Death Stats and Factoids

Dear George,

Death is on my mind a lot these days.  It’s because of the pandemic.  I wind up thinking, ‘Every day is going to be the same, and then I will die.”  So I’ve been looking into death lately.  It’s definitely more interesting than I thought.  Though I’m still not enthusiastic, I can see it is one of life’s really big events.

Love,

Dave  

How many people born in Sweden in 1875 (my grandfather’s year of birth) went on to die?

There were 135,558 births in Sweden in 1875, and 135,558 of those Swedes are now dead.  No slippage.  (17) 

Altogether how many people have died in human history?

Roughly 100 billion deaths since Homo Sapiens appeared over 200,000 years ago.  (9) 

Nowadays how many people die each year?

According to the Population Reference Bureau, about 8 out of every 1,000 people die each year.  (4)   Globally that’s about 150,000 per day.  (24) 

What are the main causes of death in the U.S.?  

2,839,205 people died in the U.S. in 2018 (the most recent year for which data is available).  About 74% of these deaths occurred as a result of 10 causes (which have remained fairly constant in recent years).

1.  Heart disease: 655,381 (23.1%)

2. Cancer: 599,274 (21.1%)

3. Accidents: 167,5.9%)

4. Chronic low respiratory disease (lung diseases): 159,486 (5.6%)

5. Stroke and cerebrovascular diseases: 147,810 (5.2%)

6. Alzheimer’s disease: 122,019 (4.3%)

7. Diabetes: 84,946 (3%) 

8. Influenza and pneumonia: 59,120 (2.1%) 

9. Kidney disease: 51,386 (1.8%)

10. Suicide: 48,344 (1.7%)   (14) 

What is the worst way to die?

According to ranker.com, one of the worst ways is being trapped in a falling elevator.  Because your internal organs tend to keep moving upon impact, they can tear out from the bottom of your body.  Your head, however, remains farthest away from the point of impact, meaning you may survive long enough to see your insides make their way outside.  (16)

What are the most common methods of suicide?

Worldwide, the most common methods are hanging, poisoning by pesticides, and firearms.  Other common methods are jumping from a height, drug overdoses, and drowning.  (25) 

How painful is death typically?

Thanks to palliative care, pain and other symptoms (e.g., fatigue, insomnia, breathing issues) actually improve as people move closer to death.  Over 85% of palliative care patients have no severe symptoms by the time that they die.  (20)  

Can doctors help one to die?

Assisted suicide is legal in Washington, Oregon, California, Vermont, and Montana.   (9)

How many people die because of medical errors?

About 440,000 people die every years from preventable medical mistakes.  (15) 

What is your life expectancy if you are 70 years old?  80 years old?

Life expectancy in the U.S. at age 70 in 14.4 years for males and 16.6 years for females. At age 80, life expectancy is 8.3 years for males and 9.7 years for females.  (19)  

Will I live longer because I am left-handed?  

Left handed people die 3 years earlier than right handed people.  (18)   

How many people live to age 116?

About one out of every two billion people live to 116 or older.  (8) 

How has the lifespan changed in the U.S.?

In 1900 people lived to an average of 47 years; this increased to age 68 by 1950 and 77 in 2000.  (24) 

What is the strangest death of a famous historical figure?

The ancient Greek philosopher Chrysippus died in a fit of laughter when he saw a drunken donkey try to eat some figs.  (3) 

How many people die from smoking?

According to the CDC, cigarette smoking kills over 480,000 Americans each year.  (5)

How many people die from drug overdoses? 

Overdose death rates in the U.S. have steadily increased from 38,329 in 2010 to 67,367 in 2018.  (7) 

How many Americans die from dog bites?

There are about 4.7 million dog bite victims annually in the U.S.; about 365,000 are treated in emergency rooms; and 34 die, most of them children who were bitten in the face.  (13) 

How many people die from falling out of bed?

About 600 Americans die each year from falling out of bed.  (6) 

Are icicles dangerous?

