This is how Democrats win in 2022
The reckless approach of Republican state governors – particularly the ones in Texas and Florida who will be facing re-election next year – has fueled a major scandal, and even invited backlash from the Biden White House. The problem is that the media seems to be approaching this as politics as usual, rather than seriously considering the possibility that governors like Ron DeSantis are willing to put their own constituents at risk to profit off of cures – while also making herd immunity unreachable and putting the rest of the country in great peril.
The good news is that the anti-vaxx crowd is consistently losing when it comes to the legal battles – with SCOTUS refusing to hear a case regarding college admissions and school boards across the country protesting some of the most reckless policies that allow COVID to spread. The strategy is looking pretty poor for the two gubernatorial races taking place this year in both Virginia and New Jersey, and could be a bad sign for the GOP in general.
Terry McAuliffe, seeking a second term as governor of Virginia, has consistently led his opponent Republican Glenn Youngkin in polls, even if it’s only been by a point or two, but a more recent poll shows him with a solid eight-point lead. This happens as Youngkin has largely thrown his moderate act to the wind and doubled down on anti-mask policies in schools. In New Jersey, incumbent Governor Phil Murphy is ahead by double digits and the Democratic State Committee released a statement regarding his opponent: “Republican governors are putting the public in danger by refusing to adopt sensible public health measures like requiring masks in schools…Jack Ciattarelli has proven over and over again that he is cut from the same cloth as Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Greg Abbott and other extremists who value politics more than our children’s health.”
This is the exact messaging that Democrats must use if they want to win – by linking Republicans to Donald Trump and the up and coming politicians who are desperately clinging to his mold. As the crisis worsens, it’s clearer than ever that we need to continue turning out to vote in sizable numbers – through 2021 and 2022.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making