What started out as a conservative effort to harass Democratic governors who are working to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus in their states has come back like a boomerang at Republican governors and other GOP officials.
The fringe anti-lockdown protesters who targeted state capitals in a swath of blue states are now taking aim at red state governors who the protesters don't think are moving fast enough to reopen their states’ economies, writes Politico. That ranges from governors like Ohio's Mike DeWine, who moved far more swiftly than most Republicans to shut down his state, to the governors in states like Texas, Arizona, and Missouri, who initially dragged their feet on enacting lifesaving stay-at-home orders.
Frankly, the whole effort is as much a mess for Republicans now as it is for Democrats, if not even more so. While certain conservative groups like Tea Party Patriots and FreedomWorks have helped to organize and amplify the protests, others like Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity have favored developing safer routes to reopening.
In the meantime, GOP governors like Greg Abbott of Texas, who was slow to adopt distancing measures and has already begun a phased reopening, have been facing the wrath of anti-lockdown agitators in their own states. "We're not just going to open up and hope for the best," Abbott told reporters in Austin, defending his plan to let some businesses reopen at partial capacity. “A more strategic approach is required so that we don’t open only to close down again."
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, also slow to act, is feeling the heat too as he plans to begin reviewing data at the end of the month to formulate a plan for reopening. “I hear them. I understand how they feel,” Ducey said of the protesters. “I feel the same way. I want what they want," he offered, adding that he didn't want lose the gains in public health.
An anti-lockdown event has even been planned to take place at the White House this Friday. Trump, after originally backing the protests, has now waffled on the issue, backstabbing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's move to reopen even as testing lags and the state's infection rate continues to rise. Anti-lockdown elements have rallied around Kemp out of concern that if he falters, it could be a major setback for the whole push to reopen nationwide.
In any case, that's the problem with stoking fringe anti-government sentiment. Once the brushfire starts, it's difficult to control. Ultimate chaos may be Trump's jam, but it isn't good for any of these GOP governors or for Republican unity as a whole.
