# 2020 Time Person of the Year: Is there any debate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2020, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194 "2020-06-07T06:32:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/61 "2020-11-20T22:42:43Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I suspect that Trump will totally lose it when reality finally hits, and at some point after Jan 20 he will be de-Twittered for rules violations. He’ll probably end up solely on Parler.- I agree with everything here except “when reality finally hits.” I don’t believe it will ever hit. He will never accept reality. Like those poor bastards [who are dying of covid and still insist it’s a hoax.](https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/526204-south-dakota-nurse-says-many-dying-patients-still-insist-covid-19-not) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/62 "2020-11-20T22:52:13Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I agree with everything here except “when reality finally hits.” I don’t believe it will ever hit. He will never accept reality. His closest allies and most loyal followers will abandon him as they realize he has no more power as a civilian than they do and he really can’t do anything for them. Their time will be better spent kissing the asses of other prominent GOP members. Even if reality never sets in, can you imagine what it’ll be like in his head when he’s still living in his alternate reality but there’s no one around to keep fantasy alive? I’ll bet, if he still has a social media presence, within a year he’ll be treating his current base like he’s been treating the Left for the past 5 years. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/63 "2020-11-21T00:04:43Z")
If it’s an American, it might be Stacey Abrams. Flipping GA is no little thing, and if it weren’t for GA and Wisconsin (which also credited her work), Trump’s attempts to roll this back would be a lot more scary. It might be Poll workers, who risked a lot to save Democracy. Jacinda Arden is the best non-American suggestion. It would be a huge slap in the face to Trump . . . This lady getting credited for leadership in a task he said was impossible, hopeless. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/64 "2020-11-21T00:11:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Even if reality never sets in, can you imagine what it’ll be like in his head … Like this. [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/C69LDfR.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/B3gW26Y) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/65 "2020-11-21T00:16:45Z")
My first thought. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/66 "2020-11-21T00:18:46Z")
Covid19: Virus of the Year ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/67 "2020-11-21T01:38:07Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > The Front Line Workers” - not just health workers, but people like grocery clerks…and where would we be without truck drivers? I vote for this. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/68 "2020-11-21T02:05:53Z")
If TIME Person of the Year is about the most _ **impactful** _ person, how could it not be “Patient Zero?” That person, whoever he or she is, had far more impact on the world this year than George Floyd, Trump, Biden, Fauci, or anyone else did. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/69 "2020-11-21T04:44:32Z")
I have no idea why Jacinda would be on the list, she was on an island nation with a tiny population and then did a hardcore lockdown when it all went down. That’s pretty much easy mode. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2020, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/70 "2020-11-22T05:53:11Z")
Time Magazine hasn’t been relevant for years anyway, but if it isn’t something to do with the pandemic, they might as well just pack it in now. Either essential workers (which would be my choice) or the virus itself. Nothing else is even close. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/71 "2020-11-25T04:42:24Z")
Essential workers, including poll workers and funeral home staff The Michigan election board Republican who voted to certify the Michigan vote. The protestors who spoke truth to power, stood their ground and hopefully have corrected America’s pathetic path Canada who has remained a supportive and congenial neighbor, moving towards us, not scorning us in our perversity. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/72 "2020-11-25T16:04:51Z")
“Canada”? That would be the most bizarre out of the blue choice ever. It’s gotta be just “covid-19”. The entire world has revolved around it for the entire year. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/73 "2020-11-25T16:11:14Z")
Remember that the selection is “the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year.” And given they’ve awarded it to non-persons previously, COVID-19 itself might make the most sense. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/74 "2020-11-25T17:29:06Z")
> [@](#): > > the person or persons who most affected the news Obviously, the runaway choice for Person of the Year is Florida Man. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/75 "2020-11-26T17:32:43Z")
My guesses: 1. The virus 2. The frontline workers 3. Biden/Harris Not very original, but I expect one of those. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/76 "2020-11-26T17:47:16Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Obviously, the runaway choice for Person of the Year is Florida Man. Well I just knew that Trump would figure a way to become _ **a** _ person of the year… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/77 "2020-11-26T23:19:01Z")
Yeah, or possibly Trump if he still doesn’t concede and continues to go kicking and screaming well until December. If Trump does concede there’s a good chance Biden might take it. Time already basically made him Man of the Year with their coverage of him post election. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/78 "2020-11-26T23:37:01Z")
Essential Workers makes the most sense to me, as that’s a global truth. This has been an issue for every single person in the world. None of this America-centric nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/79 "2020-11-26T23:38:52Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I have no idea why Jacinda would be on the list, she was on an island nation with a tiny population and then did a hardcore lockdown when it all went down. That’s pretty much easy mode. …not an island. An archipelago. And not a tiny population compared to places like South Dakota or Wyoming or Montana. We did a hardcore lockdown when it all went down but it was **anything but easy**. We didn’t have enough ICU beds. Not enough PPE. Only enough testing capacity **for six days**. We were (on paper) worse prepared than the USA, the UK, and most of the rest of the EU. We had to turn the country upside down. Build a network of managed isolation facilities including inventing protocols and repurposed staffing. Along with Ashley Bloomfield on the strength of the daily briefings convinced the entire country to buy into a two month lockdown that prevented thousands of deaths. We’ve built a gold-standard contact tracing network that can contact 100% of contacts and genomic sequencing that can track the point of infection down to a rubbish bin. I don’t think Jacinda Ardern should win the Time Person of the Year either. But the reasons you think she shouldn’t win are just plain silly. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194/80 "2020-11-27T12:42:09Z")
It’s not my magazine, but I’m not crazy about _Time_ naming non-human – or even non-specific humans – as Person of the Year. I’d rather it be a specific individual or group of individuals. Alas, they do not consult me for my opinion. FWIW here are the non-human winners of the past: 1982 – The Computer 1988 – The Endangered Earth And the non-specific human honorees: 1950 – The American Fighting-Man 1956 – The Hungarian Freedom Fighter 1960 – U.S. Scientists 1966 – The Inheritor 1968 – The Apollo 8 Astronauts 1969 – The Middle Americans (Silent Majority) 1975 – American Women 1993 – The Peacemakers 2002 – The Whislteblowers 2003 – The American Soldier 2005 – The Good Samaritans 2006 – You 2011 – The Protester 2014 – Ebola Fighters 2017 – The Silence Breakers 2018 – The Guardian mmm ETA I think 2020 should absolutely be the Front Line Worker, so I guess I’m ok with groups after all [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-time-person-of-the-year-is-there-any-debate/855194.md?page=5)