About 100 Russians are killed each year when sharp icicles fall from rooftops and land on pedestrians.  (13) 

Does texting while driving kill people?

About 6,000 Americans die each year in accidents in which they are texting while driving.  (13) 

How many Americans die from lightning strikes?

An average of 49 people die from lightening each year in the U.S.  (23) 

How many  die from shark attacks?

On average twelve people die worldwide from a shark attack each year.  (By way of comparison, humans kill about 100 million sharks and rays each year, mostly through commercial fishing).  (22) 

How many people are killed by hippopotamuses?

Hippos, who are aggressive and unpredictable creatures, kill 2,900 people per year in Africa.  (13) 

What about roller coasters?

Americans take about 900 million rides a year.  About 4 people die annually.  (13) 

What is the deadliest war battle in history?

1,971,000 casualties occurred in the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43) between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.  (92)  

Are there dead bodies on Mount Everest?

There are over 200 corpses of failed climbers frozen on Mount Everest.  (12) 

How many people go to Heaven after they die? 

89% of women and 69% of men think they will go to Heaven.  (2)  However, based on clues in the Bible, the website 88c.com estimates that only 2.5% of deceased people will go to Heaven, while 97.5% will go somewhere else.  (1)

Are there any living organisms that are immortal?

There is a type of jellyfish (turritopsis nutricula) that lives forever by reverting back to the polyp stage after reaching maturity.  (11) 

SOURCES: 

(1)  888c.com, “How Many Will Be in Heaven?”; 

(2) abcnews.com,  “Poll: Elbow Room No Problem in Heaven”; 

(3) allthatsinteresting.com, “The strange deaths of 16 historic and famous figures”; 

(4) buzzfeed.com, “31 Strange and Disturbing Facts About Death”; 

(5) cdc.gov, “Burden of Cigarette Use in the U.S.”; 

(6) content.time.com, “How Americans are Living Dangerously”; 

(7) drugabuse.gov, “Overdose Death Rates”; 

(8) dyingmatters.org, “Interesting facts about dying”; 

(9) fact slides.com, “Death Facts”; 

(10) factretriever.com, “61 Grave Death Facts”; 

(11) guff.com, “45 Insane Facts About Death”; 

(12) mentalfloss.com, “30 Astonishig Facts About Death”; 

(13) odd.com, “10 Incredibly Bizarre Death Statistics”; 

(14) MDlinx.com, “Top 10 causes of death in the US” in 2020;

(15) msn.com, “The most interesting facts about death”; 

(16) ranker.com, “Science Has Finally Determined The Most Gruesome Ways to Die”; 

(17) scb.se, “Population and Population Changes 1749-2019); 

(18) scoop whoop.com, “15 Srange &n scary Facts About Death”; 

(19)  ssa.com, “Actuarial Life Table”; 

(20)  theconversation.com, “No, most people aren’t in severe pain when they die”; 

(21) usafacts.org, “Number of Deaths in the United States between February 1 and September 19;  

(22) usatoday.com, “Shark attacks 2019”; 

(23) weather.gov, “Lightning Victims”; 

(24) wikipedia.org, “Death”; 

(25) wikipedia.org, “Suicide methods”;

 

Favorite Things

 

Dear George,

The other day I decided to make a list of my favorite things in life.  I’m not sure what prompted this.  Perhaps a gloomy sense that our current lives are routine and unexciting.  In any case, I found it easy to make a lengthy list, and doing the task lifted my spirits.  The original entries spanned my whole life history from early childhood to the present, so I broke the items down into three separate time periods:  1949 (age 12, grade school); 1957 (age 20, 3rd year of college); and 2020 (age 83, the present).  Out of curiosity I asked my wife Katja to make the same three lists of her favorite things.  Our respective responses are given below.  I recommend this as a useful exercise for anybody who wants to remind themselves of some of the wonders that life has to offer. 

