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Top Three Takeaways – September 16th, 2021
- Let Freedom Ring. One of the more instructive moments regarding the heavy hand of government vaccine mandates happened earlier this week in Gainesville. It happened when Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody announced she would aid the legal action of 200 Gainsville firefighters suing the City over their vaccination mandate. In addition to her warning that such mandates would lead to a recruitment crisis for first responders, which is true, was the announcement by one of the firefighters that he was vaccinated and indicated most who were suing were. The participation in the lawsuit wasn’t about their specific situation or even vaccination preference. It was about something much bigger. Precedent and individual liberties. Unfortunately, for many who believe the President of the United States nor employers should get to dictate what gets injected into your body and when, President Biden’s absurd COVID-19 vaccination dictate to essentially get vaccinated or get fired, provided a catalyst for those who’re otherwise inclined to disregard our country’s founding principals. The Gainesville firefighters understand that once you accept such a false premise, especially concerning a personal medical matter which is supposed to be legally protected as it is, there’s no limit to which your personal liberties could be stripped from you. They aren’t the only ones. President Biden’s average approval ratings on the day he announced the mandate. 45% approval and 49% disapproval. His ratings today, 45% approval and 50% disapproval. His already low approval ratings are now worse. While it’s more than concerning that 45% of the country could look at Joe Biden’s performance and say they approve, the majority don’t. In fact, when Quinnipiac, which has regularly errored on the side of oversampling Democrats, polled on the question, 51% of Americans specifically disapprove of Biden’s mandate compared to 48% who approved. That includes 56% of independents who disapprove. And the only age range that approves? Those 65 and older. News media thought the vaccine mandate would help Biden because three-quarters of adults are already vaccinated. Like the vaccinated firefighters suing in Gainesville, they’ve underestimated the - still majority of Americans who stand on principal. This is similar to what we’ve previously seen regarding school mask mandates in Florida. And should be a warning to all...
- Officials in Florida. A few weeks ago, I brought you the story Floridians Back Parental Choice Over School Mask Mandates. That was based on FAU finding Floridians are opposed to school mask mandates without parental opt outs by a 51% to 40% margin. And yet here we are with South Florida’s lawless school districts still imposing them. If most Floridians are opposed to school mask mandates and if 51% of the country opposes Biden’s vaccine mandate, how many Floridians do you think really are onboard? And here’s the point. Local officials bent on imposing their will on those they're supposed to be serving could be in for rude awakenings in future election cycles if Governor DeSantis doesn’t deal with them first. For a long time, South Florida’s Democrats in various official capacities have drifted as far left as the most left-wing elements of their party - taking for granted their constituents along the way. Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties all broke harder to the right last year than they have at any other time previous. Many once moderate Democrats, especially Latinos, understand freedom can’t be taken for granted and understand what dictators look like. Officials who abuse their posts in the name of unlawful mask and vaccine mandates are not only being put on notice by Governor DeSantis but by their now-previous voters. I believe change is coming in South Florida. It may start with DeSantis, but voters will finish it.
- Moderna’s not magic but the data they released from a phase three clinical trial on their COVID-19 vaccine has them being close during the pandemic. From the Mayo Clinic’s study, to those of the researchers in Israel, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine has held up the best. What Moderna’s just released data on breakthrough cases reveals, is even better than what we’ve already known. According to Moderna’s study there have been only 88 breakthrough cases out of 11,431 study participants who were vaccinated at the onset of the rollout from December to March. That’s 99.2% efficacy at prevention in their study. It’s yet to be peer reviewed, but unless they’re fudging the numbers, Moderna's vaccine isn’t magic but it’s been pretty close.