Stacey Abrams comes under fire for not wearing a mask

[Shrek]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/06/politics/stacey-abrams-school-photos/index.html

(CNN)A since-deleted tweet featuring photos of a mask-less Stacey Abrams posing among masked schoolchildren has prompted swift backlash from political opponents who chastised the Georgia Democrat for what they describe as hypocritical behavior after she championed more stringent masking policies in schools.

The photos were originally tweeted Friday by the school's principal, Holly Brookins, who wrote, "Extraordinary way to kick off the 3rd Annual African-American Read-In at Glennwood and Black History Month. Thrilled to host @staceyabrams author of Stacey's Extraordinary Words!"

Abrams, a prominent Democratic organizer running for governor in Georgia, quote-tweeted the photos and thanked the principal for hosting her. Both tweets have since been deleted, and it appears as though Brookins' account has also been deactivated.

The photos of the event at Glennwood Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia, prompted intense backlash from many who voiced frustration at masking policies -- at a time when Covid-19 policies in schools have emerged as an intensely fraught issue in today's politics. The city extended its indoor masking requirement on January 18 through February 22, and the City Schools of Decatur enforce similar masking rules.

[left-of-center2012]

2. Was she required to wear a mask ?

[Shrek]

4. "The city extended its indoor masking requirement on January 18 through February 22"

"and the City Schools of Decatur enforce similar masking rules."

She's an advocate of school masking who is trying to unseat an incumbent governor. This is an unforced error and the attack ads write themselves.

[Dorian Gray]

28. They do

If we are going to have mandatory masks in place, then wear the freaking mask. Totally enforced error.

I am at the place where I expect mandates to be lifted soon. And I will keep wearing a mask in public. (I've found really comfortable KF94 masks. BOTN brand are GREAT!)

But this has been a politicized issue. If we aren't withdrawing mask mandates then our politicians should be wearing masks in places where others are required to. No bueno otherwise.

[BlackSkimmer]

19. Apparently she was wearing one, but took it off for the photo.

As someone else commented, unforced error.

It’s all over the news.

[Tomconroy]

3. The photo is all over right wing media.

Last edited Mon Feb 7, 2022, 09:23 AM - Edit history (1)

It's pretty bad.

[Demsrule86]

8. It means nothing to me...the rarely wears masks and voted for a mass murderer...

[uponit7771]

18. "and voted for a mass murderer..." RIGHT ?! Dude lied about the lethality of the virus for months ..

... and didn't take America on a footing to keep people from dying by the tens of thousands and they still voted for his stank ass.

[CurtEastPoint]

11. not just right wing. It's a story on the Atlanta paper this morning. Not prominent but there

and David fucking robberbaron Perdue is all over it.

[demmiblue]

5. I am really surprised that she didn't see the potential fallout of this, tbh. n/t

[Shrek]

7. I don't get it either

Especially after Youngkin in Virginia got dumped on for being unmasked in a store where masking was optional.

[Demsrule86]

9. Who fucking cares? Anyone who cares about this was never voting for her anyway.

[Dorian Gray]

29. Not true

there are a LOT of people who are exhausted. There are a LOT of people who are frustrated that we are asking kids to mask when adults are going out to parties and meals and socializing maskless. There are people frustrated that the burden is on kids. And their vote matters. Which is why the NJ Gov is ending the mandates in March. It's why the tide is turning.

Abrams made a mistake here. She should have kept the mask on for the photo op. Would that have been BS pandering? maybe. But if we're mandating it in public buildings, then she should do it.

[spanone]

6. She's being attacked by people who NEVER wear masks....

fuck them

[Zeitghost]

23. And it's being dismissed by people who support mask mandates...

Plenty of hypocrisy to go around.

[kcr]

24. Yep. They don't wear masks and

weren't going to vote for her anyway. No loss.

[spanone]

26. Exactly.

[uponit7771]

10. I'm vaxed and boosted, I take off my mask for pictures too and hold my breath for a sec. People

... are getting ridiculous with something EVERYONE is going to catch over the next 5 years.

[Ace Rothstein]

13. I think the issue is the push for masking and not wearing a mask herself.

The optics of that aren't good. Otherwise I agree. I think too many in the party are pushing too far with the mask mandates, much more than the general public is willing to go along with. It will be an issue in November at this rate.

[MontanaFarmer]

15. I agree that at this point we're pushing too hard on masking.

Like or not, we've lost that argument at this point as you're starting to see with dem officials transitioning to talking about living with the virus. But this is a terrible political mistake in fraught times. I love Stacy abrams, I've donated to her and will again but she has asked for more masking in schools then doesn't wear one in a group of masked children? That's awful, awful politics even if the real-world implications aren't that impactful.

[Tomconroy]

17. She took her mask off while surrounded by kids who kept theirs on

[Bettie]

12. Taking off a mask for a photograph

is pretty common. Also, if she was reading to kids, she may have been unmasked so they could hear her better as she read.

And the people who are all in a tizzy about this are people who never wear masks, so the outrage is, well, manufactured.

[Omen78]

16. Unfortunately,

when hypocritical public figures who undoubtedly have made bad decisions on masking and going parties, it gives little room for those who make honest mistakes. Anti-maskers are going to pounce on the gotcha moment to show they are right with their calls of "rules for thee, but not for me." Its the game of politics. Stacey stepped in it.

[bigtree]

20. political opponents who don't believe in personal protections

...trying to score political points.

That's not a game we should be playing.

[RobinA]

21. This Mask Bit

has become the new game of Gotcha. Live and let live, I say. If someone's masklessness has an effect on you, ask them to rethink it. Otherwise it's not your issue.

[Shrek]

22. If you insist that kids should be masked in schools

Then you shouldn't remove your mask in a school, ever.

Especially if you're running for a major political office against an incumbent who'd love some free material for attack ads, and even more especially if doing so violates local mandates.

[RobinA]

32. I Get It

It looks bad. I'm talking about people who make a big deal of it. The whole mask thing has become Kabuki on all sides.

[beaglelover]

25. Completely tone deaf to pose for a picture without a mask while being surrounded

by children wearing masks. Read the room, Stacey.

[peggysue2]

27. A reminder

Every misstep real or imagined will be amplified to the stars during this campaign season. Abrams and all other Dem candidates need to be watchful of 'perceived' missteps.

Once you're explaining, you're losing.

It's the times we're a-living.

These suckers are going to run anything they think will bolster their own campaigns and make voters forget what a disaster the GOP has been and is. One thing they won't be able to outrun (not as long as we keep hammering) is:

LEGITIMATE POLITICAL DISCOURSE = January 6th. That's a whopper of a gift!

[jcmaine72]

30. What makes the optics of this especially bad is...

while Abrams wasn't wearing her mask, the children seated around her were. It looks irresponsible.

[liberal_mama]

31. Most of the complainers never wear a mask and support unmasking the kids

I love Stacey Abrams and have donated to her several times, but this was definitely a bad lapse in judgement. The picture's optics are awful and the right wing lunatics are having a field day with it on Twitter.

[IcyPeas]

33. Gov. Newsom and Mayor Garcetti were just photographed maskless last week

a.m. hate radio were on this story for days. It gives them great joy. Garcetti said he was holding his breath. I mean, c'mon. They KNOW these photos are going to go viral. Picture or no picture they should keep their masks on.