It is my understanding that there are several vaccines undergoing phase 1 testing. I think the plan is to go to phase 2 testing in June or July. There are also plans to start mass production even before the testing is complete.

The virus has mutated. The strain that initially invaded the US west coast was the same strain as from China. The strain that invaded the US east coast was different and came via Europe. It is easier to transmit.

Here in the states most main stream media and state governments have failed us. They have failed to educate the populace about this virus, how to control the spread, and how to protect themselves. They have made proclamations in an attempt to slow the spread without educating the why. Now after 6+ weeks we are seeing more protests and blatant refusal to follow their mandates. We are even seeing more violence because of trying to enforce some level of social distancing. A security officer at a store was shot and killed for refusing to let some woman and her kid in the store without face coverings in Detroit. It is starting to look like a total failure in parts of the country and our only recourse is self protection from the virus. Maybe when the virus deaths get up over 500,000 here, people will start to wake up!!! HOW I HATE STUPID PEOPLE!!!!

The best way to look at more testing and cases is to look at the positivity rate of tests. That will give you an actual indication of containing the virus. If you are successful and the increase in testing results in some more infections but a decrease in the positivity rate, you are making good progress.

It was put out on bids based on the specifications HHS created; probably the lowest bidder was hired. After that, a team from HHS had the responsibility of oversight. If I remember correctly, HHS kept making changes to the requirements throughout the development process.

There is a huge difference between doing a task you know how to do and managing other people doing something. If you know how to do something well, you are qualified to teach others how to do the task and to judge their ability to perform that task. You are not qualified to provide motivation for them or solve the many other obstacles that may be hindering their performance. It is like saying I have a total recall of American History, therefore I am qualified to be a teacher when I don't know anything about teaching. Most politicians know very little about managing an organization the size of the federal government; most even fail at managing a state or local government! Give me an accomplished manager over a politician any day! I believe the democratic party had only 1 POTUS candidate who had an accomplished management background.


SO, where do teachers come from when they START teaching? The analogy is misplaced because history teacher would be within the 'educational' industry, not the 'history' industry. The analogy escapes me. Again POTUS Is not the manager of the government or the people. The government is a structure WITHIN which a POTUS Must do their OWN PART. They do not manage the other politicians. THey do not manage the citizens.

For this reason, knowledge of their 'constitutional duties' within that framework, (in this case, no framework existed beyond the limits of his daddy's or his own pockets for him to learn how to do that) not the private framework, is important. And experience within that framework is the best way to gain that knowledge.That should not be 'starting' knowledge, IMHO.

The lower political offices is where experience should be acquired before EVER reaching the WHITE HOUSE.





IF POTUS is not the top management person in the federal government, who is? Why then would the administration appoint leadership over each department of the government? This is exactly where the problem is in government - a lack of leadership with authority to resolve the bloated bureaucracy!!

We can always picnic and drink beer just everyone keeping 6' apart!

As for your Doctor example, if all a medical professional knows is medicine he/she is not qualified to be in a position of high management. Same goes for POTUS if all he/she knows is politics.



Why is it not a qualification? It is a high qualification, to me, to manage that which you have experience doing, not that a POTUS is the same as a manager, since the government nor the states are business entities.



There is a huge difference between doing a task you know how to do and managing other people doing something. If you know how to do something well, you are qualified to teach others how to do the task and to judge their ability to perform that task. You are not qualified to provide motivation for them or solve the many other obstacles that may be hindering their performance. It is like saying I have a total recall of American History, therefore I am qualified to be a teacher when I don't know anything about teaching. Most politicians know very little about managing an organization the size of the federal government; most even fail at managing a state or local government! Give me an accomplished manager over a politician any day! I believe the democratic party had only 1 POTUS candidate who had an accomplished management background.

If you think he is a great leader, what leadership accomplishments has he had outside the political arena? I have heard of none. I want a leader that has the desire and strength to tackle the mess of the federal government. Biden and Obama had 8 years and I saw no significant accomplishments on the performance of government in that time. There are a number of better leaders than Trump but they are also smart enough to avoid politics so far. Joining the political circus will only result in hatred toward them and a destruction of their legacy. Unfortunately politics is not about leadership but being a highly partisan A-hole!!



the POTUS is in the political arena. The question is like asking why I think a doctor should be over a medical department if he has not done anything outside the medical field.


