Dr. Anthony Fauci is the garden gnome that just won’t go away. After making news over the weekend with yet another softball interview (in which he brought up January 6th and insisted he is “science“), the good doctor held a press conference yesterday in which he couldn’t explain his new travel ban policies and claimed that not testing illegal immigrants is “different” than forcing such a regime on US citizens. So yeah, it’s like every other time.
Of course, the response to Fauci’s insanity drew a renewed defense of the government’s highest-paid official because it can’t just be that he’s terrible at his job. One such defense came from MSNBC’s John Heilemann, and it’s so bad that it should hang in the Louvre of bad takes.
MSNBC’s Heilemann: Republicans trash Fauci because they don’t want Covid to go away.
“If people follow Fauci, there’s a likelier chance that Covid will go away. And if Covid goes away, it ’s bad for Republicans. The political math on this, it’s not hard to figure out.” pic.twitter.com/1mbWygeXQS
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) December 2, 2021
What makes this supposed “analysis” of Republican motivations so egregious isn’t that it’s just wrong. Liberals are frequently wrong when they watch cable news. But in this case, Heilemann manages to state the exact opposite reason Fauci is being criticized as the reason he’s being criticized. This takes skill and an uncommon lack of shame. Heilemann seems confused so let me assist him.
Fauci has repeatedly stated that fewer than 10,000 cases per day is a good indicator of a pandemic under control. Another flu-like virus is the flu, which causes approximately 35,000,000 new cases each year. So Fauci’s baseline regarding COVID, a Continue readingThe annual transmission rate of transmissible virus is just 3,600,000. That’s an ever-expanding pandemic.
Fauci also benefits personally from the COVID-induced hysteria. Fauci loves being in the limelight. Anthony Fauci is the most enthusiastic about coronavirus, from magazines covers to endless interviews to cringy Netflix videos.
Now, let’s talk about Republicans because on no planet do they want the pandemic to continue. It actually works in the Republicans’ favor if it happens. Why? Because Democrats benefit from pandemic-era “emergency” voting provisions such as mass mail-in voting and ballot harvesting. Republicans will also be able to benefit from 2022 state-level COVID cuts and having strong economies.
Lastly, Heilemann’s statement makes no sense in regards to practicalities either. If “listening” to Fauci meant a reduction in COVID cases, then all the states that have listened to him would be…seeing a reduction in COVID cases instead of another seasonal spike. However, cases have risen in states such as Vermont, New York, Michigan and New York over the course of the past few weeks.
Heilemann is able to deliver the rare feat of political disinformation. To make lies convincing, most lie have some truth. But Heilemann doesn’t even bother, managing to not have a single aspect of what he said prove accurate.
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