Democrats Running in 2022 against the Dictatorship, Death, and Denial Party

While much has been written about how redistricting has gone against Democrats in Arizona and other purple states like Texas and North Carolina (to be fair, Republicans are probably not happy with the district redrawings in states like California, Illinois, and New York,) 2022 does present a great opportunity for Democratic Party Candidates at all levels of government. 

Why?

Because the Republican Party has become the political organization that supports dictatorship, death, and denial.

Over the last year, a majority of the former party of Lincoln, thanks to the influence of Donald twice David Duke endorsed, twice popular voter loser, twice impeached Trump, has accelerated its historical shift to make voting harder, submit nonsensical claims of voter fraud, and articulate a preference for authoritarian-minority-apartheid rule. They are supporting efforts to sabotage future elections by putting people on canvassing boards that think the 2020 election was stolen. They have passed laws making it harder to vote. They also want to hold vigils for the domestic terrorists who fell attacking the Nation's Capitol on January 6, 2021. So much for the Republican claims that they are the law and order party.

Democrats should win all races based on the Republican shift to dictatorship alone. Why would anyone want to vote for the political party that wants to make it harder for you to vote or holds vigils for domestic terrorists that wanted to stage a coup at the Nation's Capitol?

Republicans are also the party of death.

Their leaders like Doug Ducey in Arizona, Kristi Noem in South Dakota, and Ron DeSantis, have continually enabled the lunatic fringe to avoid sensible COVID 19 mitigation measures and getting the Coronavirus vaccines. Some of these governors, who did not want to pay unemployment insurance after the summer, are offering people this benefit if they refuse to get the vaccine.

This attitude has led to higher COVID surges, more hospitalizations, and fatalities than would have happened had these Republican leaders had told their fringe supporters that these vaccines were like getting one for the measles or small pox.

A good campaign slogan for Democrats would be Republican Candidates=Death.

Republicans are also the party of denial.

This is not just the denial of facts and reality which they have ably demonstrated during the Coronavirus Pandemic and Biden/Harris economic recovery these last two years at venues like Fox News, political rallies and local school board meetings.

This is the denial of needed benefits to the American People like paid family and sick leave, Universal Pre K, the extension of the Child Tax Credit, combatting hunger, and shifting to clean energy.

Not one Republican in the House of Representatives or United States Senate, including Arizonas Republican Congressional Delegation, has supported any of these sensible forward moving measures.

Imagine the campaign ad that says "So and So from the Republican Party is okay with Children starving and in poverty."

Who would support a candidate that holds such repressive views?

When there are Republican candidates running for local and statewide offices, like Kari Lake, Mark Brnovich, Mark Finchem, Paul Gosar, and Andy Biggs in Arizona, that have drunk too many times from the fringe right Kool Aid, Democratic candidates in the Grand Canyon state and across the country should have no problem painting the Republican Party as the pro dictatorship, pro death, and pro denial party.

Who would want to vote for that.

Combined with crafting a pro democracy, pragmatic progressive forward looking message that appeals to Independents and Republicans that feel abandoned, Democrats have a great opportunity  to frame next years elections to their advantage, beat historical trends, and win many victories in 2022.

They just need to stay on message showing what they are for and what the Republican Party represents: Dictatorship, Death, and Denial.

That strategy should present a great opportunity for Democrats next November.

 

It's So Nice to Have a President Who Admits When He is Wrong and Corrects his Mistakes

Did President Joe Biden and his Administration make a mistake in not working harder and with more urgency in securing more free, at-home Covid tests for the American People?

Yes.

What makes this situation an improvement over the mistakes of the previous administration is that the Biden/Harris Team admits when they are wrong and launches efforts to correct the problem.

In an ABC Interview with David Muir, President Biden responded to Muir's question on whether his administration's response to the recent demand in testing was a failure by saying:

"No, I don't think it's a failure. You could argue that we should have known a year ago, six months ago, two months ago, a month ago. I've ordered 500 million test kits that are going to be available to be sent to every home in America that wants them. But the answer is yeah, I wish I had thought about ordering half a billion pills (tests) two months ago before COVID (the Omicron variant) hit here."

When pressed by Muir if his current actions have been "good enough," the President said:

"No, nothing's been good enough. But look, we're in a situation now where we have 200 million people fully vaccinated...and we have had more than that who have had one shot, at least one shot, and they're getting these booster shots as well."

If this had been Trump, he would done the interview with a Fox sycophant like Sean Hannity, have found several ways to deflect blame from himself, criticized the scientists in his administration for telling the truth about the science, and his failed efforts.

After incorrectly saying this was not a failure, Biden took responsibility for his failure to anticipate the need for more testing,  when there were specialists in the know that knew it was necessary).

Trump would never have done this.

Biden went further in a virtual meeting with Governors and his COVID 19 response team on Monday, December 27, 2021, saying, according to CNN:

"It's not enough. It's clearly not enough. If we'd have known, we'd have gone harder, quicker if we could have." He said long testing lines over the Christmas weekend "shows that we have more work to do. We have to do more. We have to do better, and we will."

Again, Trump would never had said such words.

While President Biden is ultimately responsible for the actions and inactions of his administration, he and his team should be judged by how they responded to their errors and the efforts they took to correct them.

Having the President admit that errors were made and taking steps are positive signs in the right direction.

Time for a Testing Mandate for All Americans

During this meeting, Mr. Biden emphasized that the state governments would be the main drivers of helping contain and mitigate COVID 19, saying:

"There is no federal solution -- this gets solved at the state level. That ultimately gets down to where the rubber meets the road, and that's where the patient is in need of help -- or preventing the need for help. My message to the governors is simple: if you need something, say something. We're going to have your back in any way we can."

