Iowa Democrat torches her Republican governor for re-opening businesses before it is safe to do so
It’s often hard to believe that membership in a political party can determine how a person is reacting to the coronavirus outbreak in this country, but the varying responses to how and when to lift social distancing restrictions and reopen businesses is proving to be a pretty reliable indicator of party affiliation.
A study by the Pew Research Center shows that Democrats take the health threats posed by the pandemic more seriously than Republicans do, with 78% of Democrats saying that the outbreak is a major threat to the health of the U.S. population as a whole, while only 56% of GOP respondents reaching that conclusion.
Republicans, on the whole, seem to to be more focused on the economic consequences of the extended business shutdown than Democrats as most of the states that are beginning to relax restrictions on businesses reopening have a GOP governor, mirroring the Pew Research studies of the opinions of people of opposing parties about the different measures instituted to stop the spread of the disease.
So it was not surprising to see the tweeted reaction of Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (D-IA) to the move by Republican Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to allow the opening of businesses and religious establishments— including many in which it will be quite difficult to maintain social distancing guidelines that medical experts still recommend.
Gov announces opening of churches, malls, retail, fitness centers in 77 counties as if every county is its own island and then says if she sees a spike will have to consider closing things down again … what would she call over 2,000 more cases over last week? Unbelievable
— Abby Finkenauer (@Abby4Iowa) April 27, 2020
The responses to Representative Finkenauer tweet demonstrate that the partisan divide in attitudes towards the COVID-19 virus and the relative value of human life versus a healthy economy is still quite polarized.
Hmm. @IAGovernor @KimReynoldsIA has decided that it's Ok to pee in some parts of the swimming pool, but not in others?
— Jim in the House (@JimLieberman1) April 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/FrothyFatCoffee/status/1254818789184516096?s=20
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All the Cornona cafes, corona clubs and corona concessions will be open.
ENJOY!— Gagin Seimen (@Gagin_Seimen) April 27, 2020
In Republican run states 1+1= -5!
— Walter Jensen (@wajj2020) April 27, 2020
@IAGovernor is in over her head. Are people still allowed to travel to other counties? If so, this will reduce any effectiveness of social distancing. Sorry surrounding states, you are exposed, too.
— PinkTutus (@Pinktutus2) April 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/MrBissonette/status/1254831203435327488?s=20
100% agree with you. People in infected zones can now travel to uninfected zones to patronize their businesses. #WayTooSoonIowa
— ChefJeff (@IBChefJeff) April 27, 2020
This tweet is written like someone who has never driven a gravel road in rural Iowa and it shows…
— Quick Time Tweets (@DirkTheDaring3) April 27, 2020
It's astoundingly anti science.
Her trumpy leadership is going to get more Iowans killed.— Gagin Seimen (@Gagin_Seimen) April 27, 2020
Those Iowans who value science and human life over money face fierce pushback from the people for whom “give me liberty or give me death” will now prove to be more than just an abstract patriotic slogan from the history books.
If only their choice of individual freedom didn’t infringe upon their responsibility to prevent their behavior from causing harm to others with their thoughtless insistence on returning to pre-pandemic lifestyles prematurely and potentially spreading the virus — which is easily transmitted by people who show no outward symptoms of infection.
All the talk of food shortages, life savings wiped-out, small businesses shuttered forever, etc. won’t matter much if you’re one of the unlucky ones hooked up to a ventilator, in a coma, and struggling to breathe.
It’ll matter even less if you become one of the faceless statistics in the mounting daily death toll.
One opinion poll that would be even more interesting to see results from than the political party-based attitudes covered by the Pew research study is how people’s reactions vary if they know someone who has been infected with the virus, if they know someone who died from the pandemic, or if their only exposure is through watching the televised stories about the devastation it has caused in the areas hardest hit.
One can only hope that once the pandemic becomes personal for those misguided “freedom fighters” they will begin to understand that their responsibilities to others far outweigh their desire to go to the beach or the barber.
With state and federal tax revenues plummeting, perhaps a one time tax on the billionaire class is the payback that they should be eagerly willing to pay to thank the nation for the years of prosperity the rigged economic system in this country has granted them.
Just an idea, before “Eat the rich” becomes more than an abstract slogan and instead morphs into a survival strategy.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
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