The Mystery of Governor Kemp

Inspector Gregory:  "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"

Holmes:  "To the curious incident of what the Georgia governor had known."

Gregory:  "The governor of Georgia said he'd known nothing."

Holmes:  "That is the curious incident."


Just when I thought a day of COVID-19 might go by without anyone saying anything abominably stupid, Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia decided to finally enact a stay-at-home order because in the last 24 hours, he said, he had learned of the virus' asymptomatic transmission, which he labeled a "game changer."

In my March 14 opening entry regarding coronavirus, I mentioned that asymptomatic transmission was finally being given its due in terms of causing a big chunk of transmissions. The only way to explain transmission rates in Italy and Iran seemed either asymptomatic transmission or that the virus was airborne. So what is one to make of today's proclamation by Gov. Kemp that he had just learned about asymptomatic transmission?

I considered some theories as to why the governor might not know this. Theory number one was that he had just awakened from a two-week oxycodone bender. Theory number two was that he had been busy fighting Thanos in an alternate timeline.

I just do not get it. Was he somehow the last name on President Trump's rolodex, and nobody gave him the "Ummm, you should probably shut it down, dude," until today? Was he waiting for the NRA to give him the okay? I mean, what the hell? Did no one around Gov. Kemp tell him how tone deaf and uninformed he sounded?

Watching the governor's press conference explaining the stay-at-home, I have to assume he's either lying through his teeth or stunningly incompetent. Asymptomatic transmission has been in the news, a lot, for three full weeks. Has Gov. Kemp not engaged medical experts in conversation the entire time?

I am just amazed at the buffoonery of our elected officials. I grew up in the era of moon launches and respect for science. That America appears long gone.

What must the rest of the world think?


April 2, 2020
Bob Dietz