Love,

Dave

KATJA          1949 (Sixth grade)    1957 (College)     2020 (Current)  

Author         Robt Louis Stevenson  Herman Melville    Hilary Mantel 

Book           Nancy Drew Mysteries  Moby Dick          The Odyssey

Movie          Gone w/ the Wind      Gone  w/ the Wind  Lawrence of Arabia 

Actress        Elizabeth Taylor      Elizabeth Taylor   Charlize Theron

Actor          Randolph Scott        Montgomery Clift   Bradley Cooper 

Music          Country Western       Folk Music         Classical

Musician       Harry Belafonte       Odetta             Andre Watts   

Radio/TV       The Shadow            Your Show of Shows Downton Abbey 

Comedian       Danny Kay             Peter Sellers      Joan Rivers

Play           Romeo and Juliet      Richard III        Richard III 

Musical        (None)                West Side Story    Fiddler on Roof  

Sport          Baseball              Baseball           Tennis 

Athlete        Richie Ashburn        Richie Ashburn     Roger Federer 

School         History               Literature         Literature

Leisure        Reading               Traveling          Reading/music/TV 

Politician     (None)                (None)             Barack Obama 

Food           Chicken a la King     Chicken a la King  Raw oysters

Collectible    Baseball pics         Stuffed animals    Table linens

Place to shop  (None)                Wanamakers         Nordstrom’s 

Breed of dog   Scotties              Standard poodle    Old English Sheepdog

Vacation       Jersey shore          France             France  

DAVID          1949 (Sixth grade)    1957 (College)     2020 (Current)   

Author         Mark Twain            Bernard Malamud    David Sedaris

Book           Huckleberry Finn      On the Road        Me Talk Pretty…

Movie          Roy Rogers movies     The Seventh Seal   Casablanca

Actress        Dale Evans            Marilyn Monroe     Helen Mirren

Actor          Roy Rogers            Humphrey Bogart    John Malkovich

Music          Pop music             Jazz               Country Western 

Musician       Spike Jones           Thelonius Monk     Patsy Cline

Radio/TV show  The Jack Benny Show   I Love Lucy        Ray Donovan

Comedian       Groucho Marx          Jackie Gleason     Steve Carell              

Play           (None)                The Iceman Cometh  August: Osage Cty

Musical        (None)                Threepenny Opera   Sweeney Todd 

Sport          Golf                  Tennis             NFL football

Athlete        Joe Louis (boxing)    Wilt Chamberlain   Aaron Rodgers

School         Spelling              Creative writing   Poetry writing

Leisure        Comic books            Com’s Tavern      Poetry writing

Politician     Pres. Harry Truman     Hubert Humphrey   Barack Obama

Food           Ice cream              Pizza             Cheeseburgers

Collectible    Baseball cards         Jazz records      Antique postcards

Place to shop  G.I. Surplus Store     Strand Bookstore  St. Vincent de Paul

Breed of dog   Irish setter           Irish setter      Old English Sheepdg

Vacation       Chicago                New York City      New Orleans  

Where I've Gone To

Dear George,

I can’t remember the exact date, but it appears that I died in my sleep about six months ago.  When I woke I found myself in Purgatory, and I’ve been here ever since.  This is a curious place.  For one thing, my new domicile is an exact replica of my former house on earth, right down to the dustballs on the dining room floor.  When I take a walk outside, the streets also look exactly the same, and there are other dead souls walking about, some with dogs on leashes.  We all cover our faces with masks to avoid revealing our earthly identities, and we maximize our distance so that we don’t contaminate one another’s souls.  

Purgatory, of course, is the temporary stopover for purification of the soul before one potentially enters The Good Place.  Suffering, it’s believed, is the very heart of the purification process.  Here in Purgatory suffering is mainly caused by the elimination of all worldly pleasures and pursuits.  Theater, art, music, museums, restaurants, sports, social gatherings, etc., etc.  The older one is, the more deprivation is called for.  Locked in social isolation, one is forced to focus on their personal history of misdeeds and indiscretions.  In my case suffering is further enhanced by something called Polymyalgia Rheumatica.  This is a condition in which I wake each morning with every muscle in my body stiff and aching.  The pain gradually dissipates over the course of the day, but then it begins all over again the next morning.  Unpleasant as it sounds, this clearly aids in purification.  

