Those critics object that the unvaccinated can imperil others as well as themselves. Understood and accepted. That's true now - will be true for some time to come. 2/x
My thread was talking about a pair of hypotheticals:
1) "IF" the vaccines work as well as they seem to do; and
2) "IF" the US continues to make progress toward double vaccination of most of the population ...
3/x
"THEN" we may perhaps find ourselves moving to a position where die-hard COVID denialists are harming mostly themselves. These are not absolutes, of course, they are tendencies. They seemed to me tendencies worth thinking about in advance. Your mileage may vary of course. END
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@TheAtlantic The story is set in Harris County, Texas (greater Houston). Texas GOP hopes to repeal innovations that promoted record voting in 2020.
Now the paradox: 2/x
@TheAtlantic Harris County, target of GOP voter suppression in 2021, is one of the counties where the Latino vote swung most sharply to Trump in 2020. theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/… 3/x
You can watch the 2000 Bush climate-change speech below. It's an amalgam of discordant elements as you will hear if you listen. 2/x c-span.org/video/?159527-…
Most of the Bush energy team was committed to a future of expanding fossil fuels use, including more coal. But two on the team - Gary Edson and John Bridgeland - were equally strongly committed to the climate-change issue. They got their language into the Saginaw speech. 3/x
@jbarro Trump got himself vaccinated early, in secret. But his rhetorical energy was concentrated on abusing the public-health professionals leading the vaccine effort.
Likewise ... 2/x
@jbarro Rupert Murdoch got himself vaccinated in December 2020 at a British NHS clinic, three weeks before even the Queen (and head of the British state). Yet Murdoch too has used his power to discourage others from protecting themselves as he protected himself.
In 2016, poor health strongly predicted Trump voting. A county's rate of diabetes, alcohol consumption, obesity, etc. predicted its propensity to vote Trump *even better* than race/education. thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2017/01/0…
I think of that grim relationship between Trump and sickness as I read the latest stories about how so many Republicans continue to refuse COVID vaccines. 2/x washingtonpost.com/health/2021/04…
As @DKThomp points out, vaccine refusal is especially strong among younger Republicans 3/x
Any follow-ups to report 4 days ago of theft - abduction? - of Darius, the world's biggest rabbit? This mystery cannot be left unresolved. bbc.com/news/uk-englan…
Some suspect the involvement of Dexter, the world's second biggest rabbit, who will inherit the championship title if Darius is not recovered.
I'm late to this fascinating report by @DemCorps - but it remains urgent reporting about the post-Trump GOP. It describes a bitterly divided party: 70% still in thrall to Trump, 30% against him democracycorps.com/republican-par…
@DemCorps Trump's defeat has left his supporters aimless, powerless, pessimistic, and alienated from politics. Real-world consequence: by spring 2009, the anti-Obama Tea Party had already come into being. There's no equivalent movement in 2021 to resist Biden.
@DemCorps Racially resentful pro-Trump Republicans find Biden unthreatening - and accordingly are reacting to Biden's recovery plans with interest and "what's in it for me?" curiosity rather than the fierce rejection with which they met Obama plans in 2009.