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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/7/16/2040296/-The-Fury-of-the-VaccinatedThe Fury of the Vaccinated
Dan K
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Friday July 16, 2021 · 5:21 PM EDT
Theres an article on Taggan Goddards Political Wire (behind a paywall) about how the pandemic could affect the 2022 midterms. One part particularly caught my eye:
We spend a lot of time on this forum worrying about the political power of the unvaccinated in this country. But maybe were overlooking the impact theyre having on the other half of the country the half that believes in science, that understands were all in this together, and that personal responsibility means having some consideration for those around us.
These are the people rapidly getting pissed off at the other part of the country: the ones that think Covid is a hoax (including some who continue to say that even as theyre dying from Covid), the ones that swallow the right-wing malarkey about vaccines injecting microchips and making you magnetic. The ones especially the ones who say its their body and no one has the right to tell them what to do with it (pregnant women excepted). The ones who want Trump to get all the credit for a vaccine they refuse to take.
GQP politicians have gone to great and well-documented lengths to get people not to get vaccinated. Whether its to make Biden look bad or to pander to the Trump craziness of the moment, whether they're caught in a vicious cycle of pandering to their base, whether they think they can diminish the Democrats votes by killing off more minority voters the point is that theyre keeping the vaccinations down and the number of Covid cases up. Unvaccinated individuals now account for the vast majority of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S., according to available data.
That is political energy waiting to be tapped in this election cycle: the fury of the vaccinated. Get them riled up and get them out to vote.
Seems the White House is starting to do at least part of this now: Potentially a death sentence: White House goes off on vaccine fearmongers:
The White House has decided to hit back harder on misinformation and scare tactics after Republican lawmakers and conservative activists pledged to fight the administrations stated plans to go door-to-door to increase vaccination rates. The pushback will include directly calling out social media platforms and conservative news shows that promote such tactics.
Thats only part of it, though. The other part is for Dems (maybe not Biden himself) to get the vaccinated mad as hell and not willing to take it any more.
On getting out the vote: Republican voter suppression efforts are nefarious, unscrupulous, and very worrisome. But voter suppression has a history of sometimes backfiring in two ways. First, it can cut off voters that the suppressors want to be voting; they cast too wide a net. Second, attempts to take away our vote, when widely publicized, can motivate those who would be suppressed to get out there and vote in even greater numbers. We saw that the Georgia Senate runoffs.
So, worry. But also get to work.
marble falls
(56,353 posts)... election, the way Reagan turned abortion into a cleaving issue. I knew Blue Dogs who voted for Reagan purely over abortion.
StClone
(11,676 posts)There seems to be a very cogent argument to be made using these two choices off each other. Does anyone have a way to approach it?
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,145 posts)If the argument is people should be able to do what they want with their bodies, you have to leave room for anti-vaxxers. If the argument is that it's hypocritical for anti-vaxxers who overlap with anti-abortion people to say "my body, my choice," they don't give a shit.
StClone
(11,676 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,296 posts)Of course, I'm not angry at those whose condition keeps them from getting the vaccine.They can't help it.
It's the rest of the yahoos. They have not only consumed the kool-aid, but they helped mix it. Their stubbornness is standing in the way of all of us getting to herd immunity.
It's outrageous.
monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)madville
(7,397 posts)It doesn't really work since the two demographic groups with the lowest vaccination rates are Blacks and Hispanics who overwhelmingly vote Democrat. Also, older white people, a majority of which vote Republican, have the highest rate of vaccination. It's not the simple political or partisan argument they are trying to make it out to be.
leftstreet
(36,076 posts)half the eligible voters in the US don't vote
You make excellent points. Hhow anyone can project a "political" outcome from all this is stupefying
monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)aggiesal
(8,863 posts)Please use Democratic.
Thanks
madville
(7,397 posts)I will continue to do and speak as I like but I appreciate your concern
Something can be a Democrat vs Republican argument, just the way I like saying it. Like if there was a debate I would say its Democrats vs. Republicans, no one would say its Democratics vs Republicans right?
When referring to the party as a whole I would of course say its the Democratic Party or something would be a Democratic issue/bill/etc or part of the Democratic platform.
phylny
(8,352 posts)Democrat is a noun. She is a Democrat.
Democratic is an adjective. An adjective modifies a noun. Democratic (adjective) argument (noun).
madville
(7,397 posts)Democrat vs. Republican argument like an argument Democrats and Republicans would have amongst each other
wnylib
(21,146 posts)have been misled into fearing the vaccines. Many just don't understand how to sort fact from disinformation.
