The pandemic helped to hinder the Democratic Party

[RJ-MacReady]

This doesn't get discussed nearly enough. The response to the pandemic really hurt the Democratic Party. In the very beginning the restrictions were warranted they went on for far too long and some of them were ridiculous. Here in NJ for example after awhile one could go to a bar but you were only allowed to sit at a table, silly things like that. Another big issue was the prolonged school closures, it lost us the VA governor seat since VA had kept schools closed for over a year going against the science. A lot of kids lost out on education, life experience and social interaction when frankly they shouldn't have. I mean well into 2021 some states still had mandatory closures, capacity restrictions, and just other silly requirements all while many lost their lively hood and were not compensated for the forced closures. It really made our party look like the nanny party where we will tell you whats safe to do and have no empathy for your situation. Sure it was 5 years ago now but people remember. Then you mix that with all the far right disinformation and it just turns off everyday people.

We botched the pandemic response after the first couple months thats just fact. We need to learn from it.

[Skittles]

1. ridiculous how they want to rewrite history

everyone seems to forget HOSPITALS WERE OVERRUN, PEOPLE WERE DYING IN HALLWAYS

EVERY measure possible was taken to help "stem the tide" AND THAT LASTED MORE THAN A COUPLE OF FUCKING MONTHS

W T F !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RJ-MacReady]

2. In the beginning yes

But by the end of the year and well into 2021 nothing was let up.

[Skittles]

4. UNCHARTED TERRITORY

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

AND FUCK TRUMP, he fucked up the pandemic response so badly he lost the election - ANOTHER THING "SOME PEOPLE" TEND TO FORGET

* DONE HERE *

[Silent Type]

3. Agree that was a problem, but trump was in office when most of this was going on. Not sure how Dems got

blamed, other than some red states “opened up” a bit earlier than some blue states.

The worst outcome is yet to come when we get an even more serious pandemic that people ignore because of Covid. Personally, I think caution was proper early on until we understood transmission.

[alarimer]

5. I don't know about that

School closures were to ensure TEACHERS didn't die. Maybe they went on too long.

But the real problem was convincing MAGA assholes to give a shit about other people, which is apparently impossible. Instead they acted like fucking toddlers (apologies to toddlers who don't know any better).

Nah. MAGA people are pieces of shit.

[GreenWave]

9. And they are chickenshits about a slight "pinch"

[Skittles]

11. you got that right

I'm convinced a lot of those "anti-vax" morons are afraid of needles; yes INDEED.

[RJ-MacReady]

6. You'll get no argument from me

MAGAt's are trash indeed.

[choie]

7. The person who botched the pandemic was trump.

First and foremost by denying the severity of the pandemic. Then by spewing all sorts of bullshit and dangerous “cures”. Not wanting to focus on vaccinations, etc. Who provided enhanced SNAP, emergency funds etc? Biden.

[madville]

8. Completely changed Florida

We went from a state that Obama won twice in 2008 and 2012 and we narrowly lost governor races in 2010, 2014 and 2018, Rick Scott and DeSantis won by like 1% we were basically a 50/50 state at that point. Then is 2020 Trump beat Joe by 3%, still fairly close. Now since 2022 and 2024 we are a 60/40 R to D state, Democratic Party affiliation is smaller than it’s ever been while Republicans registration increased significantly.

It’s directly attributable to the lockdowns in Democratic states, it made Republicans in those states move to places like Florida that were pretty much back open for business by fall 2020. There was a huge influx of right leaning folks in 2021 that changed the electorate from basically even to a 20 point gap in just a couple of years.

[DSandra]

10. That was also at the peak of the work from home trend

Many right wingers took the opportunity to move away from a blue state to whatever state was friendly to them.

[In It to Win It]

13. Absolutely. Going from a purple state where we could possibly win to a solid red state broke my heart

Last edited Sat Mar 22, 2025, 12:49 AM - Edit history (1)

It will be quite a long time before Democrats become competitive in Florida again, if ever.

[In It to Win It]

12. It became a political fight and political opportunity first and foremost

It created a new issue to fight about.

If the governments in blue states were going to have state employees vaccinate before going back to work and have kids vaccinate before going back to school, the governments in red states were going to do the opposite and claim "freedom!"

If the governments in blue states were going to have schools closed, the governments in red states were going to do the opposite and claim "freedom!"

If the governments in blue states were going to have ban large gatherings, the governments in red states were going to do the opposite and claim "freedom!"

In hindsight, we may have overreacted, but I think that they would have created a wedge out of anything blue states did on COVID. Even if blue states did open schools earlier, they were likely going to have kids vaccinated, and the right would have made that an issue.

[RJ-MacReady]

15. No doubt

Didn't help we overreacted though. Something we should admit.

[Skittles]

18. it was rightwing assholes who politicized a fucking VIRUS

just like they politicized abortion, vaccinations, climate change, DEI, etc......repukes are fucking DISGUSTING

[Initech]

14. Everyone was trapped in their homes with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

When you've got nothing to do, watching sitcom reruns can only get you so far. The only other entertainment during that time was Fox News and social media. Too many people fell down that rabbit hole and never came back to reality.

[Skittles]

17. ?

the entire internet was still available

[flamingdem]

16. Let's not relitigate the pandemic

Nobody knew what we were up against.

In my opinion it's still smart to be careful and not throw caution to the wind. Or your mask.

It's not over. There are still thousands infected daily and many with long covid or dying,

[William769]

19. I want to address this shit about being talked Florida in this thread.

Because of the topic of the OP and what's being said here about Florida to me it sounds like Democrats are being blamed for why Florida is Florida is today. That would be TOTAL UTTER BULLSHIT!

Florida is MAGA RED today because of trump, desantis & MAGA STUPIDITY! They were convinced to move to the land of the "free". I live in Florida, I saw the transformation, I saw the people dying left & right because of MAGA policies.

I can assure you, it had nothing to do with Democrats.

[Oopsie Daisy]

20. Oh look... another thread shitting on Democrats.

[Emile]

21. I remember refrigerated semi trailers full of DEAD BODIES.

[RJ-MacReady]

22. Yes in the beginning

The restrictions were warranted. But as I said they went on for too long.

[Emile]

23. It went on for so long because people would not

get vaccinated. Some were even swallowing horse dewormer instead.