VACCINE FOLKS, OTHERS GETTING
TESTED.
FINGERS CROSSED FOR ALL OF THEM.
AS WE WAIT, WE ARE WATCHING
REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY FIGURE OUT HOW TO
NEGOTIATE THIS RENEWED
PUBLIC-HEALTH THREAT.
AND THE STORY OF THREE OF THOSE
GOVERNORS, IN PARTICULAR.
IS THE STORY OF REPUBLICAN
POLITICS, AT THE MOMENT.
AND HOW DEEPLY PERVERSE THE
POLITICAL INCENTIVES ARE IN
THEIR PARTY.
SO LETS BEGIN IN FLORIDA, WHICH
REPORTED A RECORD NUMBER OF
CASES OVER THE WEEKEND.
OVER 21,000 NEW CASES, IN ONE
DAY, ACCORDING TO DATA RELEASED
ON SATURDAY.
NOW, THATS NOT GREAT NEWS.
ALTHOUGH, WE SHOULD SAY, IT IS
FAR LESS WORRISOME THAN IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, SIX, EIGHT
MONTHS AGO, BEFORE MANY PEOPLE
WERE VACCINATED.
THAT SAID, THE STATES
VACCINATION RATE IS NOT GREAT.
56.3% OF THE ELDIGIBLE POPULATIO
IS FULLY VACCINATED.
AND HOSPITALIZATIONS, ALSO, HIT
A RECORD HIGH IN FLORIDA,
YESTERDAY, WITH MORE THAN 10,000
PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED WITH
CONFIRMED COVID CASES.
NOW, ITS N LIKE REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA, RON
DeSANTIS, NECESSARILY CAUSED ALL
OF THIS.
BUT HE HAS BEEN WORKING,
PROACTIVELY, TO MAKE IT HARDER
TO DEAL WITH THE VIRUS.
BACK IN MAY, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER,
GOVERNOR DeSANTIS SIGNED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT BANNED
BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, AND
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FROM
REQUIRING PEOPLE TO PROVE THEY
WERE VACCINATED.
AND THEN, IN A COMPLETELY
DERANGED MOVE, THERE IS NO OTHER
WORD FOR IT, HE REFUSED TO MAKE
AN EXCEPTION TO THAT RULE FOR
CRUISE LINES.
CRUISE LINES COULD NOT REQUIRE
VACCINATION ON THEIR CRUISE
SHIPS.
ON FRIDAY, DeSANTIS SIGNED, YET,
ANOTHER EXECUTIVE ORDER.
THIS ONE, BANNING MASK MANDATES
IN SCHOOLS SAYING PARENTS HAVE
THE RIGHT TO DECIDE IF THEIR
CHILDREN WOULD WEAR FACE
COVERINGS.
OF COURSE, CHILDREN CAN TRANSMIT
AS WELL AS CONTRACT THE VIRUS,
WHICH IS WHY YOU HAVE THOSE MASK
MANDATES.
THIS IS THE NEW SCHOOL YEARS
ABOUT TO START IN PERSON.
KIDS UNDER 12-YEAR-OLD, OF
COURSE, STILL, ARE NOT ELIGIBLE
TO BE VACCINATED AND WE KNOW
THEY CAN SPREAD THE VIRUS, AND
WE KNOW THAT MASKS DO REDUCE
TRANSMISSION, PARTICULARLY IN
INDOOR SPACES.
THROUGH ALL THIS, GOVERNOR
DeSANTIS HAS ALSO BEEN BEHAVING
LIKE A TRUMPIAN TROLL.
LIKE, SOMEONE WHO IS ON A
MESSAGE BOARD RUNNING A SORT OF
SHADOW CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE EVIL
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI.
MAKING JOKES AT HIS EXPENSE.
EVEN WARNING AGAINST THE COUNTRY
TURNING INTO A, QUOTE, FAUCIAN
DYSTOPIA AT AN EVENT LAST WEEK.
AT AN EVENT, IF I AM NOT
MISTAKEN, WAS OUT OF STATE.
SELLING T-SHIRTS AND BEER
KOOZIES THAT SAY DONT FAUCI MY
FLORIDA.
FLORIDA IS, ONCE AGAIN, GOING
THROUGH A SIGNIFICANT OUTBREAK.
AND WHILE GOVERNOR DeSANTIS DID
COME OUT RECENTLY TO ENCOURAGE
VACCINATION, THE THE MAJORITY OF
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGING, THAT
IS, WHEN HE IS IN THE STATE FOR
IT, IS THAT THE TYRANNICAL LIBS
WANT TO CUT OFF YOUR FEET, YOU
CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, EVEN
IF THAT MEANS FILLING UP
HOSPITALS.
BUT HEARSERE IS THE THING, RIGHT
RON DeSANTIS CLEARLY WANTS TO
RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2024.
THAT IS NOT AT ALL A SECRET.
