In response to plummeting approval ratings, Democrats are now moving away from lockdown policies they previously vehemently advocated over fears about being wiped out politically.
That’s according to a new report by Politico, which notes how, “Omicron is surging — and Democrats aren’t shutting things down this time.”
“From New York to California, Democratic mayors and governors are fighting to keep schools and businesses open with an urgency they haven’t flexed before in the pandemic,” writes Lisa Kashinsky.
That sea change likely has a lot to do with Republicans securing a November clean sweep of the House, as well as the offices of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general in Virginia.
Republican Glenn Youngkin appealed to parents who were angry over school closures and other issues such as mask mandates, while New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy came closer to defeat than expected over frustrations relating to COVID restrictions.
Big events such as the Super Bowl in L.A. will now go ahead, while the likes of Fauci and Biden refrained from telling Americans to cancel holiday plans despite record case numbers caused by Omicron.
“Democrats went further than most Republicans in shutting down businesses, enforcing social distancing and requiring masks to tame the spread of the virus — and were initially rewarded politically for their caution,” states the report.
“But as the nation trudges into a third pandemic year in the grips of another variant-fueled wave, blue state leaders faced with exhausted and frustrated voters have lost the stomach for strict shutdowns.”
According to Bob Blendon, a polling and political strategy expert at the Harvard T.H. Chan School, Democrats “see an upcoming election, they see backlashes.”
“They can’t close things down, and there is no public tolerance for serious disruptions in people’s lives. People have run out of patience,” said Blendon.
Polling has also been dreadful for Democrats, with Biden’s approval rating sinking to a new low as just 15.5% of Americans say they trust the president when it comes to information about COVID-19.
“Everything our government tried to contain this virus has failed and now, thanks to Omicron, everyone is getting infected with a “live covid vaccine” that’s relatively mild and actually works,” comments Chris Menahan.
“With the combination of Omicron infecting millions and Democrats getting wiped out politically there’s a decent chance we may actually be able to move on from this hysteria and get on with life.”
Prominent Democrats continue to raise concerns about Joe Biden’s age in advance of his decision on whether or not to run again for president in 2024, but are afraid to say so publicly.
According to a report by Politico, the rhetoric of behind-the-scenes discussions regarding Biden’s cognitive ability to fight another election campaign hasn’t changed.
The report said that while there is still a significant amount of skepticism as to whether Biden should run again, Democrats are afraid to state their worries on the record.
“He’s a president of great competence and success, I admire the heck out of President Biden,” the report cited Rep. Dean Phillips as saying.
“And if he were 15-20 years younger it would be a no-brainer to nominate him, but considering his age it’s absurd we’re not promoting competition but trying to extinguish it.”
The report also cited an unnamed Senator who said only a few of his colleagues want Biden to run again and that the party has to create “an alignment of interest” with the president to get him off the “narcotic” of the office.
Top Democrats harbor real concerns about nominating somebody who’ll be 82 at the start of his second term but the threat of Trump and trepidation about the @VP keeps them quiet
Although Biden is eyeing up an April announcement to align with the same month he threw his hat in the ring in 2019, many Dems are fearful that Biden won’t be able to devote enough energy to the campaign tour given his age.
During his 2020 run, the Biden campaign team infamously ‘called a lid’ on campaigning relatively early in the day on many occasions and limited his interactions with the media, with Republicans accusing them of keeping Biden in the “basement”.
Meanwhile, the president’s physician Kevin O’Connor said Biden was “vigorous” and “healthy” following his latest medical examination, declaring him “fit for duty”.
Biden’s condition was “unchanged from baseline” following his last physical in late 2021, with the president only suffering from mild ailments.
That will probably do little to silence those who have pointed to Biden’s repeated public appearances where he looks dazed and confused on stage.
Last week, former White House physician Ronny Jackson called for Joe Biden to be subjected to an immediate cognitive examination after the president appeared to be lost on stage yet again.
A poll conducted by Issues & Insights/TIPP last August found that 59 per cent of Americans are concerned about President Biden’s mental health.