As for your Doctor example, if all a medical professional knows is medicine he/she is not qualified to be in a position of high management. Same goes for POTUS if all he/she knows is politics.

^^^^^


To the Democrats maybe but Biden is Way worse in leadership of anything!



Biden can listen, that is a first step, being that no person truly knows everything about everything. Biden can disagree without it being personal, which is another big step forward in my book. Biden has not had six bankruptcies in his 'impressive' career following his daddy's footsteps and growing daddy's business with daddyy's name. To me, he is far more of a leader than Trump who seems more like a senile spoiled child used to having those around him kiss his but because of the dollar signs.



If you think he is a great leader, what leadership accomplishments has he had outside the political arena? I have heard of none. I want a leader that has the desire and strength to tackle the mess of the federal government. Biden and Obama had 8 years and I saw no significant accomplishments on the performance of government in that time. There are a number of better leaders than Trump but they are also smart enough to avoid politics so far. Joining the political circus will only result in hatred toward them and a destruction of their legacy. Unfortunately politics is not about leadership but being a highly partisan A-hole!!

Therein lies the difference between government and private enterprise. The many failures we have seen within the government would result in job loss or demotion had they been in private industry. How many do you think in the CDC or FDA will face disciplinary action for the corona virus testing failures? How many where terminated over the botched roll out of the ACA website? I bet the answer is 0!!!

I'm not justifying it or condoning it only pointing it out. IF we ever want government to do better, we must do better as the electorate to choose competent decision makers. I won't accuse any of fraud as that determination is usually based on a difference of beliefs or priorities. I will say the incompetence is rampant and revolves around the inability to reform or correct the multitude of failures within the federal bureaucracy. It seems that every administration has had failures by the federal workforce. Congress does not help and none of them have really dealt with the problem. I can look back and think of the "weapons of mass destruction", several botched military rescue missions, Hurricane Katrina, ACA roll out, and now the Covid testing. I'm sure there are many more I'm just not thinking of at the moment. There appears to be no job performance standards or evaluations along with a lax career management team more interested in protecting their turf than doing the taxpayer's work! Until Congress changes the working rules and management structure, changing administrations and appointed political appointees will not fix the underlying bureaucratic rot!!

When the outbreak started, most state governments imposed stay at home or lock down orders. While this may have been necessary to immediately get social distancing started, after a period of time, people are going to get fed up with it. For governments, it was the easy way out and most have not figured out how to change from that initial order to actual rules to maintain social distancing while allowing life to somewhat return. That is now the challenge as people are fed up with the mandates and are starting to disregard those mandates. A few states never imposed that level of control but did shut down a number of businesses and social gatherings. They have used that time to develop rules to allow resumption of business and activities while still requiring social distancing and improved hygiene.

Here in Arkansas, beauty shops, barbershops, gyms, and such will be allowed to reopen next Wednesday with a whole new set of restrictions. In restaurant dining reopens on May 11th again with a whole new set of restrictions. Eventually many of those restrictions will be lifted but some may become permanent. Many of those new restrictions will make for a healthier public in the long run despite causing additional inconvenience and additional costs.

I don't see Minnesota getting the covid pandemic under control for some time with continuing hot spots and flare ups. Most community activities will end up cancelled at least for the next couple months. I'm also afraid most of you from the areas where the outbreaks have been will not be welcomed in other parts of the state. Learn how to do your social distancing and wear your face covering for that will be with us for months to come.

To look at the US based on the total covid cases or death is very misleading because of the physical size and population. In some areas there are several thousand people per square mile while in others you wouldn't find 10. We are also highly diverse in lifestyle between urban areas and smaller, rural communities. It is not unusual to find entire towns with just 1 of each type of business if they even have that.

"A past trend of fraud and/or incompetence, or an unprofessional demeanor are significant personal flaws that I consider when considering the office of POTUS." With that statement you are describing most people who have ran for POTUS in the last 30 years not to mention a sizable quantity of Congress!

I do regularly, usually the Twins.

Most rural counties some distance from an urban center have very few cases. Where I am currently at, I think there are 2 active cases in the county. Doubt there are a hundred active cases within a hundred miles of me. I feel pretty safe here!

That particular community forum does not center properly on the screen, cuts off the right side. I don't see the same issue with any other forums.