Political psychic vampires and the coronavirus

A “psychic vampire” is “a person who gets increased energy around other people, but leaves those other people exhausted or drained of energy.” The political class, and the class of now mislabeled political news reporters, are thick with psychic vampires.

Let’s look, for example, at political reaction and news reporting on Trump Administration actions anticipating the outcome of coronavirus. The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board has an apt editorial in a recent edition subtitled, “Maybe we should quarantine Capitol Hill until the crisis passes.”

The coronavirus is simply the latest headline grabber being “weaponized” — the modern term — in the political fight to destroy the President. The standard reaction from the Democrat party, its activist allies, and its news mouthpieces is: If President Trump is involved in an issue, it has to be laced with lies, ineptness, and personal ambition.

Really?

Imagine any type of negotiation between two parties where one party is adamantly, inexplicably, hostile toward the other. How successful would it be for you to negotiate buying a new car with a salesman who tells you he knows — not assumes, not thinks — he knows you’re a liar, a selfish rogue?

February 26, President Trump held a press conference, addressing the nation on what his administration is doing about the coronavirus. Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force were there too.

President Trump said, “Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low. We have the greatest experts in the world…right here — people…called upon by other countries when things like this happen.

“We’re ready to adapt and…do whatever we have to as the disease spreads, if it spreads. [T]he level that we’ve had in our country is very low, and those people are getting better….  We have a total of 15,” Trump continued.

“Of the [original] 15 people — 8 of them have returned to…stay in their homes until fully recovered. One is in the hospital and five have fully recovered. And one is, we think, in pretty good shape and it’s in between hospital and going home,” the President told the nation.”

You can read the full text of the press conference at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-conference/.

You can also watch the full press conference online at https://www.c-span.org/video/?469747-1/president-trump-announces-vice-president-pence-charge-coronavirus-response.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at her coronavirus press conference the day after the President’s press conference said of the President, in part:

“Our country is a great country. It’s so resilient that it could even withstand one term of Donald Trump. Two terms and the damage that he’s doing to the rule of the law, of the court system in our country, the air our children breathe, the denial of climate and the rest – just time will take a toll.”

Really?

I grew up believing politics is the art of compromise. Not that every attempt to find workable solutions among many different viewpoints is a success. The late Maine political activist Stan McGeehan made a lasting impression when he said about political compromises, “Sometimes it’s okay to crash-and-burn.” I’ve witnessed many times when compromising with the other side — usually the Right giving in to the Left — means the political center (middle) keeps moving leftward.

Sometimes, when political compromise fails, it’s time to fight. But that should be a very, very, last resort.

What’s most troubling about our current political environment, as I’ve said, is the habitual offense taking, habitual assuming the worst about others, and making every part of daily life — from girls track meets to the War Powers Act — about politics first.

It is truly energy draining. It’s everywhere and pointless. I’m done with our political psychic vampires. Certainly I am no longer supporting psychic vampires; no longer watching or listening to them, no longer buying their products or services or ideas.

My support is going fully to political psychic vampires’ opposites in both the marketplace and in elected office. I urge you to do the same.

House Speaker Pelosi Coronavirus Press Conference Transcript: https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/22720-2

Scott K. Fish has served as a communications staffer for Maine Senate and House Republican caucuses, and was communications director for Senate President Kevin Raye. He founded and edited AsMaineGoes.com and served as director of communications/public relations for Maine’s Department of Corrections. He now works in the private sector.