HE VOTED TO IMPEACH. CAN HE SURVIVE IN THE GOP?
The political education of Peter Meijer
That entire day—the vote, as much as the attack—had caught Meijer unprepared. His party’s leadership had provided no guidance to its members, leaving everyone to navigate a squall of rumor and disinformation in one-man lifeboats.
The next week, when Democrats introduced an article of impeachment and promptly scheduled a vote, seeking to hold President Donald Trump accountable for inciting the mob’s siege of the Capitol, Meijer steeled himself for some tough conversations within his party. But those conversations never happened: Most of Trump’s staunchest defenders were too shell-shocked to defend him, even behind closed doors, and the Republican leadership in the House was once again AWOL. There were no whipping efforts, no strategy sessions, no lectures on procedure or policy. Barreling toward one of the most consequential votes in modern history, everyone was on their own.
The Stock Market’s Covid Pattern: Faster Recovery From Each Panic
Much is still unknown about the Omicron variant, including how much protection vaccines provide. But financial markets have taken the news in stride relative to earlier outbreaks.
That follows a pattern. Each bout of pandemic-driven volatility in the stock market since February 2020 has been shorter than the one before, and followed by a recovery to a new high. The S&P 500 through Monday had recovered nearly all its losses from its previous peak after Omicron’s existence was announced by officials on Nov. 26.
Uncoupling vaccination from politics: a call to action
We recommend five short-term steps. First, diversify messengers. Public officials should recognise that when promoting vaccination, the messenger is as important as the message. Promotion efforts will be most effective when communicated from an array of trusted speakers and perspectives, especially outside of government.
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Encouraging and supporting Republican leaders to amplify pro-vaccine messages are important priorities.
Second, draw on broad expertise. As COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is not just a public health problem, public officials need to convene experts from the social, behavioural, and communication sciences to create comprehensive response strategies. Routine public health messaging alone will be insufficient.
Third, invest in research. Recognising that the politicisation of vaccines is now a problem of unprecedented scope and the dominant driver keeping down vaccination rates, public and private funders should invest in social and behavioural research to systematically monitor the phenomenon and develop solutions.
Fourth, counter purveyors of misinformation. Policy makers and professional organisations should examine available legal, regulatory, and private sector options to reduce the impact of well-financed organisations spreading misinformation. The US Government should solicit the expertise of agencies outside the health sector, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, Justice, and State.
Fifth, stop the misinformation. Conservative media outlets must stop amplifying falsehoods about COVID-19 vaccines. Advertisers should pull funding from programmes and websites that promote misinformation, as they put the lives of Americans and the health of our economy at risk. Social media platforms should enhance efforts to track, disclose, and stop the spread of misinformation.