King' drawing big crowds to Oklahoma. Still. Despite COVID-19. The governor is cool with it

Seniors, despite the coronavirus, still support Trump

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'breaks' with Bernie because she can do math, and 30% doesn't win anything

'Tiger King' drawing big crowds to Oklahoma. Still. Despite COVID-19. The governor is cool with it

Full story here.

If you haven’t seen the Tiger King documentary on Netflix, you should, because it isn’t just crazy, it’s also a window into what Donald Trump might be like if he hadn’t been born to a rich daddy. It’s about a white-trash network of big cat “private zoos,” a rivalry with an animal-rights-themed rescue operation in Florida, a sordid cast of characters (not kidding with the Donald Trump analogy), polygamists, a murder for hire (maybe), another murder (maybe), and more plot twists than we’d ever tolerate from a scripted show. You know, like real life in the era of Trump.

The documentary is a national sensation, as it should be. It’s amazing TV. But, its popularity is driving crowds to Oklahoma, and rather than shut them down given the global pandemic ravaging our country, Oklahoma’s governor is totally okay with keeping the crowds flowing. I won't do anything to spoil the show here, in case you haven't seen and want to (and you should!). Click through to read the full story and you'll have more context. But in short, rather than shut the state down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the state is trying to protect its newest tourist attraction.

Of course, Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt is the same governor that, as the pandemic exploded around the country two weeks ago, posted (and then deleted) this tweet:

It wasn’t until last Wednesday that the governor instituted some restrictions around the state (in 19 of the state’s 77 counties, because the coronavirus luckily and helpfully respects county lines), but there is still no “shelter in place” outside certain cities, where mayors have taken that initiative. Instead, there’s a “safer at home” order for seniors and the immunocompromised, but that’s not slowing the spread of the disease.

According to the CovidActNow.org model, Oklahoma could see around 80,000 dead if it doesn’t get its shit together literally in the next couple of days. Yet it's heading in the opposite direction, toward more crowds, more congregating, and more disease spreading. All thanks to a show that, ironically, has caught fire in large part from the binge watching of responsible stay-in-place individuals.

The full story, with full context and lots more, at this link. Remember, that story has some mild spoilers. Nothing that would ruin the show in any way, but everyone is forewarned!

Seniors, despite the coronavirus, still support Trump

Full story here.

With America’s pandemic-related death toll projected to soon be in the hundreds of thousands by the end of April, we know for a fact that seniors will be the most heavily impacted by the disease.

Yet for whatever reason, seniors are most likely to be satisfied with the government’s response and support Trump at the greatest levels, including in the seven key presidential battleground states. We can see that clearly among the wealth of data that we’re collecting with Civiqs. Let’s take a look.

First of all, while just 41% of respondents are satisfied with the government’s response compared to 56% who are not, look at the numbers among seniors:

In fact, they are the only age group that is more pleased with the federal government's response than not. And digging deeper, it’s not female seniors who are the problem—their satisfaction rate is underwater at 46-52. It’s old men, 56% satisfied compared to just 42% unsatisfied, who are pretending that things are just fine.

As you might guess, this is because this is the most Republican demographic. And they've all bought into the idea that 1) the coronavirus isn‘t that big of a deal, and 2) that the government is doing just fine, thank you. So what does this mean for Donald Trump? Well, his job approval among seniors is going up. That’s a jump from +6 net approvals (52-46) pre-COVID, to +10 today. Crazy, right?

That approval translates to the presidential contest head-to-heads. While Trump is trailing the Democratic candidate in his reelect numbers by six points, 49-43, Trump has a healthy lead 52-43 lead among all seniors. They are his strongest demographic age group, by far. And, seniors in the seven key presidential states are all Trump-loving:

Click through to read this full story, including Trump's numbers among seniors in all seven key battleground states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. And then ponder 1) why are seniors sticking with Trump, when they're the ones suffering the brunt of Trump's incompetence, 2) will they continue to stick with him as the death toll inevitably rises, and 3) why haven't Republicans (like in Florida!) shown more urgency in minimizing the spread of COVID-19?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'breaks' with Bernie because she can do math, and 30% doesn't win anything

Full story here.

It wasn’t going to be long before the left-left of the progressive movement turned on New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (aka AOC). The same crowd that claimed that Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was a Wall Street corporatist neoliberal snake wasn’t going to stand for anyone that challenged Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s “leadership” of the left. I just expected that acrimony to take longer to show up.

I’ve written about it before, like here, but in short—AOC was wooed relentlessly by Warren during her presidential bid, but she ended up endorsing Sanders, not because of his similarly aggressive outreach (there was none, just one courtesy call his staff forced him to make), but seemingly out of gratitude for helping her get elected. It is, after all, the oldest adage in politics—you reward those who brought you. And that endorsement, coming in the heels of Sanders’s mid-October heart attack, provided a jolt of energy. It didn’t expand his coalition—he was and is mired at 30%, but it did energize his core base at a time when doubts about his health threatened to knock him down. As a result, she solidified the very liberal support that Warren desperately needed to stay competitive.

