No matter what the subject matter, CNN is going to imply that Democrats are good and Republicans are bad. This is especially true on their obsession with the coronavirus. They can't quit the idea that Republicans would like to infect the world. In a Monday segment on New Day, CNN polling analyst Harry Enten presented the results of an Axios-Ipsos poll on partisan differences now that a majority of Americans are fully vaccinated.
Enten reported "51 percent of Democrats who are already fully vaccinated, said yes, they have socially distanced. Look at this! Just 31 percent of Republicans say the same thing. Always wear a mask outside of the house. Look: 48 percent of Democrats who are fully vaccinated say they have, but just 20 percent of Republicans say they have. So even among the fully vaccinated, what we're seeing is that partisan split, with Democrats being much more cautious than Republicans are."
But wait -- why are Democrats more virtuous because they're socially distancing and wearing masks everywhere after they're fully vaccinated? Is that in line with the CDC advice? Who is now in line with Science? Online, Enten said something he did not say on television: "Democrats tend to overestimate the threat of Covid-19, while Republicans tend to underestimate it." That's not CNN-approved spin. They've been overestimating for more than a year.
Enten did say that "Republicans would argue that Democrats are actually playing it a little too safe."
But New Day host John Berman was more interested in the usual spin that Republicans are terrible. When Enten noted that there was also a partisan difference among the unvaccinated, Berman lectured the numbers "blow me away":
"Republicans who are unvaccinated, they're just not doing a thing. They're not doing a thing to help in terms of getting past this pandemic."
Here again, the pollsters didn't make any distinction among the unvaccinated: What if you've already had an infection and have natural antibodies? Wouldn't it make sense that those people could feel less concerned about masks and social distancing? But for CNN, all's fair in love and coronavirus—when it comes to ripping Republicans.
Berman is wrong in saying Republicans are "doing nothing" to help get past the pandemic. There is the medical aspect of pandemic recovery, but also the aspect of economic recovery. Berman failed to acknowledge that Republican willingness to resume normal behaviors and venture out has contributed to preserving jobs and keeping the economy at large going. Democrats have been relatively more content to stay home, not work, and collect their Covid relief checks.
Berman ended the segment by taking one last shot at Republicans: "fascinating to see how influential are party breakdowns, even in something like public health."
CNN's John Berman accusing unvaccinated Republicans of doing nothing to help the pandemic was sponsored in part by Carvana, Tempurpedic, Tractor Supply, and FlexSeal.
Here's the transcript. Click "expand" to read more.
CNN
New Day
6/21/21
6:19 am EDTJOHN BERMAN: Joining us now, CNN senior political writer
and analyst, Harry Enten. Harry, we have a sense of how people are behaving once vaccinated by party breakdown. And it’s interesting.
HARRY ENTEN: It is, right? And so essentially what we see here: so have you in the last week, among fully vaccinated, socially distanced? 51% of Democrats who are already fully vaccinated, said yes, they have socially distanced. Look at this! Just 31% of Republicans say the same thing. Always wear a mask outside of the house. Look: 48% of Democrats who are fully vaccinated say they have, but just 20% of Republicans say they have. So even among the fully vaccinated, what we're seeing is that partisan split, with Democrats being much more cautious than Republicans are.
BERMAN: In terms of activities that they are engaging in, what are we learning there?
ENTEN: It's the same thing, it's the same story. So have you in the last week among the fully-vaccinated gone out to eat? Just 54% of Democrats said they've gone out to eat--74% of Republicans. Made summer plans in the last week? 34% of Democrats, 45% of Republicans. So even among those who were fully vaccinated, what we see is Democrats are playing it far more safely than Republicans. I guess Republicans would argue that Democrats are actually playing it a little bit too safe.
. . .
BERMAN: You have information about the unvaccinated, and these numbers blow me away, Harry.
ENTEN: Look, if you're fully vaccinated, go out and enjoy your life. But if you're not fully vaccinated, you probably should be taking it far more cautiously. But look it here: Have you in the last week among the non-vaccinated now, look at this: socially distanced? 73% of Democrats said yes, they socially distanced. That's a good thing if you're not fully vaccinated. But just 17% of Republicans say that they have. And always wear a mask outside of your house? You'd hope that in a lot of circumstances you would. Most Democrats are, 62%. But among Republicans it's just 25% among non-vaccinated, Republicans are always wearing a mask outside of their house.
BERMAN: It's fascinating. Republicans who are unvaccinated. They're just not doing a thing. They're not doing a thing to help in terms of getting past this pandemic. And they’re putting themselves at great risk.
ENTEN: That's exactly right. And Republicans that are not vaccinated, they’re pretty much acting the same way that fully-vaccinated Republicans are. Versus among Democrats, unvaccinated Democrats are acting a lot more cautiously than fully-vaccinated Democrats are.
BERMAN: Harry Enten, fascinating to see how influential are party breakdowns, even in something like public health.
