Republican Governors Face Severe Voter Backlash Over Pro COVID Policies

Republican governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis are watching as their approval ratings plummet thanks to their pro-COVID, anti-public health initiatives. Both Republicans are up for reelection in 2022, and their decisions to NOT protect the public from the pandemic could hinder their chances of winning - as long as voters remember that these people clearly took the side of the virus. Farron Cousins discusses this.

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Pro COVID governors, Greg Abbott from Texas and Ron DeSantis from the state of Florida are experiencing a backlash from their own voters over there. Again, pro COVID policies is really the only way to say it. Both governors have, uh, instituted bands on mask mandates. Both governors are currently overseeing devastating rises in the number of COVID cases in their states. Along with record numbers of hospitalizations and deaths, and both covers respectively are doing nothing to slow the spread of the virus within their state

Borders. So voters

Are finally taking notice. Ron DeSantis in Florida now has a split approval rating. 48% approve 48% dis [inaudible].

But the real number that matters is independence. Ron DeSantis is now under water in the state, Florida with independent voters with a 51%

Disapproval rating over in Texas. It's a little worse for Greg Abbott because Abbott now has a disapproval rating among independent voters in his state

Of 54%. Of course,

Both states overwhelming numbers of Democrats disapprove, overwhelming numbers of Republicans approve. So it really is that metric, right? The independent voters, the ones who go to the polls and they have no ideal who am I going to vote for? Because I don't, uh, whatever. Anyway, those are the people whose opinions really do matter the most.

So here's the, the question is this anger over

These Republican governor's decision to side with the virus over the health of the public, is that anger going to carry over for the next 14, 15 months till we get past the midterms, both of these governors,

Both of them are up in

2022. So next year they both have reelections. And right now DeSantis in Florida is losing to both of his democratic rivals Charlie Crist and Nikki fried. And over in Texas, uh, you may have Matthew McConaughey throwing his hat in that ring. I know that's still undecided, but, uh, so Abbott may have some stiff competition from a true, I guess you'd call it independent that could easily thanks to star power, come in and push him out of office. So both governors aren't deep trouble and they should be okay, that's the point of all of this? They should, should be. The voters should be turning on them. I'm shocked that each of them only have 51% or 54% disapproval from independence. You know, who's the 40 plus percent of independents looking at the states and saying, oh yeah, this is going really well. Really, really well. No like what the hell is wrong with the rest of you? And I'm talking put partisan politics aside for a moment. Okay. It doesn't matter if you're red or blue or purple or whatever. How can you look at what these governors have done and still say, yeah, that's a good job.

It blows my mind that people are able to do that. Florida is dying. Texas is dying. Our people are dying and bad news for these Republicans. A lot of the folks dying happened to be their followers. How's that going to pan out for you when you off all the independence? So most of them vote for the other guy. You can't rely on your Republican base because you're sending all of them to an early grave. How does that strategy play out for you? Right? Like that's, that's what I'm wondering. How does that benefit you in next year's gubernatorial elect actions.

I'm willing to bet it doesn't.

So

In the coming days, weeks, months, we're going to see these two governors become even more extreme. Obviously Texas already has their, you know, fetal heartbeat bill that the Supreme court didn't overturn DeSantis over here in Florida is now saying he may do the same thing and that's just throwing some red meat to the base, but that's all these people have. Sure that may gin up some support from a couple independents. But when they look and they see that their neighbor is dead, their friends family have died from COVID. I have a feeling that's going to be a bit of a bigger campaign issue than

These other bills. These governors are trying to throw out

To boost their support.