Credit where it’s due: this Associated Press story highlights a reality that seriously undermines a story – embraced by many in the media – that imposing more COVID restrictions means more “security” and “following the science.” A health official from the Biden administration was recently stunned by the California-Florida disconnect on MSNBC, and here’s the AP further highlighting the uncomfortable truth:
AP headline: “Viruses are comparable despite the opposing actions of the governors.” Where would you rather live? pic.twitter.com/sAJadz8VL5
– Guy Benson (@guypbenson) March 13, 2021
Very different approaches. “Almost identical” COVID results. More detail:
California and Florida both have a COVID-19 case of approximately 8,900 per 100,000 residents since the pandemic began, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And both are in the middle of the states for COVID-19 death rates – Florida was 27th on Friday; California was ranked 28thConnecticut and South Dakota are another example. Both are among the 10 worst states for COVID-19 death rates. Still, Connecticut Governor, a Democrat, Ned Lamont, imposed numerous statewide restrictions over the past year following an early rise in the death toll, while Republican Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota issued no mandates due to the number of virus deaths in the United States. autumn increased enormously.
We already know that New York has been a disaster both in terms of COVID and economically. But if you examine the California and Florida comparison a little deeper, more facts emerge. California has slightly better per capita death rates and number of cases, although both states are roughly in the middle of the pack on the earlier measure nationally. Florida, of course, has an older population. Before the pandemic hit, the unemployment rate in Florida was one point higher than in California (3.3 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively). By the end of the year, the unemployment rate in California had risen to 9.3 percent, while in Florida it had risen only to 5.1 percent. In 2020 California lost 1.63 million jobs, compared to about 583,000 in Florida. The media is obsessed with attacking Florida and its Republican governor, but the data tells a story that doesn’t match their favorite storyline. Even pieces designed to criticize Ron DeSantis end up in frustrating territory for those who have been married to the ‘DeathSantis’ stuff:
Like so many Florida stories, this starts with “Ron DeSantis, bad,” and changes direction halfway as the writer has to admit that Florida’s COVID numbers are right in the pack, despite being unlocked, and better than several states that did that. https://t.co/wcKWkVZGrI
– Assets Mehta (@varadmehta) March 14, 2021
Some folks, like this infamous hack-left columnist at the Los Angeles Times cannot process empirical truths that contradict his partisan feelings, so they resort to baseless conspiracy theories:
Here’s a difference you won’t mention: Florida fired its data officer for refusing to post fake statistics. California does not.
– Michael Hiltzik (@hiltzikm) March 14, 2021
That didn’t happen, and the madman he’s referring to has been exposed as a liar and charged with multiple crimes. But some media figures just can’t leave her, because it’s easier to cling to conspiracies than to grapple with the realization that your passionate partisan dogma may not be right. Since we started this post with a mainstream news organization acknowledging truths many within their tribe refuse to acknowledge, what about another? Via ABC News, late last week:
Despite calls for national unity and duality, President Joe Biden and his top employees have refused to give credit to the Trump administration for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country, relying heavily on a system set up by their predecessors… Biden and his top associates have repeatedly accused the Trump administration of having “no plan.” … Although Biden had purchased additional stock of vaccines, it was always expected that Pfizer and Moderna would ramp up their stock year-round. Also, Biden’s playbook for vaccine distribution has relied heavily on a system developed by the Trump administration, including federal partnerships with government officials and agreements with local pharmacies. In fact, the federal pharmacy program set up by Trump aides is what Biden relied on last week to expand eligibility for teachers. And when Biden called for “100 million shots in 100 days” – a rate of about 1 million shots a day – former health officials noted that the US had already reached that pace the week of Biden’s inauguration mid-January … With three vaccines now approved by regulators, boosting supplies is indeed a victory. But it’s also one that Biden has celebrated as his reign’s only achievement without acknowledging that he was rely on Trump-era contracts to get it done.
You could call this cynical and predictable politics as usual, but Biden explicitly campaigned to unite the country, heal divisions, and reach across the aisle. This is not.