# Pence refuses to wear face mask while visiting Mayo Clinic **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 29, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844 "2020-04-29T21:42:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/21 "2020-04-30T02:52:01Z")
Does anyone else keep reading this as “Prince refuses…”? I keep “seeing” that, knowing full well he’s dead. ---
**Author:** ![cincinnatus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cincinnatus/32/7990_2.png) [@cincinnatus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cincinnatus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/22 "2020-04-30T02:52:22Z")
Are you kidding me? The Mayo Clinic completely, and I mean completely, lost it’s reputation with me. They didn’t have the courage to face down a bully who could infect their place. Mayo doesn’t seem to know Infectious Disease 101. Their mask policy is worthless. If they go on to make great discoveries, it will be a fluke if their work isn’t contaminated. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/23 "2020-04-30T02:58:33Z")
Bizarre story. Also, I have no problem looking people in the eye while wearing a mask over my mouth and nose. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/24 "2020-04-30T03:47:05Z")
Take me back to Mayo when I fall sick from this. Maybe they won’t take me 'cuz I’m the cause of it. I roam around here mask-less, I think I’m being free. I don’t believe in science, so just let me be me. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/25 "2020-04-30T04:37:50Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Also, I have no problem looking people in the eye while wearing a mask over my mouth and nose. Maybe it depends on where on your body your eyes are located. Alexandra Petri, satire columnist at WaPo, was wondering about where Pence’s eyes are. [Sweet God, where are Mike Pence’s eyes?](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/29/sweet-god-where-are-mike-pences-eyes/), Alexandra Petri, _Washington Post_, April 29, 2020. > [@](#): > > Well, it is worse than I thought. > > Mike Pence, who is heading up our coronavirus task force, does not know where the eyes are located on the face. > > He did not want to wear a mask because he wanted to … look health workers in the eye? > > I am not wearing socks on the grounds that I want to be able to hear. I won’t be wearing a hat on the grounds that I want to be able to smell. I won’t be putting on gloves because I want to be able to taste. (I sometimes feel that I cannot hear as well when I am wearing sunglasses, but I know that this is because I am wrong and maybe something is the matter with me.) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/26 "2020-04-30T04:41:42Z")
Of the several photos I saw of bare-faced Pence at Mayo, one of them showed him in a room with a bed-ridden patient, surrounded by several other people. You’ve probably all seen it. I wondered this: Did they vet that patient before bringing Pence in to visit him? Is he a Republican? Is he a Trump voter? Did he consent to being in the same room with Pence, mask or no mask? Did Pence know of the patient’s political affiliations beforehand? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/27 "2020-04-30T04:50:19Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > The mask may have been touched by a woman. As long as she is not ovulating nor on the make, he should sleep fine and soundly, god permitting. I was hoping that someone under those masks just flat-out said - really, are you out of your fucking mind? You diseased shithead. And of course, on camera, Mike would have to just nod, with serious intent. > [@Senegoid](#): > > Did Pence know of the patient’s political affiliations beforehand? If I was that patient I might be desperate enough to risk infection from that heinous putresence (and if necessary, say I’m a MAGAT, or whatever the fucking fuck it takes) just to have a shot at making my feelings known. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/28 "2020-04-30T05:18:36Z")
> [@cincinnatus](#): > > Are you kidding me? > > The Mayo Clinic completely, and I mean completely, lost it’s reputation with me. > > They didn’t have the courage to face down a bully who could infect their place. Agreed. There’s an ongoing pattern through this whole presidency, of various and sundry people having meaningful opportunities to take a stand, and bitching out. I’ve really fucking had it. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/29 "2020-04-30T07:20:26Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Agreed. > > There’s an ongoing pattern through this whole presidency, of various and sundry people having meaningful opportunities to take a stand, and bitching out. I’ve really fucking had it. Would it be out of the (admittedly bizarro norm, now) realm of possibilty that He Whom Mike Glowingly Fawns Over At Pressers would try to somehow get supplies seized from Mayo, if, say, they decided _not_ to delete the tweet about MP not wearing a mask? When the Overgrown Toddler is thin-skinned enough to do anything to fuck over (even pervcieved) enemies, I’m not too surprised that it’s sadly left to retired folk who’d either been in office or the military to inveigh against The Shittiness in what are, ultimately, impotent stabs