I will be staying here in Purgatory until it’s time for The Final Judgment.  My chances of The Good Place vs. The Bad Place are about 50-50.  While Purgatory is not that desirable, I hope to stick with it for a while.  it may prove to be better than the alternative.

Love,

Dave   

Number Sixty -- That's Amazing!

 

Dear George; 

Katja and I are celebrating our sixtieth wedding anniversary today.  We were married on August 28, 1960, in the Quaker Chapel on the Antioch College campus in Yellow Springs.  I remember that day better than any other day in the past sixty years.  Among other things I went to the local drugstore to see if I could get  some pills to stop sweating.  (There aren’t any pills to stop  sweating.)  Katja looked very beautiful, and we were overjoyed about the occasion.  After a one-night honeymoon in Dayton; we set off for graduate school in Ann Arbor.  

The next sixty years, in hindsight, have passed by much too quickly.  What pops into my mind includes our both getting graduate degrees; my mentor recommending me for a faculty job in Cincinnati; Katja giving birth to our son J (which was to lead to the most meaningful and ; rewarding part of our marriage); buying our house on Ludlow Avenue; Katja teaching French at UC and then getting her Social Work degree and working at the Cincinnati Association for the Blind; lots of tennis; camping trips with Katja and J; J going to Columbia, marrying K, and then off to med school; our annual family reunions at Farm in Birch Creek; Xmas trips to New York City to visit Ami and Bruce; Beach Haven with Buck and Helen in late summer; California expeditions to see Vicki, David, and families; our many dogs (especially sheepdogs Mike and Duffy); rabbits as well (e.g., Thumper); our many good friends over the decades; CCM, the symphony, and Linton concerts; becoming grandparents; and our golden retirement years with classes at OLLI.  

This time around we are sheltering in place, a disappointing restriction given the significance of the occasion.  However, it does provide for a celebration in which our being together is first and foremost.  If I had to pick someone with whom to sit out the pandemic, Katja is the perfect choice.  Yesterday she bought filet mignon at Fresh Market and a chocolate cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, so we are due for a feast this evening.  We’ll be thinking of all our beloved family and friends.

Love,

Dave

A Coronavirus I Ching Reading

Dear George, 

Having drifted into a state of total lethargy,  I haven’t checked the I Ching even once since the pandemic began.  That’s ridiculous.  The I Ching, of course, is the ancient Chinese Book of Changes.  Drawing from Confucianism and Buddhism, it provides guidance for moral decision-making and action.  One typically consults the I Ching by asking a question and then tossing three coins six times in a row.  The pattern of heads and tails for each coin toss results in either a solid or broken line (see citations at the end for details), and the six lines are arranged vertically in a stacked hexagram as in this example:   

Hexagram 43: Kuai - Breakthrough (Resoluteness)

Each possible hexagram, subdivided into an upper trigram and a lower trigram, represents a  specific life situation.  With six coin tosses, there are 8 trigrams possible and 64 (8 x 8) hexagrams possible.  The 8 trigrams represent heaven, lake, fire, thunder, wind, water, mountain, and earth.  The I Ching provides an interpretation for each of the 64 hexagrams.  Each interpretation includes an Image (the state of mind a superior man would adapt under the circumstances) and a Judgement (the best strategy for action under the circumstances). 