I am furious at the promoters who know better and deliberately mislead people. They are the ones that I really despise.
Dorian Gray
(13,469 posts)I know two of them. They're smart enough to know better and they just are refusing because "medicine is bad." So they're hearing messaging that they like and running with it.
It's easy to presume ignorance and I'm sure a lot of these anti-vaxx groups are preying on fears and ignorance. But i can't help conflating the people I know (who are smart enough to know better) letting their egos lead the way. They think they're smarter than the "sheep" who are getting vaccinated.
wnylib
(21,146 posts)In the past two days I have talked with a few people who are not vaccinated. They are reasonably intelligent in general, but did not clearly understand the difference between RNA and DNA and how messenger RNA works, so they were easily misled into believing that the mRNA vaccines can mess with a person's DNA. Others didn't trust that the vaccines were safe because they were rushed through and have not yet received full FDA approval. They are afraid of both the vaccine and covid so they continue wearing masks, but refusing the vaccine. The J&J vaccine uses an adenovirus so they fear they could actually get covid or another viral disease from that vaccine. They have also heard about the blood clots from J&J.
They are not opposed to vaccines in general. But once fear and doubt are established, they are hsrd to overcome.
I was fearful at first when I heard about the anaphylactic reactions to the mRNA vaccines. I have a LOT of allergies and have experienced anaphylaxis from medicines. But when I learned that there was a 15 minute waiting period after the shots and that epi pens were on hand at tge sites, I decided it was worth the risk. I did get a mild allergic reaction to the second Moderna shot hours after being vaccinated, but it was only a skin rash near the injection site that cleared up on its own. I now wonder, though, if I should get a booster if they are recommended. Severe allergic reactions can develop after an initial mild one.
Dorian Gray
(13,469 posts)I just read a doctor talking about her door to door approach in Georgia where they spoke to five thousand rural Georgians of various backgrounds.
They answered a lot of questions and had some success with the vaccine drive. I actually appreciated the picture she painted and the idea we need to be patient.
I said above that I conflated vaccine hesitant people with the people I know, and perhaps that is unfair. My anger is irrational and its borne out of frustration. Probably not dissimilar to their vaccine fears. Irrational and borne out of fear.
cally
(21,589 posts)That is probably not protected (even though vaccinated), I am livid at unvaccinated. Doctors are telling me that I need to stop activities because of all the coviditots.
Im livid
BigmanPigman
(51,430 posts)aggiesal
(8,863 posts)brush
(53,467 posts)anti-vaccine disinformation? We here of course know they know better and are vaccinated themselves.
What do they get out of it...owning the libs?
What? I don't get it. There're causing their own viewers to get the virus and some even die. They can't think that will help trump if more and more magats get covid. What is it...every wedge issue that comes along, no matter stupid or irresponsible they latch onto. It's just nuts.
Stuart G
(38,359 posts)Great Post...Thanks again for all the great work you do for those of us who show up daily at
Democratic Underground...You are the best...!!!
IronLionZion
(45,250 posts)it would be great if politicians and media courted our votes.
Jon King
(1,910 posts)This can be harnessed to motivate all types of voters, young, minorities, suburban women.
Climate change deniers are destroying the planet for the young, vaccine deniers are causing numerous problems, anti-science people are putting the country behind China and India and Japan in the race to own the technology of the future, the ultra religious are destroying the rights for people to control their own bodies.
dalton99a
(81,062 posts)Duppers
(28,094 posts)So furious here that we are selling property and we know we're not the only ones. I cannot live among such idiots.
mnhtnbb
(31,316 posts)There are idiots everywhere.
BradAllison
(1,879 posts)We must respect the unvaxed rights to be fucking assholes so they might vote for us!!!!!
BlueWavePsych
(2,634 posts)gulliver
(13,142 posts)This is like walking across the desert, day and night without water, getting a hundred yards from an oasis, complete with Perrier geysers, wave pool, and waterslides, and a few people in the group are deliberately keeping us from going there.
appalachiablue
(41,047 posts)SWBTATTReg
(21,856 posts)risk. It grows daily, as the death toll increases, for no good reason.
AlexSFCA
(6,137 posts)No doubt, well see corporations, employers, colleges, high schools, etc. mandating vaccines. Its unconscionable that so many healthcare workers refuse the vaccine. Employers are in the best position to mandate covid vaccine, its a no brainer, fire the antivaxxers.