I'm starting to believe Covid actually saved us from a worse fate from Trump as President.

[RoeVWade]

Sad as it is to think that, I do.

It interfered with his Presidency along with general inexperience and putting his toadies in place.

[ms liberty]

1. Measles, Covid or some awful thing we've not heard of yet might do it again

With Bob BrainWorm and Doc OzQuack in charge, you never know.
I'm staying vaxxed and boosted, and ready to mask and keep my distance

[speak easy]

2. Nope.

It gave him four years to plot the end of our democratic Republic with fanatics and malcontents. No project 2025 without losing in 2020.

[NCDem47]

4. Trump NEVER left the public eye...ONE...DAMN...DAY...while Biden was President

Media and Trump hijinks allowed him a shadow presidency for four years. Like gum on a shoe, this country can't rid itself of him.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Not in my eyes.

Trump allowed Covid to proliferate and spread.

Covid killed my BFF three weeks ago, 5-6 years after its introduction. He could have lived. But he didn't.

Like John Prine, I blame Trump for killing my best friend. (And FWIW, my best friend despised Trump.)

[sop]

5. Trump's second consecutive term would have been less destructive, he wouldn't have had four years to plan

his retribution tour.

[Self Esteem]

6. I think it's the opposite.

I think Trump losing in 2020 was probably far more damaging than if he won. COVID at least played a role in his defeat. But something broke in Trump's brain after he lost to Biden - and it wasn't like he was all there in the first place.

But the four years he was out of power allowed for him to grow much stronger and sympathetic than when he was ever in power. He also became more resentful and evil.

I think if Trump eked out a win in 2020, his second term is filled with high inflation, rocky economics and a country that likely blames him for it. I also suspect he'd be operating from the same semi-mindset of his first term, which was still awful but not deranged to the level we've seen.

Then Democrats likely decimate Republicans in 2022, winning the House and Senate, and then winning the presidency in 2024 since I think Trump would be so politically toxic that not only would the country reject him but he'd have no path to attempt to circumvent the 22nd.

But 2024 Trump is not the same as 2020 Trump and I think that's largely a result or his breakdown after losing to Biden.

The truth is, I think the 2020 election turned into a pyrrhic victory for Democrats.

If I had a choice between only these two Trump reelection timelines, I would have picked the one where Trump wins in 2020 over Biden because I think in that timeline, Democrats are likely way stronger and Trump and Republicans way weaker.

[BeerBarrelPolka]

8. Totally agree

There would have been no insurrection as well. Of course it's all armchair quarterbacking. But nothing is as bad as this is. I'm just wondering what lies ahead?

[Self Esteem]

9. Yeah. At this point, I'm done hoping for good.

I felt inmense relief when Biden won in 2020. Maybe the most relief I've ever felt after a presidential election. I foolishly thought Trump was done and we'd never have to hear or see him again.

I became even more convinced of this after the insurrection. No way would this country ever give power back to that lunatic!

Not only did they do just that, he's more popular now than ever.

I think COVID broke America. So many people I used to respect have lost their marbles the last four-plus years. These are liberals, or were, who I cried tears of joy with when Obama won in 2008. People who were repulsed by Trump in 2016 and still didn't like him in 2020 but have now fully embraced him and see him as great.

I don't know what the hell happened in the four years after Trump lost but none of it has been good.

[rickford66]

7. Thank God Trump bungled the pandemic.

He missed his chance that Presidents dream of. He has another chance with measles and bird flu. When people die, it's God's will. What's God's plan this time ? Get vaccinated if you don't have immunity. I grew up before the vaccines were invented so always assumed I had all the childhood diseases and the immunity. But, to be safe, my personal physician had me take the blood test and I do have all the immunities. But also as a veteran, I may have had some vaccines in boot camp because they never told you what they were. You just lined up every week for a few and put up with the reactions. Some of you older vets might think about the immunity tests just for drill.

[RJ-MacReady]

10. It was a double edged sword

COVID also made large swaths of voters resent our party due to prolonged lockdowns well into 2021. I still maintain this is the number 1 reason we lost so many voters of course it wasn't the only factor. It was the biggest reason we lost in VA to Youngkin due to schools being closed for a year. It helped to feed the far right narrative of "the left" being oppressive. Mind you I am talking about later not early pandemic, however we need to acknowledge that it could have been handled much better in regards to opening back up sooner.