I asked the I Ching, “How can I best cope with the pandemic?”  Like Michelle Obama, I find myself increasingly experiencing “low-grade depression”.   Most of our major pleasures in life have been closed off, and I wake each morning with a sense of dread and an expectation that there is nothing to look forward to.  I tossed the coins six times and recorded each solid and broken line.  My hexagram (shown above) is titled Kuai (Breakthrough [Resoluteness]).  The upper trigram is Tui (The Joyous, The Lake), and the lower trigram is Ch’ien (The Creative, Heaven).  The hexagram suggests that the lake has evaporated and ascended to the sky where it will discharge itself as a cloudburst, hence the imagery of a breakthrough.    

Richard Wilhelm’s commentary.  In the most highly regarded rendition of the I Ching, translator Richard Wilhelm writes:  “This hexagram signifies on the one hand a break-through after a long accumulation of tension, as a swollen river breaks through its dikes, or in the manner of a cloudburst. On the other hand, applied to human conditions, it refers to the time when inferior people gradually begin to disappear. Their influence is on the wane; as a result of resolute action, a change in conditions occurs, a break-through. The hexagram is linked with the third month (April-May).”

My comments.   As usual, the I Ching is uncannily on target.  April-May, of course, is when the coronavirus’s major surge began in the U.S., including a sharp increase in hospitalizations and  deaths, shelter in place mandates, the prohibition of large public gatherings, and the closing of restaurants, bars, and many retail establishments.  Like most people, I’ve experienced more and more tension since that time, and my mode of coping, frankly, has been that of an “inferior person”.  Morose, passive, self-pitying, hopeless. 

How can one break through the paralyzing funk that the pandemic produces?  First, it’s helpful to recognize that there are wide differences in how people respond to the situation and that depression isn’t an inevitable alternative.  Many people, of course, experience catastrophic personal losses — of loved ones, of jobs and income, of their businesses or families.  People in our age group are likely to feel particularly vulnerable to the virus and may fear the prospect of an imminent death.  At the opposite extreme, some regard the pandemic as a complete hoax and adopt a far more cavalier attitude.  Or persons may not let themselves be overwhelmed by the situation.  In occasional instances, the pandemic provides a desirable opportunity for financial profit (e.g., pharmaceutical companies).  Likewise, there are divergent ways of viewing the pandemic.  Probably a majority dwell on the fact that 1 of 60 Americans have been infected by the virus, while others are reassured that 59 of 60 haven’t been.  Experts estimate that 1% or fewer of infected persons are likely to die (though, on the other hand, 99% or more will not).  

It seems to me that two things are required for a breakthrough.  The first is to adopt a less exaggerated and more realistic view of the pandemic.  I spend endless hours soaking in frightening information from the media (which concentrates almost entirely on death rates and largely ignores rates of recovery).  In looking at relevant statistics, our odds, in fact, are pretty good.  Second, I think a breakthrough occurs which one engages in meaningful, rewarding activities that provide a renewed sense of mission.  Something beyond watching Netflix and taking naps.   A lot of my own gloomy state is linked to the loss of so many activities in our community.  I have lost my poetry classes, but I can still write tons of poems.  The gym has been shut down, but I can do a challenging exercise program at home.  The same for blogging, reading, art, music, photography, and playing cards and Trivial Pursuit with Katja.  I’ve been a slug-a-bed for much too long.  Hopefully finishing this blog post will be the first step in a personal breakthrough.  Time will tell. 

Love,

Dave 

SOURCES: 

Wilhelm, Richard.  (1950). The I Ching or Book of Changes. Cary Baynes, trans. Bollingen Series 19. Introduction by Carl G. Jung. New York: Pantheon Books. 3rd edition (1967), Princeton: Princeton University Press.

mindsports.ni, “Interpreting the I Ching” 

taopage.org, “Content of the I-ching” 

the-iching.com, “43. Parting (guài). Breakthrough”

 

MEERKAT POEMS

Dear George,

The meerkats are among my favorite exhibits at the zoo.  They’re always busy and active, diving in and out of their burrows, checking out the world about them.  I think they enjoy watching the humans as much as the humans enjoy watching them.  Here are a few meerkat poems, dedicated to their happy spirit.