at tsk-tsking Don. Annoying waverers like Susan “Lesson Giver” Collins get sort of close to some vague semblance of bitching out and then…like…oh, that went nowhere. (retracting, back-pedaling) Why even bother, SC? So while I share your fury at the seemingly universal spinelessness of those with opportunities to take a stand, I wish I could hold out more hope for those who might try to take _firm_ stands, like, yes, you, SC (again). (woefully flummoxed to come up with even _one_ more name) The prospect of getting Mark Sanforded is an admittedly daunting beast that I nonetheless pray nightly - in complete and absolute vain\* - that Rebublicans can grow the yarbles to start confronting, more and more often, especially if some red states start to feel the turning screw of federal gov’t pandemic mismanagement as much as the blue states surely will, over the coming months (epecially the ones with those pesky sanctuary cities). And mentioned elsewhere in these threads - in the media, calling out shit more. I’m totally amped to see that trend develop. (pardon the derail - anyway hopefully Johns Hopkins might tell them to take a hike if the same shit’s pulled there.) \*My religion lately has been a harrowing, unending, Munch-screamy panoply of existential horror, swirl-vision, big-picture paranoia and inner turmoil… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/30 "2020-04-30T10:49:40Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Of the several photos I saw of bare-faced Pence at Mayo, one of them showed him in a room with a bed-ridden patient, surrounded by several other people. You’ve probably all seen it. > > I wondered this: Did they vet that patient before bringing Pence in to visit him? Is he a Republican? Is he a Trump voter? Did he consent to being in the same room with Pence, mask or no mask? Did Pence know of the patient’s political affiliations beforehand? What are the odds that wasn’t a real patient? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/31 "2020-04-30T10:53:12Z")
I don’t think we should blame the Mayo Clinic (a great organization, in my experience) – probably some poor hospital administrator or head nurse was saddled with escorting Pence, and froze up and didn’t know how to respond when that idiot declined a mask, so just proceeded with the tour. Some good folks just don’t know how to respond to total idiocy and incompetence, and I don’t blame some random nurse or whatever for not yelling at the VP in such a circumstance. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/32 "2020-04-30T12:18:46Z")
I do. What good are these rules if they aren’t enforced? And who wouldn’t want the chance to berate the lowlife Pence? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/33 "2020-04-30T12:31:12Z")
Someone who doesn’t want to be unemployed when the job market is basically dead. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/34 "2020-04-30T12:32:16Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I don’t think we should blame the Mayo Clinic (a great organization, in my experience) – probably some poor hospital administrator or head nurse was saddled with escorting Pence, and froze up and didn’t know how to respond when that idiot declined a mask, so just proceeded with the tour. Some good folks just don’t know how to respond to total idiocy and incompetence, and I don’t blame some random nurse or whatever for not yelling at the VP in such a circumstance. Yeah, if the highest ranking person at the site wasn’t there, I would be very surprised. You don’t have a 1st level manager escorting high-level guests. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/35 "2020-04-30T12:32:22Z")
They can and should be replaced with someone who will enforce a rather simple rule: masks required beyond this point. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/36 "2020-04-30T18:26:58Z")
I hope he gets the virus and ends up on a vent. Asshole. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/37 "2020-04-30T19:11:43Z")
Tough to wear a mask when your head is up Trump’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/38 "2020-04-30T19:20:39Z")
Just saw on news that he wore a mask at the GM plant. I guess he is more worried about cars than people. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/39 "2020-04-30T20:15:18Z")
I doubt that patient was a plant. Mayo Clinic employees of any level or stripe who dare to tell Pence what to do would find themselves charged with all manner of “crimes”. You forget- the Fourth Reich is in charge. One does not speak to the Under-Fuhrer. One remains silent. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844/40 "2020-04-30T20:58:17Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > Just saw on news that he wore a mask at the GM plant. I guess he is more worried about cars than people. Since this visit came after the criticism of his Mayo visit, I’ll give the homophobic hate filled bastard a modicum of credit for at least getting on board with the mask protocol, and protecting the plant employees from his contagious hate by wearing a mask. But still, fuck that guy. He’s no good; not a good person. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pence-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-while-visiting-mayo-clinic/852844.md?page=3)