MAGA COVIDiocy: Pro-Trump Counties Have Far Higher COVID Death Rates

New NPR analysis shows that since May 2021, counties that voted for Trump have a COVID death rate TWICE AS HIGH as counties that voted for Biden on the average. The "most red" counties have a death rate 5.5 times higher than the "most blue" counties. This was a reversal from a year ago, before we have the vaccine, that Democratic counties were hit harder. 

The data is irrefutable: in 2021, Republicans are killing themselves because they rather have "freedom" than treat COVID seriously. 

The trend is also interesting. Early in the pandemic, certain demographics such as African Americans, rural Americans, and younger Americans are vaccine-hesitant, but as the pandemic continued, those groups have started to vaccinate, while Republicans that vaccinate have stalled. According to Kaiser Foundation, 91% of Democrats have been vaccinated against COVID, compared to 59% of Republicans. The polls also revealed that Republicans STILL believe that COVID seriousness was exaggerated, vaccination should be a personal choice, and are NOT worried about getting sick from COVID.

Indeed, antivaxxers are getting DIRECT support from Republican well-knowns... such as Eric Trump, one of Donny's sons, who spoke at such a convention in October. The convention also featured speakers who claimed drinking one's own urine is just as good as a COVID vaccine. Another claimed COVID vaccine will put "another kind of nervous system inside you" and turn you into a cyborg. No, I'm not making this up. It's looney bin stuff. 

Then there are grifters such as Del Bigtree, one of the current top antivaxxers, who find the Dems unreceptive to his antiscience, so he courted the Republicans instead, by his own admission, "Clearly I was shocked as a lifelong liberal progressive that I was hugging and hanging out and having a great time with a bunch of extremely conservative mothers and grandmothers." 

Then there are political manipulators like Roger Stone, convicted felon of lying to Congress about 2016 Trump's campaign contacts with Russia. Stone had been working for Republican candidates for decades, having worked with the Nixon campaign back in 1972. Stone was pardoned by Trump. Stone ALSO spoke at the antivax conference, using the vaccine mandate as a wedge issue, trying to motivate the conservatives to vote in the midterm elections. 

Public health, something to the benefit of all public, is now a political decision to a good portion of the population, who decided not to participate, and this is a truly huge monkeywrench for public health officials who now needs to protect the public from a good portion of the public. 

To put it more succinctly, Republicans are so desperate to win, they are politicizing mask and vaccine mandate, killing their own side by the thousands daily, AND slowing the country's recovery, just to gain some political ground in the short term. 

And even lifelong Republicans are getting alarmed. How did something that benefits all Americans got turned into a Red vs Blue polarization issue? 

The answer is simple: Short-sightedness compounded by grifters and political manipulators who only care about the next election and their own gains. 

There is a real risk that this unholy alliance will DESTROY the Republican party down the road. 

But the antivaxxers will go on. They'll just find some other group to ally with.