SO HE NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THE
BASE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,
THE FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO VOTE
IF THAT PRIMARY, KNOW THAT HE IS
NOT ON THE SIDE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
AND THE QUOTE/UNQUOTE
BUREAUCRATS AND THE PEOPLE
TRYING TO SUPPRESS THE VIRUS.
NO, HE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
THE SIDE OF FREEDOM TO CATCH
COVID AND SPREAD COVID AND KEEP
THE PANDEMIC GOING.
RON DeSANTIS HAS TO WATCH HIS
RIGHT FLANK, AS WELL.
AND HES GOT A CHALLENGE FROM
THE MOST RECKLESS GOVERNOR IN
THE ENTIRE NATION WHEN IT COMES
TO THE VIRUS.
THAT, OF COURSE, IS CHRISTY
GNOME.
SHE IS REPUBLICAN OF SOUTH
DAKOTA.
CHRISTY GNOME ESSENTIALLY SET
OFF A BIOLOGICAL WEAPON LAST
SUMMER THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE
MIDWEST, NOT JUST HER STATE, BY
ALLOWING THE STURGIS MOTORCYCLE
RALLY TO GO ON.
MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE
DESCENDED ON THE SMALL SOUTH
DAKOTA CITY.
AND THEN, WENT BACK TO THEIR
HOME STATES LEADING TO OVER
200,000 COVID CASES ACCORDING TO
AN ESTIMATE FROM ONE STUDY.
AND GOVERNOR GNOME RECENTLY
BRAGGED ABOUT NOT SHUTTING DOWN
OR INSTITUTING MANDATES
THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.
NOW, SOUTH DAKOTA HAS ONE OF THE
HIGHEST-DEATH RATES PER CAPITA
IN THE COUNTRY.
AND UNLIKE STATES IN THE
NORTHEAST THAT, REMEMBER, GOT
HIT BEFORE WE HAD REALLY ANY
TESTING CAPACITY OR REALLY KNEW
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, SOUTH DAKOTA WAS NOT
IN THAT FIRST WAVE.
SOUTH DAKOTA HAD PLENTY OF TIME
TO PREPARE FOR ITS OUTBREAK,
WHICH HIT ITS PEAK LAST WINTER.
BUT THIS IS WHAT CHRISTY GNOME
IS RUNNING ON.
FREEDOM OF THE GRAVE.
HER STATE DID NOT SHUT THINGS
DOWN.
THAT LED TO MORE DEATHS PER
CAPITA THAN, YOU KNOW, ALMOST
ANY, OTHER STATE.
AND THAT IS WHY YOU SHOULD ELECT
HER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
THAT IS WHY SHE DESERVES TO BE
YOUR LEADER, REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
VOTER.
AND THOSE OTHER REPUBLICANS,
LIKE RON DeSANTIS, WELL, THEY
SAVED TOO MANY LIVES.
>> WE TALK ABOUT REWRITING
HISTORY.
LETS TALK ABOUT REWRITING
HISTORY.
WEVE GOT REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY PRETENDING
THEY DIDNT SHUT DOWN THEIR
STATES.
THAT THEY DIDNT CLOSE THEIR
BEACHES.
THAT THEY DIDNT MANDATE MASKS.
THAT THEY DIDNT ISSUE SHELTER
IN PLACES.
NOW, IM NOT PICKING FIGHTS WITH
REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS.
ALL I AM SAYING IS THAT WE NEED
LEADERS WITH GRIT.
THAT THEIR FIRST INSTINCT IS TO
MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.
THAT THEY DONT BACKTRACK, AND
THEN TRY TO FOOL YOU INTO THE
FACT THAT THEY NEVER MADE THE
WRONG DECISION.
>> IM NOT PICKING FIGHTS WITH
OTHER REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS BUT I
JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM
ONE OF THE MOST RELENTLESSLY
PRO-COVID GOVERNORS IN THE
NATION.
SO WE KNOW THAT HE KNOWS THAT,
RIGHT?
HE IS A SMART GUY.
THINKING ABOUT ALL THIS.
CHRISTY GNOMES MESSAGE SEEMS TO
BE THE ONE THAT ANIMATES A HUGE
PART OF THE REPUBLICAN BASE,
MAYBE THE MOST.
NOW, THOSE ARE TWO GOVERNORS.
DeSANTIS AND GNOME.
THERE IS ANOTHER REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR, WHO IS JUST NOWHERE IN
THE 2024 DISCUSSION.
HAS DONE, ARGUABLY, THE BEST JOB
OF ANY GOVERNOR IN THE NATION,
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, IN
MANAGING THE PANDEMIC.
HIS NAME IS PHIL SCOTT.
YOU MAY HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN A
PICTURE OF THE GUY, OR EVEN
HEARD OF HIM BEFORE BUT HE IS,
IN FACT, A GOVERNOR.
HE IS THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
OF VERMONT.
NOW, YES, YOU SAY, VERMONT IS A
RURAL STATE WITH A SMALL
POPULATION.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
SO IS SOUTH DAKOTA.
