I kinda wish Joe and Bernie would stop holding these big rallies

[pnwmom]

where good Dems come to infect each other.

The TV stations should give them free airtime for multiple town hall-like interviews instead (minus an audience), as part of their civic duty fighting the coronavirus.

[CatMor]

1. I agree ...

for their safety and the safety of the rally goers packed in. No shaking hands now either.

[Rebl2]

10. Good idea

[PatSeg]

2. I like the town halls

We really learn more about the candidates than in the big rallies, which are more about stump speeches.

[3catwoman3]

3. A valid concern.

Eom

[Thekaspervote]

4. I think it's coming. D Jackie Spier and some members of congress are calling for ending rallies

[femmedem]

5. Absolutely. If nothing else, they need to lead by example

and demonstrate that we all need to make sacrifices to practice social distancing.

[PuffedMica]

6. I think Trump should stop appearing in public.

He encountered the virus at CPAC and is spreading it where ever he goes.

[IronLionZion]

7. Trump can keep doing the rallies and shaking hands

since it's all a liberal hoax

Dems can do televised town halls answering real questions about policy issues from real people

[pnwmom]

14. Exactly. He can keep infecting his fan base. That's basically what he's been doing

all along -- infecting people with his nastiness.

[KT2000]

8. Agree -

I don't want anyone to get sick - especially Biden.

[Hav]

9. It might become inevitable

In some countries, events with many people have already been postponed/cancelled. Some sport events will take place without spectators.
Depending on the development in the US, there may come a point when holding those rallies will become reckless. Because even if you think you are young and healthy and not in the at risk groups, always keep in mind the older parents/grandparents or relatives/friends with a weakened system you may have as well.

[former9thward]

11. There is no evidence of any spread because of rallies.

Or sports events. Or concerts. What's next? Ban people from going to grocery stores? You are far, far more at risk being there, where everyone is touching everything than at a rally or sports events. How about banning public transportation? Where everyone is breathing everyone's else coughs and touching what everyone else is touching. I could list a hundred places more likely to spread something than a rally.

[pnwmom]

15. Our public health department disagrees with you.They say people are better off

avoiding all crowded gatherings. And businesses where I live are sending more and more people to work at home.

And a rally is entirely optional -- for most people, going to work isn't.

(And there is plenty of evidence. For example, 26 people from Biogen were infected after attending a conference.)

From the CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/mass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fmass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html

[former9thward]

16. Since your public health dept disagrees with me ....

They must evidence of spread as the result of rallies, etc. What do they say it is? Since they disagree....

[pnwmom]

17. A rally is no different from any other crowd -- except that the people attending are harder to track

But 26 people attending a Biogen event got infected. We know because they were all employees of Biogen and they were easy to track.


From the CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/mass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fmass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html

[BlueIdaho]

18. As soon as the government starts testing in ernest

We will learn what is really going on in America. Right now Trump is terrified to see the numbers proper testing will likely show.

[nolabear]

12. I've been thinking about what they could do.

Virtual rallies don’t have the excitement factor but at this point it might be smart to go to cities, meet with important officials—maybe with those who are involved in the local virus readiness programs, televise the hell out of it, and BE the president that 45 is not. Comfort, caution, talk about unity around this pandemic. Talk about the need to come out of governmental isolation. Talk about the countries of the world cooperating. Talk about how we can address the markets. There’s no need for a complete plan, but a preliminary one and a serious come to Jesus that is widely carried and will lift people out of the sense that nothing can be done because nothing is being done would be powerful in so many ways.

Make this thing a metaphor for a presidency that functions. Make America Well Again.

[treestar]

13. and keep the trolls out of the town halls

It is annoying when someone manages to get the mike to ask a provoking and stupid question not meant to discuss real issues but meant to try to get the candidate off balance and see how he/she handles being insulted.