Yet that partnership frayed over time, with AOC upset at the Sanders campaign for things like ignoring her advice, failing to be conciliatory toward Warren and her supporters, and knocking her on her immigration advocacy. As a result, she disappeared from Bernie rallies, engendering bitterness from the Sanders camp. Over the last few weeks she's been more comfortable about discussing her differences with the Bernie approach to politics, such as in this NY Times interview a couple of weeks ago. “There’s so much emphasis on making outreach as conflict-based as possible,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said. “And sometimes I even feel miscast and understood. Because it’s about what tools you use, and conflict is one tool but not the only tool.”

But it was this AOC tweet celebrating an Elizabeth Warren skit on Saturday Night Live that seemingly solidified the split. AOC had praised a Bernie foe, one who refused to endorse him, and as such deserved the scorn of the with-us-or-against-us crowd. It was breathtaking in its shortsightedness. But, perhaps, not so surprising, given Sanders’ 30% strategy, which included othering any enemies, no matter how closely aligned they might be ideologically. That’s why I wrote a piece titled, “The left won’t win the White House if it rallies around another 30% candidate.” Is that even controversial? If you don’t even try to win a majority of Democrats, what good are you? Be a gadfly in the corner! Play the part of “conscience of the party” if you want. But don’t harm our chances to win a majority by practicing exclusionary and self-defeating politics!

Apparently, AOC has come to the same conclusion, as Politico noted that the once crusading firebrand had tamped down this cycle. “Of the half-dozen incumbent primary challengers Justice Democrats is backing this cycle, Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed just two,” Alex Thompson and Holly Otterbein reported. “Neither was a particularly risky move: Both candidates — Jessica Cisneros in Texas and Marie Newman in Illinois — were taking on conservative Democrats who oppose abortion rights and later earned the support of several prominent national Democrats.”

The reaction from the worst of the Bernie crowd has been predictably ugly. But AOC has seemingly decided to keep building the movement with honey rather than vinegar. If you care about progressive politics, that’s a good thing. What’s more important? That progressive ideas win, or that Bernie himself win? Any movement that rests on a single individual is not a movement at all, but a cult of personality. Yet too many people are overly invested in that cult of personality.

As usual, so much more here. I was extra loquacious on this topic!

Other News

Justice Department investigation into virus vultures could help deliver Senate to the Democrats

by Kos, Daily Kos

A little over a week ago, we found out that a group of senators (like North Carolina Republican Richard Burr and appointed Georgia Republican Kelly Loeffler) cashed out of the market after receiving a classified briefing on the severity of the looming coronavirus pandemic. Then they went out and told the public that everything was fine and the impeached president had it all under control. Loeffler even bought stock on a teleconferencing company.

It’s been rough going for those two since the revelations, and it’s gotten worse for them (and potentially several others) now that the Justice Department, in coordination with the Securities Exchange Commission, has announced an investigation into the stock transactions—all of which could have a real impact on this November’s Senate picture.

General Electric Workers Launch Protest, Demand to Make Ventilators

by Edward Ongweso Jr, Vice
"On Monday, General Electric factory workers launched two separate protests demanding that the company convert its jet engine factories to make ventilators. At GE's Lynn, Massachusetts aviation facility, workers held a silent protest, standing six feet apart. Union members at the company’s Boston headquarters also marched six feet apart, calling on the company to use its factories to help the country close its ventilator shortage amid the coronavirus pandemic." What heroes!

Republicans won't let a little thing like a global pandemic stop them from destroying health care

by Joan McCarter, Daily Kos
With more than 150,000 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, more than 2,800 deaths (as of the moment I am writing this sentence), and at least triple-digit numbers in nearly every state, you'd think even Republicans would realize now is the time to preserve the nation's health care system, such as it is. You'd be wrong. None of the 18 Republican state attorneys general suing to overturn the Affordable Care Act is relenting. Neither is Donald Trump nor Attorney General William Barr.

CNN chief Jeff Zucker defends airing Trump's life-threatening disinformation briefings live

by Kerry Eleveld, Daily Kos
[CNN chief Jeff] Zucker defended purposely showering the public with factually inaccurate information by arguing that it was important for viewers to both get critical information from infectious-disease experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci and see Trump get grilled by reporters. What a bunch of crap. Trump's coronavirus lie-fests only serve to confuse the public and, in the most extreme cases, literally costs lives.

Florida megachurch pastor arrested after holding packed services in spite of COVID-19 order

by Marissa Higgins, Daily Kos
After holding an apparently packed church service—and being bold enough to livestream that service on the church’s Facebook page—this past Sunday, Florida megachurch leader (and Donald Trump supporter) Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne has been arrested and accused of violating the county’s “safer-at-home” order, as reported by local outlet WTSP. Howard-Browne, a pastor at River at Tampa Bay Church, will be charged with two misdemeanors: unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency rules, according to the outlet. According to local outlet Fox 8, the sheriff received a tip that the pastor was encouraging people to continue to meet for in-person services at the church.

Keep fighting!

Markos Moulitsas
Founder, Daily Kos

Daily Kos: @kos
Twitter: @markos
Instagram: @markos_moulitsas

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