Republicans unite around a message -- schools should reopen, and Democrats are to blame

[DonViejo]

By David Weigel
Feb. 18, 2021 at 9:38 a.m. EST

In Virginia, a Republican gubernatorial candidate is running ads with a three-word plan: “Open the schools.”

Outside Philadelphia, billboards warn that Democrats “blocked efforts to safely reopen schools.”

And in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has attacked Democrats for “putting politics and special interests ahead of what the evidence and observed experience says.”

Amid bitter fights over the role Donald Trump should play in their party, the GOP is unified behind a clear message: Restrictions on in-person learning should end, and only Republicans are ready to end them. In interviews and in ads, Republicans are hitting the talking point hard, using the issue to woo suburban voters alienated by Trump’s abrasive style.

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republican-school-reopening-political-message/2021/02/18/55778d16-7172-11eb-93be-c10813e358a2_story.html

[live love laugh]

1. And the media will begin to echo this irresponsibly immediately

[dem4decades]

4. They already have.

[efhmc]

2. Just because it is not true means nothing.

Hope someone puts an ad out soon countering it.

[tanyev]

3. Not sure why they think this will resonate with suburban voters.

It will resonate with the suburban voters who already believe their bullshit, but I don’t think it will appeal to any others.

[liskddksil]

5. We need all public schools open 5 days a week by September. nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Why?

I mean, I'm sure that we all want to get back to "normal" but progress will have to be dictated by science/data/progress in controlling COVID and getting people vaccinated. BTW Democrats would do well to remind Republicans that we could get things resolved faster if they would follow guidelines in terms of wearing masks, practicing social distancing, continuing restrictions on large-scale gatherings- basically, everything they've been fighting AGAINST from the start.

[liskddksil]

7. Because we have now promised that there are enough vaccines by the end of July and

at that point, people will lose patience with further disruption.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Hopefully

There are still some people REFUSING to get vaccinated. If people want to get things back to normal, then they need to buck up and do what they need to do in order to help get COVID levels down to manageable levels where it's safe for things to get back to normal. Of course, Republicans would rather force people back into places and situations that are not safe enough yet without really following guidelines just to score political points against Democrats. Their joining with Democrats to promote being responsible and safe in doing so would go a long way to encouraging people to do what they need to do to make things better. But when you have a good portion of the public whom won't do the bare minimum and don't even believe in COVID being serious (which is largely because of a year of Republican disinfo), it's going to be harder and more prolonged.