Love,

Dave

My Meerkat Family

Here you have my family.

Meerkat Mob Number Two Thousand Four.

That is our mother standing at the rear.  

We Meerkats are called mobs.

though the British call us gangs.   

I am right near the middle.  

They say I have a serious look.

but it doesn’t really matter 

because all Meerkats have serious looks.  

We are not separate beings  

but interchangeable pieces  

in the Great Meerkat Collective.   

We look alike

think alike

act alike.

We are not as quick as cheetahs

as majestic as lions

as strong as rhinos.

But we are brave

and determined 

and when the apocalypse arrives

as it surely will 

we will be the last remaining species on earth

because we stick together

and prize the group above the individual.  

Humans could learn a lot from Meerkats. 

                           * * *

A Meerkat Primer

Not just anyone can be a Meerkat.

You have to be tough

also smart

very quick on your feet

able to scramble through a four-inch bolt-hole.

My family has lived in the desert for eons.

In July, one hundred and twenty at high noon

so we retire to the depths of our burrow

where it’s pitch black, cooler.

We spend the remainder of our time

hunting for food.

Butterflies and beetles, moths

maybe a lizard or a baby bird

if lucky, a small snake

an egg or two, some cactus seeds 

even a scorpion.

I get new brothers and sisters four times a year 

usually after a rainy season 

sometimes six or seven pups, sometimes three or four 

We Meerkats live to age thirteen 

longer than squirrels or skunks or rabbits.

There are half a million Meerkats

in the world today

five times as many Meerkats as giraffes. 

               * * *

The Sentries 

Raza and I are sentries

posted at our station dawn to dusk 

rain or shine, dust storms, lightning.

Ever vigilant

we don’t allow ourselves to  blink. 

Meerkats have deadly ancestral enemies

the hawk-eagles

the bat-eared foxes, the jackals

the spotted snakes with their long fangs

and poisonous venom.

My responsibility is to watch to the north

where the eagles fly in 

while Raza looks south

for the foxes and jackals.

We have keen vision and keen hearing

and at our slightest warning cry 

our family members dive into their burrow holes

ready to enjoy another Meerkat day 

               * * *

What Meerkats Think

Meerkats think all the time, you know. 

Not so much about life’s meaning

but more practical stuff

like the dozens of things my mom has told me.

Keep out of the midday sun

Mark our territory

 and defend against the rival mobs

Always take care of the baby pups

Drink the water when you come across it

The juiciest beetles hide under rotten logs.

And every day, of course, I think about our enemies.

How I might snatch an eagle right out of the sky

or twist a desert snake into knots

Gang up with my sisters and brothers

to chase away a hungry jackal. 

And most of all I think about Lavinia 

the sweetest Meerkat I’ve ever seen

who lives with her sisters across the great valley

and hopefully one day will be my bride.

I wonder if Lavinia ever thinks of me.

Eight-Three and Chugging Along

Dear George,

As I write this our son J and grandkids V and L are busy pressure washing our patio deck.  I can’t think of a better birthday gift.  Our deck has long been in a sad state of disrepair, and J has been working on fixing it since they arrived from California 10 days ago.  The last task is painting the deck.  J is supervising, while V is manning the pressure washer, and L is dislodging the chunks of dried paint.  Since Katja has been thinking about tearing the whole thing down and starting from scratch, their birthday gift of manual labor is going to save us about $5000. 

One thing I think about turning 83 is that our family becomes more important every year as we grow older as a source of social, emotional, and practical support.  We’re very proud of our grandkids, delight in their growing up.  J and our daughter-in-law K are our good friends to us as well as our closest family members.  Our group is driving back to New Orleans in two days, returning to their regular lives (as much as possible) after a summer in Half Moon Bay.  We will miss them dearly.   

