It was a pitiful candidate (Biden) promising to rescue voters from COVID-19 Thursday, echoing the Democrat delusion that Mother Nature will let man have his cake and eat it too. That’s right, if we all wear masks and go broke, we can defeat a global pandemic – just like we can all say “no” to fossil fuels and stop global warming. When the root problem is over-population (see California wildfires), Democrats want their cake (un-bridled immigration) and eat it (blame Republicans) too.
The CG wrote in April that answers would arrive by mid-July. To wit, summer weather has not slowed COVID-19 (not with hordes massed at beaches and lakes) and the “right” approach in China and South Korea did not eradicate the virus. Federal, state, and local guidance has been neutered by individual American views on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The only good news is progress in PPE inventories and production.
Since April, COVID has been politicized by Democrats, wielding it as a bludgeon to oust Trump. Congress established the federal agencies commanded by the chief executive, who is subject to three universal truths: (1) he bats .500 at best, (2) his success is reduced by second-guessing, and (3) his success is increased by checking results and adapting. Despite the White House managing by the book, Democrats insist the President is too dumb or evil to perform a miracle.
After seven months of data-collecting, it’s clear Americans under the age of 19 are COVID-resistant (91 dead v. 71.7 million lives) and 5.6% of the population (over 74-years-old) account for 52% of COVID-19 deaths. [See up-to-date table below]
| Age Group | Total US Dead | Percentage Dead |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 29 | 0.0000015 |
| 5-18 | 63 | 0.0000012 |
| 19-44 | 4,500 | 0.00040 |
| 45-64 | 28,000 | 0.00045 |
| 65-74 | 33,000 | 0.00152 |
| Over 74 | 91,000 | 0.00491 |
Absent an effective vaccine and when it will arrive, the practical defense has four legs:
- Keep K-12 students in school and at home
- Keep college students on campus (grain parties optional)
- Open offices and retail with common-sense guidance
- Keep seniors sheltered in place
Beyond these measures, treat the pandemic like a typical flu season because it’s not killing like Spanish Flu and doctors have multiple treatment choices, derived from six months of trial and error. With the exception of end-stage citizens (over 65), the odds of dying from COVID-19 are 10,000 to 1. About the same as dying in a plane crash, meaning time to get on with it, right?
Democrats and their media cronies can stop portraying COVID-19 as an existential crisis, trust states and localities to re-open their economies, and let an emerging housing boom do the rest. From my vantage point as a home furnishings CEO, there is clear evidence this is happening already, and it’s a good thing.
- Millennial stage-of-life economics were already poised for births and home buying, which are 100% MADE IN AMERICA (i.e. money to local doctors and home builders). Remember the 2001-2007 housing bubble? Imagine that with good loan officers.
- July home sales were near records: a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.86 million (source: NAR). July sales of previously owned homes jumped 24.7% from June, the greatest gain since 1968 and the highest sales pace since December 2006 (source: WSJ). Plus, housing starts (new homes) jumped 22.6% in July.
- Housing starts and home sales have a multiplier effect upon producers (GE, Maytag and Weyerhaeuser), retailers (Home Depot and Pottery Barn), and localities (sales and property taxes).
This bodes well for Republicans long term, because millennials are moving out of riot-infested city centers to exurbs and suburbs, where PTAs and church softball leagues will moderate their views. Which brings us full circle back to Joe Biden again. Other than keeping the economy closed, his BIG IDEA is to copy President Trump (source: Wall Street Journal). And (drum roll, please) Biden will set a good example by wearing his mask. Isn’t that special?