Georgia runoffs contain lessons
STuesday was a historic day in politics. It turns out that the Democrats in the previously deep red state of Georgia have swept the two Senate races. There are many morals that spring forth from this story. None of the emergent lessons are more telling than those concerning the outgoing President Donald Trump. First: His influence is rapidly waning. Second: His obsessive and seemingly delusional continued refutation of the November election has backfired spectacularly. Third: He does not give a hoot about the party of which he is the titular head. Fourth: He is not nearly as smart and politically astute as many of his supporters think. Finally, Trump’s influence post-presidency may be far more fleeting and less influential than pundits have previously postulated.
For the Grand Old Party writ large, there are also some morals. One: The solid red wall of the Deep South is cracking. Two: Long-heralded demographic trends are coming to fruition and they do not bode well for the Republican Party. Three: When a political party and its leader are not on the same page or share the same agenda, bad things happen. Lastly, there are important implications for the administration of Joe Biden. For at least the first two years of Biden’s term, he will, however tenuously, have control of both the executive branch and the Congress, as did Barack Obama in his first term. This fact should loom large in Biden’s policy goals and legislative agenda and he should proceed as though this advantage will only last for two years, not four.
I am a regular rider on the R line from the 46th St. station in Astoria. I have yet to see a single cop ride a subway car and tell people to put on masks or face a fine. Almost every time I get on the subway, there is some covidiot without a mask. Back in the 1970s and 80s, cops walked through cars and told people to put out cigarettes and take their feet off the seats. We are in a pandemic. Not wearing a mask is not a public nuisance — it is a public danger. When will the mayor and the head of the MTA police start protecting the subway ridership? What’s the (backroom) story here? Are we too afraid of offending people even though politeness could cost someone their life?