CHRISTINE DRAZAN
Democratic Governors “Move On” From Mandates While Kate Brown Doubles Down
New York Times story further illustrates Oregon’s out of step approach
Canby, Ore. – As Governor Kate Brown’s administration continues to pursue permanent mandates related to COVID-19, a New York Timesarticle published last week highlighted just how out of step Oregon’s approach is compared to even Democratic governor’s in liberal states, and illustrated the perils that await Democratic candidates who continue to embrace lockdowns and mandates as a response to COVID-19.
Today, Representative Christine Drazan reissued her call for Governor Brown to drop permanent mandates and to finally put Oregon back on the path to normalcy:
“Even the New York Times and Democrats in some of the most liberal states in the nation recognize that mandates and lockdowns are a failed solution at this stage. But here in Oregon, Governor Brown continues to pursue the first permanent mask rule in the nation, and the Democrats running to replace her are complicit in supporting her out of touch approach.
“We need to lead with facts, not fear. With vaccines and therapeutics readily available to those who want them, it’s time to restore a sense of normalcy in this state. As governor, I’ll repeal the mandates on Day One, I’ll keep our schools open full time and in person, and I will fully open Oregon for business again.”
With Some Voters ‘Ready to Move On,’ Democrats Search for New Message on Virus
The New York Times
“PARTY OF LOCKDOWNS AND MANDATES” IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH VOTERS
“Democratic officials are largely skipping mask mandates and are fighting to keep schools open, sometimes in opposition to health care workers and their traditional allies in teachers’ unions.…
Democrats are keenly aware that Americans — including even some of the party’s loyal liberal voters — have changed their attitudes about the virus and that it could be perilous to let Republicans brand the Democrats the party of lockdowns and mandates.”
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YOUNGKIN VICTORY IN BLUE VA SHOWS BLUEPRINT FOR GOP IN OREGON
“In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s upset victory in November as a Republican was fueled in part by parents fed up with school closures and mask mandates for their children. Around the country, long-term school closures, which disproportionately occurred in Democratic-run states and cities, have turned off even some progressive voters.
“Kim McGair, a lawyer and a normally staunch Democrat in Portland, Ore., said she felt ‘utterly betrayed’ by her party, which she believes abandoned parents and students. ‘I will not vote for a Democrat who was silent or complicit on school closures, which is the vast majority of them here,” Ms. McGair said.
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GOVERNOR POLIS (D-COLORADO): STATE HAS NO BUSINESS TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO WEAR
“One model of how Democrats might speak to the new mood of voters is in Colorado, where Gov. Jared Polis has been unusually blunt in saying that it is time to treat the coronavirus as a manageable disruption, more like the flu. … Regarding masks, he said that state health authorities had no business telling people “what to wear.”
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