Inside the Beltway: Coronavirus could help reelect Trump

NEWS AND OPINION:

President Trump is not alone in his hospital experience. U.S. presidents have been in the hospital during their time in office in previous administrations. Few can forget President Ronald Reagan, wounded by a would-be assassin on March 30, 1981. Upon encountering first lady Nancy Reagan in the emergency room, he said “Honey, I forgot to duck.”

He also had a comment for his surgeons on his way into the operating room.

“Please tell me you’re Republicans,” Reagan said.

The nation and the news media were reassured by the 40th president’s chipper bearing in a dire situation. Which brings us to Mr. Trump — hospitalized after a positive test for coronavirus — but still on the job and quite calm and productive, despite continued attacks from the ever-present hostile news media.

One veteran journalist now believes these circumstances could benefit Mr. Trump and “will reelect him.”

Roger Simon, founder of PJ Media and a columnist for The Epoch Times, believes that Mr. Trump’s stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is a reboot of sorts with a palliative effect.

“It will give him a time out, a cooling off period from a political campaign that had become too hot to handle, and will ultimately allow him to win,” Mr. Simon writes.

He points out that social media, news reports and commentary erupted with joyful outcries from journalists and pundits within an hour of the announcement that the president had received a positive result on his test.

“These leftists included leaders of the Democratic Party and, needless to say, well-known cable TV pundits, many of them filthy rich and hypocritical beyond belief. Over the last few years, Trump has frequently been accused of ’going too far.’ But it is the left that has now gone too far, lusting for death — and the whole world is/was watching,” Mr. Simon observes.

The world may not like what it sees, and the outspoken critics could generate an unintended by-product with their caustic comments.

“In the aftermath of Trump’s contracting COVID-19, they are reelecting him,” Mr. Simon advises.

THE ’HAPPY’ THING

A pollster has already asked the American public if they are “happy” that President Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. A Politico/Morning Consult poll posed the query to 1,000 people Saturday, and here’s what it found.

Overall, 14% of U.S. adults said that feeling happy about Mr. Trump’s positive test described their reaction “very well” while 12% said it described their reaction “somewhat well.”

Among Democrats, 23% said feeling happy described their reaction very well and 17% somewhat well. Among independents, 11% said very well and 9% somewhat well and among Republicans, it was 6% very well, and 7% somewhat well.

DEMOCRATS ’REEK OF AMATEURISM’

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow asked the nation to pray for President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, and asked for God’s blessing on both. She was among the few progressive and liberal journalists who offered a civil response to Mr. Trump’s coronavirus issue.

Many of Ms. Maddow’s peers instead offered glee, sarcasm and applause.

New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin offered a handy description of this practice, deeming it “the left’s sickening lack of decency.”

The public is watching, however. Now, perhaps, is the time for Mr. Trump’s critics to behave.

“A spirit of national unity is not only desirable, it is necessary. The world is full of malevolent actors always on the prowl for weakness, and expressions that reflect and harden polarization when a president is hobbled amount to an invitation to take advantage of us. Loose lips still do sink ships. If you are anti-Trump, that’s what the ballot box is for. Shut up and vote, or at least shut up,” the columnist writes.

“The speculation about how Trump got infected reeks of amateurism, especially among those who claim to ’follow the science.’ Nobody knows exactly where and when it happened and the insinuation by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others that the president caught it by acting recklessly is itself reckless,” Mr. Goodwin says.

“To his everlasting credit, Trump never stopped being president out of fear of getting sick. While you are praying for his recovery, you might also thank God for giving him uncommon courage,” he later concludes.

NOW THERE’S A THOUGHT

Do you sometimes ponder the olden days of journalism, back when journalists were journalists? You are not alone.

“I miss Tony Snow. I miss Tim Russert. I miss David Brinkley. What this current crop of ’journalists’ has done to the media in America is appalling,” tweeted James Golden — otherwise known as “Bo Snerdley,” the longtime executive producer for Rush Limbaugh’s daily talk radio show.

For those who need a reminder, Snow — once editorial-page editor for The Washington Times — went on to become a fair-minded host on Fox News and White House press secretary. Russert was the tough, influential moderator for NBC’s “Meet the Press” for 16 years. Brinkley ruled the airwaves as an anchorman and newscaster for both NBC and ABC from 1943 to 1997.

A PERTINENT INQUIRY

President Trump’s campaign continues to ask Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden a “question of the day” in response to current news and political happenstance. Here is the campaign’s latest inquiry for Mr. Biden:

“After months of saying knocking on doors was dangerous, why has your campaign reversed itself and is now doing just that?”

POLL DU JOUR

• 40% of U.S. adults say President Trump testing positive for coronavirus will not affect their vote in the presidential race; 38% of Republicans, 51% of independents and 34% of Democrats agree.

• 34% overall say the result will make them “more likely to vote for Joe Biden“; 6% of Republicans, 25% of independents and 61% of Democrats agree.

• 22% say the result will make them more likely to vote for Mr. Trump; 53% of Republicans, 11% of independents and 4% of Democrats agree.

• 5% don’t know or have no opinion; 4% of Republicans, 12% of independents and 1% of Democrats agree.

Source: A Politico/Morning Consult poll of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 2.

Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com.