INTRO: It was an unprecedented sight: A SpaceX capsule - the first to carry NASA astronauts - bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by private boaters, one of them bearing a flag supporting President Donald Trump. The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour splashed down off the coast of Pensacola, Florida Sunday (Aug. 2), returning astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to Earth after their historic Demo-2 test flight. But shortly after that splashdown, private boats swarmed the space capsule, apparently hoping for a closer look. "That was not what we were anticipating," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a post-splashdown briefing. "After they landed, the boats just came in. We need to do a better job next time for sure." (MORE)
INTRO: Supporters of President Donald Trump on Sunday were accused of jeopardizing astronauts’ return to Earth. After SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule became the first American spacecraft to splashdown in 45 years, a boat flying the Trump flag was spotted within feet of the astronauts. The boaters were quickly called out on social media for “interfering” with the mission. Watch the video and read some of the responses... (MORE)
Not the article's video, but might include the referenced scenes after splashdown (commentator does mention "more boats than expected")
When does having a flag mean you support whatever is on it? How do we know they’re not Biden supporters trying to influence anti-Trump feelings? Are the Biden people so stupid that the mere sight of a flag proves someone a Trump supporter? If I’m Joe then I’m cringing at how this report could backfire.
(Aug 3, 2020 12:32 AM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: When does having a flag mean you support whatever is on it? How do we know they’re not Biden supporters trying to influence anti-Trump feelings? Are the Biden people so stupid that the mere sight of a flag proves someone a Trump supporter? If I’m Joe then I’m cringing at how this report could backfire.
Biden people don't own boats. They don't like the vitamin D.
But seriously, boat owners do favor Trump at higher rates than their state in general.
In Florida, Trump has a net approval rating among boat owners of about 18 percentage points — at least six times higher than his statewide net approval number — according to the campaign’s voter profile models, which consist of 3,000 different public and consumer data points.
Florida has the highest number of registered boats in the nation, nearing 1 million, according to state data. Wisconsin has the nation’s fourth-highest rate of boat ownership, and the Trump campaign said his net approval is 10 points there among boaters — and 11 points among boaters in Michigan. https://www.politico.com/states/florida/...la-1288656
(Aug 3, 2020 12:32 AM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: When does having a flag mean you support whatever is on it? How do we know they’re not Biden supporters trying to influence anti-Trump feelings? Are the Biden people so stupid that the mere sight of a flag proves someone a Trump supporter? If I’m Joe then I’m cringing at how this report could backfire.
Biden people don't own boats. They don't like the vitamin D.
But seriously, boat owners do favor Trump at higher rates than their state in general.
In Florida, Trump has a net approval rating among boat owners of about 18 percentage points — at least six times higher than his statewide net approval number — according to the campaign’s voter profile models, which consist of 3,000 different public and consumer data points.
Florida has the highest number of registered boats in the nation, nearing 1 million, according to state data. Wisconsin has the nation’s fourth-highest rate of boat ownership, and the Trump campaign said his net approval is 10 points there among boaters — and 11 points among boaters in Michigan. https://www.politico.com/states/florida/...la-1288656
Do they have stats on bathtub toy owners? Can’t believe the lengths and depths of information regarding political candidates. What the hell is going on over there?
Can we expect, as the election nears, some real good dirt on Biden from Trump supporters?
(Aug 3, 2020 03:01 AM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: Can we expect, as the election nears, some real good dirt on Biden from Trump supporters?
Other than what we already have? Can't get much better than senility, serial sexual harassment of women and young girls, and pushing for mass incarceration of minorities.
(Aug 3, 2020 03:01 AM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: Can we expect, as the election nears, some real good dirt on Biden from Trump supporters?
Other than what we already have? Can't get much better than senility, serial sexual harassment of women and young girls, and pushing for mass incarceration of minorities.
I can only assume that displaying a Trump flag on your boat is far worse thing to do.
INTRO: It was an unprecedented sight: A SpaceX capsule - the first to carry NASA astronauts - bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by private boaters, one of them bearing a flag supporting President Donald Trump. The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour splashed down off the coast of Pensacola, Florida Sunday (Aug. 2), returning astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to Earth after their historic Demo-2 test flight. But shortly after that splashdown, private boats swarmed the space capsule, apparently hoping for a closer look. "That was not what we were anticipating," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a post-splashdown briefing. "After they landed, the boats just came in. We need to do a better job next time for sure." (MORE)
I posted about this earlier in the Crew Dragon thread, but apparently it doesn't merit any interest until it can be spun against the President of the United States.
In real life a number of small boats, numbering perhaps ten or fifteen, approached the newly arrived Crew Dragon, presumably in search of photographs. Only one of the boats was flying a Trump 2020 banner. There's no evidence that I can see that any of the boats "endangered" anything since they didn't prevent or delay the recovery crew from getting to the capsule. When the boaters were requested to back off to a safe distance, they clearly did. (See the photograph below.) They were certainly better behaved than antifa rioters at the Portland federal building.
Here's what I posted earlier.
12:08 PDT/3:08 EDT - Several local boats are around the capsule with the astronauts still inside, Go Navigator is warning the spectator boats off. SpaceX photo from Go Navigator showing the spectator boats.
My own view is that flying the Trump 2020 flag was tacky and uncool. It was just an attempt to politicize an event that had the potential to unify people not only all over the United States, but all over the entire world. I certainly wouldn't have liked it if it was a Biden flag or a BLM banner.
Of course that genie is long out of the bottle. Thank Colin Kaepernick and all the athletes who want to politicize sports, all the professors and university administrators who want to politicize higher education and all the celebrities who want to politicize entertainment. SpaceX and NASA are among the last things left in our increasingly fractured and hate-filled society that has the power to draw people together in shared hopes and dreams, rather than drive them apart in violent opposition to each other.
Aug 2, 2020 11:33 PM
Can’t believe the lengths and depths of information regarding political candidates. What the hell is going on over there?
![[Image: 1960049.jpg]](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/assets/51600.0/1960049.jpg)