At first, the COVID-19 virus spread in America on the coasts, mainly near busy points of entry and in the most densely populated areas. This meant that a lot more people from Biden states were getting infected than Trump states. You can still see the legacy of this period when you looks at statistics, like most cases per state (by population), which shows New Jersey as the hardest hit state in the union.
We’re in a much different phase now. Biden states are much better protected against COVID-19 and its variants than Trump states. This is mostly because Biden states have a substantially higher rate of vaccination, but also because people in blue states tend to take more precautions like masking and maintaining social distance.
There are a lot of articles being published right now that look at this phenomenon. Most of them are somewhat interesting even if they’re often repeating common takes. Obviously, it’s annoying that the virus has become politicized and it’s interfering with our ability to stamp it out.
Now, Media Matters looks this question through a media lens, and their take is refreshingly straightforward. Fox News, by continuously raising questions about anything that might slow or stop the spread of COVID-19, is killing their own audience.
This might not have been a fair argument to make six months ago, but it’s getting close to a slam dunk now. Areas where vaccination levels are low are seeing an uptick of hospitalizations and deaths, and almost everyone who is dying of COVID-19 in America right now is dying because they were unvaccinated.
The vaccine has been available for long enough in America that not being vaccinated is purely a choice. People made a choice and they died because it wasn’t the right choice. Most of the people who made the wrong choice are Republicans. Many of them watched Fox News. Frankly, Fox News is so central to the culture of red states and communities that its influential even on non-viewers.
Media Matters is making an argument that might actually break through to vaccine resistant Republicans. If they don’t start getting vaccinated, they’ll be the only ones dying and that will cost them elections and power. Maybe its all part of sinister plot and Fox News is secretly in on it.
It does seem like the best way to get conservatives to do something is to tell them it’s the opposite of what the Democrats want. If the Democrats want they to keep on dying out of stupidity, then maybe they can prevent that by doing something smart and living.
I know Biden can’t (and wouldn’t) come out and say he’s really happy with how his many of political opponents are suffocating, but it would probably be the single most effective thing he could say to boost vaccination levels.
We live in a very messed up country.
This is true for most but there is a nontrivial number of Americans that can’t get vaccinated due to health reasons. So the people who refuse for political reasons are putting those lives in danger in addition to their own ignorant and selfish cohort.
Agreed. Further, every day we see ~0.1% of the adult population (nationally) get their first shot. Yes it’s slowing but it’s been relatively constant at that rate since the end of May. I assume it’ll slow to maybe 0.05% and be constant at that rate through the rest of summer. A lot of people still want to get the shot and they’re aren’t all actively choosing not to for no good reason.
I think the end result is ~80% of adults will get vaccinated.
I’m not sure Fox cares if their anti-vaxx propaganda kills their audience. They are only concerned about nightly ratings and don’t plan long term. Many Republican legislators don’t care either, because they also are spewing out anti-vaxx propaganda. In fact, I doubt if Fox or the politicians have thought through the consequences of their behavior. They have to continue this meme that Biden and the Democrats are taking away their freedoms. It’s all very crazy.
I also don’t think they care about what happens to their viewers.
After all, Rupert apparently gave the OK to call Arizona early for Biden, knowing the damage that would do to Trump and the Trumpsters
What, me worry? Trumpistas are tough and dumb – so they get all the news they are entitled to. Trump, Fox and Tucker don’t give a f**k.