J asked me how it felt to be 83, and I said it wasn’t much different from being 60 or 50 or even 40.  My poor hearing is my major sign of being in my eighties, but it’s been poor for the past two decades and it’s not nearly as bad as it might be.  I think I am more aware of being in my eighties because of the pandemic because I read in the paper every day that Katja and I are in a high-risk category.  I’m going to be extremely angry if I catch the coronavirus and die from it because that isn’t part of my game plan.  

I’ve often thought about which decade of life is the best.  When I was a kid in grade school, a pharmacist in our family drugstore named Lucien regularly told me to enjoy life because I was in the best time I would ever know.  I didn’t pay attention, but I think he had a case.  Now I think the eighties are also a strong contender, at least if one is relatively healthy and financially stable.  Since retiring twelve years ago (fourteen for Katja), we’ve been free as birds and unencumbered by job tasks, bosses, annual evaluations, and difficult colleagues.  We’re more mature, we devote ourselves to enjoyable pleasures, and life is full of contentment.  I never really expected this, and it’s a welcome surprise.  

I don’t know what my 83rd year will bring.  We have the rest of the Trump presidency, the pandemic, unrest from police brutality, the economic disaster.  My hope is that we will successfully wend our way through a chaotic world.  I wish the same for you and your family.

Love,

Dave

P.S.  The photo is my pandemic hairdo and beard, untouched since last February.  This geezer looks much more like an 83-year-old than he used to.  

Will This Actually Happen?

Dear George,

We have “sheltered in place” for four months, and that arrangement appears likely to continue indefinitely.  Our lives, while less damaged than most, remain pretty bleak.  No outings, no social gatherings, no events, no sports, no music, no art, no restaurants, not much except TV and red wine.  Recently, however, it’s been dawning on me that something stupendous and wonderful is likely to happen in the foreseeable future.  I’m referring, of course, to the November elections.  Every day more evidence becomes available that Trump has little or no possibility of being re-elected.  In my mind, the inauguration of a new president in six months.  I’m sure you’ve see the news reports.  Here is a sampling:    

87% of Americans are dissatisfied with how things are going in the country, and only 17% are proud of the country’s condition.  (late June Pew survey; brookings.edu) 

As of the end of June, only 39% approve of how Trump is handling his job as president.  (Pew survey; brookings.edu)

Younger white working class voters (ages 18-39), a major Trump constituency, tend to view Trump’s presidency as “poor” or “terrible” (46%) and are unlikely to think that he handles race relations well (35%) or brings the country together (35%).  (Pew survey; brookings.edu) 

Trump has received severe criticism for mishandling the pandemic crisis and for his responses to protests over the death of George Floyd.  (theguardian.com)

According to CNN analysts, “the toll the coronavirus will have taken on the American economy and people will be too great for him to overcome.”  (cnn.com) 

Though seniors (65 and over) favored Trump by 8 points in 2016, most surveys in June 2020 found Biden leading Trump by 2 to 8 points among seniors.  (nbcnews.com) 

A recent NY Times poll found Biden leading white women with college degrees by 39 points (compared to Hillary Clinton’s 7 point margin in 2016).  (slate.com)

In 2016 Trump won white women without college degrees by 37%.  Recent polls have found that number shrinking to single digits.  (slate.com) 

According to a June 2020 NYT poll, Biden is leading by 6 to 11 points in six battleground states that Trump carried in 2016 and that were crucial to his election: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina.  (nytimes.com)  

A late June Pew Center survey found Biden leading Trump nationally by 10 points, 54%-44%.  (brookingsedu)

It sounds almost too good to be true, and I’m immediately reminded how we celebrated Hillary Clinton’s “landslide victory” up until the polls closed on election day.  Momentous things could happen in coming months with the pandemic, the economy, race relations.  And/or Joe Biden could mess up.  Right now, however, there’s lots of reasons for anti-Trumpers to feel optimistic.  I’m determined not to die from the coronavirus while Trump is in office.  I plan to avoid all germs until 2021.  (But in the worst circumstance, if need be, I’ll hide out at home till 2025).

Love,

Dave