The politicization of mask-wearing shows how difficult it will be for Joe Biden to build consensus around even basic public health strategies after he’s sworn in.
President-elect Joe Biden says he’ll personally call red state governors and persuade them to impose mask mandates to slow down the coronavirus pandemic. Their early response: Don’t waste your time.
Almost all of the 16 Republican governors who oppose statewide mask mandates are ready to reject Biden’s plea, they told POLITICO or declared in public statements — even as they impose new restrictions on businesses and limit the size of public gatherings to keep their health systems from getting swamped.
South Dakota’s Kristi Noem, Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt and Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts, whose states are engulfed by new cases, say mask wearing should remain a personal choice, not a legal obligation — despite recommendations from health officials and updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control stressing that masks protect the wearer, not just people nearby, from infection.
“Governor Noem has provided her people with the full scope of the science, facts, and data regarding the virus, and then she has trusted them to exercise their personal responsibility to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved-ones,” Noem spokesperson Ian Fury wrote in an email. “She will not be changing that approach.”
The politicization of mask-wearing shows how difficult it will be for Biden to build consensus around even basic public health strategies after he’s sworn in.
Though President Donald Trump is on his way out, he’s poised to hold strong influence over GOP officials and voters who’ve largely backed his efforts to downplay the pandemic.
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President-elect Joe Biden says he'll personally call red state governors and persuade them to impose mask mandates to slow down the coronavirus pandemic. Their early response: Don’t waste your time. https://t.co/uFM0mN5MDw
— POLITICO (@politico) November 13, 2020
I think my Dem governor would like to impose a mask mandate, but he has a problem with a Republican-controlled legislature. As it is, there has been controversy over his orders to close bars and restrict restaurants and a couple of lawsuits. So I think he is trying to tread carefully. Trouble is, this isn’t the time to be careful. Someone has to have the courage to say, enough is enough. If you people won’t voluntarily wear masks or comply with the other CDC guidelines, then I will make you do so.
My state announced another broken record for the number of daily cases. I see a lockdown in our future.
Another record day here in Wisconsin as well. The governor, a Democrat, has tried but the GOP here keeps taking him to court. The only conclusion at this point is that this is a partisan effort to push for herd immunity. These leaders in the GOP and GOP governors have failed miserably at one of their most important responsibilities. History will not look kindly upon them.
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