As I watch different coastal-state governors issue their orders on the best way to reopen their states in this age of the coronavirus pandemic, I sit back and wonder: Which is the best way to go?
Do we follow the Florida model set by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and go virtually all the way right now, including allowing folks back onto the beach? Or do we follow the West Coast model set by Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, Kate Brown of Oregon and Jay Inslee of Washington, all Democrats, and keep the states shut down for, oh, another month … or maybe longer?
My vision mirrors the Left Coasters. Thus, I am weary of another coastal-state governor, Greg Abbott, right here in Texas, and whether he is moving too quickly despite his assertion that he is taking a go-slow approach to re-start the state economy.
My wife and I have concluded that we are going to continue living as we have for the past six weeks: While we’re at home, we won’t go anywhere unless it’s to purchase groceries or fuel for our truck; when we see our granddaughter, it will be while observing social distancing. We want to be careful, hoping that the longer we hold out the better the chances that they’ll come up with (a) a drug that treats the disease quickly or (b) a vaccine that makes us all immune to the killer virus. Just so you know, we are hauling our fifth wheel out and will take it to a state park in Oklahoma; while we’re there, we will live like the hermits we’ve been while sitting in our house.
I do not want to rush into anything. Period!
I never imagined that the discussion over the battle against this viral infection would devolve into yet another partisan battle. But it has.
Democrats and progressives favor a stricter approach to relaxing the restrictions. Republicans and conservatives seem to favor a quicker return to what they think is “normal,” hoping the economy bounces back and, oh yeah, helps Donald Trump win re-election.
Is there a closeted desire among Democrats to see Trump suffer politically because of the way he has mishandled the response and the economic disaster that mishandling has exacerbated? Oh, yes. For sure. However, I am not going to adopt the cynical view that progressive want to see more people suffer economically just because it reflects badly on the Liar in Chief.
Even if the economy recovers, there remains plenty of ammo to toss at Trump and his bungling, stumbling and incoherent response to the crisis as it developed.
He saw it coming and did nothing … until it was too late.
And so, here we are. Some states are moving rapidly to return to normal. Others are taking it slow. I will follow the go-slow approach, even if my state speeds up its reopening plan.