SOUTH DAKOTA IS ALSO A RURAL
STATE WITH A SMALL POPULATION
AND AS CHRISTY GNOME SHAZ SHOWNH
SHOWN, NONE OF THAT PRECLUDES
YOU FROM REALLY SCREWING UP THE
RESPONSE TO THE VIRUS.
WELL, PHIL SCOTT HAS DONE THE
OPPOSITE OF CHRISTY GNOME.
HE HAS BEEN PROACTIVE SINCE THE
BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.
INSTITUTING A MASK MANDATE, LAST
JULY.
AND CRUCIALLY, ROLLING OUT A
VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL
VACCINATION CAMPAIGN EARLIER
THIS YEAR.
VERMONT IS NOW THE
MOST-VACCINATED STATE IN THE
UNION.
76.6% OF THE ELIGIBLE
POPULATION, 12 PLUS, FULLY
VACCINATED.
THIS DISPATCHED FROM VERMONT
DESCRIBES A WORLD WHERE THE
PANDEMIC HAS BASICALLY BEEN
DEFEATED, SUPPRESSED.
RESTAURANTS, BARS, SHOPS, OPEN.
HOSPITAL COVID UNITS ARE EMPTY.
THE STATE IS BASICALLY STAVED
OFF AN OUTBREAK, BROUGHT ON BY
THE DELTA VARIANT BECAUSE THEY
HAVE SUCH A HIGH-VACCINATION
RATE.
THEY ALSO HAVE AMONG THE LOWEST
DEATH RATES PER CAPITA.
NOW, THIS IS A STATE THAT JOE
BIDEN WON BY MORE THAN 35
POINTS.
ITS A PRETTY LIBERAL STATE.
GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT IS A
REPUBLICAN.
BUT HIS APPROVAL RATINGS FOR HIS
HANDLING OF THE PANDEMIC ARE
THROUGH THE ROOF.
71%, ACCORDING TO ONE SURVEY,
RELEASED IN MARCH.
THINK ABOUT ALL THIS.
WHAT THIS ADDS UP TO.
IN ANY SANE POLITICAL CULTURE,
PHIL SCOTT WOULD, OBVIOUSLY, BE
A TOP-TIER CANDIDATE FOR HIGHER
OFFICE.
THIS IS A GUY WHO COULD WALK
ONTO THE NATIONAL STAGE AND SAY,
I MANAGED A ONCE-IN-A-CENTURY
PANDEMIC BETTER THAN ANY
GOVERNOR IN OUR COUNTRY AS A
REPUBLICAN IN A DEMOCRATIC STATE
WITH A 71% APPROVAL RATING.
BUT NOT ONLY IS THAT NOT THE
CASE, ITS LITERALLY THE
OPPOSITE OF THE CASE.
THE FACT THAT PHIL SCOTT MANAGED
THE PANDEMIC SO WELL IS
DISQUALIFYING.
THE BASE WANTS THE POLITICS OF
CHRISTY GNOME.
THEY DONT WANT PHIL SCOTT.
SO JUST THINK ABOUT THE
INCENTIVE STRUCTURE THAT
CREATES.
AND THIS IS BIGGER THAN DONALD
TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP, OF COURSE, IS AN
INESCAPABLE REPUBLICAN PARTY - R
POLITICS.
BUT IN SOME WAYS, HE IS -- HE IS
ONE OF A KIND, RIGHT?
I MEAN, IF YOU ASKED ME FIVE
YEARS AGO, SIX YEARS AGO, TEN
YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, WHO IS THE
LAST PERSON ON EARTH, CHRIS,
YOUD WANT TO MANAGE A PANDEMIC?
ID PROBABLY SAY, LIKE, DONALD
TRUMP WOULD BE UP THERE.
AND IT -- I WAS -- I WOULD HAVE
BEEN RIGHT.
THAT WENT EXACTLY AS EXPECTED.
BUT ALL THIS IS ABOUT MORE
THAN -- THAN TRUMPS SOCIOPATHIC
BLINDSPOTS AND HIS INSANE
NARCISSISM.
ITS A BROADER TRUTH ABOUT THE
CULTURE OF
REPUBLICAN-CONSERVATIVE POLITICS
IN THIS MOMENT.
WHAT THE HARDCORE BASE DEMANDS.
WHAT THEY DEMAND, AND WHAT THEIR
INSTITUTIONS PUSH FOR IS,
ACTUALLY, INCOMPATIBLE WITH GOOD
GOVERNANCE.
GOOD GOVERNANCE MEANS YOURE
BAD, POLITICALLY.
AND THAT IS THE BASE FOR HALF OF
THE POLITICIANS IN THIS COUNTRY.
WHO HOLD AT LEAST HALF OF THE
POLITICAL POWER, SOMETIMES MORE.
IN MANY STATES, A LOT MORE.
THEIR BASE, THE RIGHT-WING
MEDIA, THE INSTITUTIONS THAT