Analysis: Biden faces a familiar enemy – uncertainty
About the only thing Biden can count on in these politically uncertain times is that he remains unlikely to get any help from Republicans in his quest to find a way. Get out of the pandemic by encouraging people to face the new threat with vaccinations and immunizations. their enhanced photos.
Jackson sent out a ludicrous tweet suggesting that Democrats had invented a new “midterm election variant” so they could push for “unclaimed nationwide mail-in ballots” like part of a plot to tamper with next year’s election. Jackson was helped in promoting that unfounded theory by Fox News staffer Pete Hegseth, who told his audience to “believe in a variation around October, every two years. ”
At this time, there is no concerted effort by the GOP to push back against such dangerous claims.
The President’s difficult position was evident in Monday’s appearances – from his pleas for calm, not chaos and confusion, to scientists trying to learn more about the level of Omicron’s severity to the lack of any firm statement emerged from his supply chain meeting with CEOs and major retailer leaders during the afternoon. Both emphasize that he is trying to get through a time when there are more questions than answers about whether things will get better as Americans normally aspire.
Compared to last year’s dismal Christmas season, Biden said in brief remarks at the roundtable that Americans now have “a little more hope,” adding that more people do, less worry about Better food presentation and early estimates show sales on Black Friday. has increased by almost a third since last year.
But the White House abruptly delayed Biden’s planned remarks about his efforts to untangle supply chain problems and Americans’ frustration with empty store shelves after he heard from the leadership. of companies such as Best Buy, Food Lion, Etsy, Walmart, and Mattel about their operations. Get ready for the holiday shopping season.
His speech was rescheduled for Wednesday, but he may not have much news to share, as many experts note that his proposed solutions – such as building infrastructure and increasing jobs port capacity – it will take time, even if he relies on industry leaders taking special measures to get Americans’ holiday gifts to their doorsteps on time.
Democratic strategist David Axelrod told CNN’s Jake Tapper Monday on “The Lead”: “A lot of what happened today shows that he’s willing to face the crises he’s facing. , even if he doesn’t have a great answer”.
“We learned during the Obama administration that you can do a lot of things behind the scenes, but if people don’t see what you’re doing – or at least talk about everything – they don’t know that you’re doing it. them, and I think that’s why he showed up so clearly today.”
Political polarization acts as a barrier to Biden’s plea for more Americans to get vaccinated
This is at least the third time in Biden’s presidency that the sudden upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected his messaging strategy.
With little certainty about how well-equipped the United States is to deal with Omicron, Biden found himself delivering many of the exact same messages he’s been delivering for months — begging those who haven’t. Vaccinations Get vaccinated while affirming that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious man. disease experts, believes that current vaccines offer “at least some protection” against the new variant. Boosters, he added, “enhance that protection dramatically.”
“I know you’re getting tired of hearing me say this,” Biden allowed Monday, but “the best defense against this new variant or any existing variation – variations that we’ve processed – are receiving fully vaccinated and booster shots. Most Americans are fully vaccinated but not boosted.”
However, given the political polarization surrounding vaccines, there’s not much reason to believe Biden’s appeals will shake the more than 60 million eligible Americans who have refused to vaccinate them. now.
The mandate will cover health care workers in facilities that receive funding through Medicare and Medicaid. While the case moves through the courts, it will be blocked in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Aware of the partisan polarization surrounding virtually all mitigation measures at this time, the President encouraged Americans to wear face masks in crowded areas of their homes as they awaited more news on Omicron, but he said Monday that a “temporary” lockdown is not in place.
“If everyone is vaccinated and wears masks, there is no need to lock the doors,” he said.
Although the White House did not offer a clear explanation for the postponement of the President’s speech on the economy and supply chain problems aggravated by the pandemic, it became clear on Monday that Omicron added greater uncertainty to the economic outlook in the coming months — another challenge for Biden as Americans worry about the prices of everything from gas to groceries.
“Grower concerns about the virus could reduce people’s willingness to do in-person work, which will slow progress in the labor market and intensify supply chain disruptions,” Powell wrote in the letter. his testimony.
Much of that will depend on the trajectory of the new variant and the severity of the illness it causes. Fauci told Tapper on Monday that American officials were in regular contact with their counterparts in South Africa who first discovered the variant. They assured public health officials in the US that they would know within about a week or a week and a half whether “we’re dealing with something that’s largely more serious, equally serious.” or less serious.”
“At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a big signal of high severity,” he said, “but it’s too early to tell.”