Honestly, this may be an unforced error on Biden's part. The remaining people who have not been vaccinated (mostly people that did not vote for the Biden/Harris Ticket) and the leaders that are enabling them (like Governor Kristi Noem in South Dakota, Governor Doug Ducey in Arizona, and Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida) will not reliably work tocontain the pandemic without a federal mandate shoved down their throats.

The President should recognize this now and institute a vaccine and testing mandate for all Americans. The ones who did not vote for him are not going to be happy one way or the other. But the voters who have supported the President will not make a fuss.

 

Happy Holidays

 

Editorial Cartoons for the Week

 

President Biden Talks about Omicron, the Need to Get Vaccinated, Build Back Better, and Joe Manchin

Starting with "I would always give it to you straight," President Joe Biden gave a report to the American People on the latest news regarding the Omicron Variant of the Coronavirus and the steps the Biden/Harris Administration was taking to address the latest surges. The President also discussed Build Back Better and Joe Manchin.

Recognizing that people are frustrated with the almost two year pandemic, Mr. Biden stressed "we have power of science and vaccines" to meet the coming challenges.

However, while the President continually reaffirmed that those Americans that are vaccinated (especially those that have received boosters) have little risk of falling seriously ill to the latest variant, he had a different message for those 50 million Americans who have not obtained their free first dose of the vaccination: "If you are not fully vaccinated, you have reason to be concerned for hospitalization and death."

Mr. Biden reminded everyone that most of the deaths from COVID 19 are from the unvaccinated.

He called on the unvaccinated's thinking about their family, neighbors, and "patriotic duty" to get vaccinated. He also told the unvaccinated that "you are putting others at risk and your choice can be the difference between life and death and cause hospitals to be overrun."  He also said people with other illnesses could be harmed because they cannot get care because unvaccinated COVID 19 patients are taking up precious hospital bed space.

Later the President emphasized that "vaccination requirements are in place not to run your life but save your lives."

Mr. Biden also took a swipe at those anti science-anti vaxer pundits on cable news and social media that are discouraging people from getting vaccinated.

He also asked those that have received their first two dosages of the vaccine to make an appointment to receive a booster shot. He also reminded everyone that these injections are free.

The President also called on parents to make sure their five to eleven year olds receive their vaccinations. For those children that are younger, he strongly recommended that parents receive all their shots and wear masks.

This is not March, 2020

Mr. Biden told the American People that "they should be concerned but not panicked, especially if you are vaccinated."

Why?

Because this is not like the beginning stages of the Coronavirus in March, 2020.

Why?

• "200 million have been fully vaccinated. They are mostly protected from hospitalization and death.
•  We are prepared with supplies like masks.
• We know more and have more resources like keeping schools open with more testing and vaccines for age 5 to 11"

Steps the Biden/Harris Administration is Taking to meet the Omicron Challenge. 

In order to meet the challenges of this winter surge, President Biden, while saying "we have your backs,"  announced:

• "We have added 10000 new Vaccination sites.
• 100's more vaccinators in more sites to increase number of boosters through FEMA.
• Starting next month (January, 2022,) private insurance will cover at home testing.
• Federal government will set up additional testing sites in areas with the most need.
• Federal government will purchase half a billion at home tests for people for free.
• We are preparing hospitals for the 40 percent of unvaccinated like more gloves and beds.
• 1000 troops to help staff hospitals in need (doctors, nurses, and medics.)
• FEMA will deploy ambulances to help transport patients."

Please click here to see the White House fact sheet on these developments for more detail.

Mr. Biden also maintained that K through 12 schools  should remain open "if teachers are all vaccinated and everyone wears masks."

The President concluded his comments by calling for unity saying "we will win if we stay united" and "I know you are tired and frustrated. We're ready and we'll get through this."

The President also talked about Joe Manchin and Build Back Better

During a brief question and answer session with the White House Press Corp, the President was asked twice if West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin had broken his word to him, Mr. Biden made several comments (some very animated) including:

"Some people think maybe I'm not Irish because I don't hold a grudge. Look I want to get things done. I still think there's a possibility of getting Build Back Better done...Let me say something...What happened? Goldman Sachs said if we don't pass Build Back Better, we're in trouble because it's going to grow the economy."

On the dangers of inflation, how it hurts working class Americans, and how Build Back Better helps them:

"You should be worried about (inflation) because it's a devastating thing for people who are working class and middle class folks. It really hurts. Where is most of the costs now? The cost is finding in gasoline even though I was able to bring it down 12 cents a gallon... We talked about the cost of food prices...But look what's in Build Back Better. Child Care. You can reduce it by up to 70 percent...We're talking about health care. Insulin and essentially, we got 200,000 kids with type one diabetes. You know what it's causing it cost somewhere between ten cents and ten dollars to come up with a formula...You know what it's costing on average? $560, $640 a month. Up to a thousand dollars a month. (The President becomes animated here) What do you do if you're a mom and a dad working with minimum wage busting your neck. You look at your kid and you know if you don't get that...drug from him, if you don't get that that that be able to take that; what happens? You're likely to go into a coma and maybe die. Not only do you put the kids life at stake (Biden starts to yell,) you strip away all the dignity of a parent looking at their child. I'm not joking about this. Imagine being a parent looking at a child you can't afford. You have no house to borrow against. You have no savings. It's wrong. But all the things in that bill are going to reduce prices and costs for middle class and working class people...It'll bring down all those costs across the board from child care to a child care tax credit..."

The President concluded his remarks to the press by stating:

"Senator Manchin and I are going to get something done. Thank you."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brooks and Capehart from 12/17/21

 

Editorial Cartoons for the Week