According to his Twitter bio, NBC News policy editor Benjy Sarlin “[covers] elections and their consequences.” So we suppose it’s natural that he’d also be interested in the consequences of politicians’ decisions.
Decisions like, say, violating the rules they expect the rest of us to follow.
We’re not sure if Sarlin sent out these tweets with Barack Obama’s unmasked 60th birthday bash in mind or if he was thinking of another instance — and Lord knows there are many — of a prominent political voice pulling a “do as I say, not as I do,” but let’s just say our well of sympathy is pretty dry:
“They’re doing this because they LIKE lockdowns” has led to innumerable bad takes for months; now it’s leading people to miss how angry vaccinated people are at unvaccinated for forcing a return to precautions on their behalf. Like, I’m legit worried about the level of rage.
— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) August 10, 2021
Maybe the level of rage stems from the hypocrisy of our purported moral and intellectual betters.
It’s not good for a country when 70% sees the other 30% as voluntarily prolonging a crisis and threatening the physical safety of themselves and others. It’s especially toxic when it overlaps with partisan politics. Not sure where this goes exactly, but nowhere good.
— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) August 10, 2021
There’s been a recent focus on “Look at this politician doing fun indoor stuff!” And sure, fair enough. What it’s missing is those politicians are presumably like lots of people incandescent with rage their weddings/birthdays/reunions are being marred by other people’s decisions.
— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) August 10, 2021
Ah, yes. Barack Obama really looked pissed while he was busting moves without wearing a mask. Muriel Bowser looked absolutely beside herself when she was officiating that wedding without wearing a mask. Just incandescent with rage!
A lot of people’s experiences have been “marred by other people’s decisions,” but the “other people” in question are — as Mike Rowe reminded us — politicians, media, and “medical experts” whose motivations have been political as opposed to rooted in science or common sense. But the politicians in question have managed to weather this storm without too much disruption to their busy and important lives.
Forgive us, Benjy, if our hearts aren’t breaking for the political class.
But clearly their birthdays weddings and reunions ARENT being affected. That's the point.
— Seth M. Miller (@SethMiller79) August 10, 2021
Because they typically require attendees to have a vaccine or a negative test. Which brings the risk so low that it makes carrying on with these important gatherings worthwhile for most people. But if the spread gets bad enough, things will change again
— PJLM (@PJLM) August 10, 2021
And what if the normies can’t afford to have vaccine passport bouncers at the doors for their family birthday party? What if fully vaccinated mom and dad just want their kids to spend some time with the grandparents? Even if your defense for the politicians is that there are testing and vaccine hoops for guests to jump through, what makes their weddings and birthday parties so much more “”important gatherings than other people’s?
Is that all you can say about Obama?
— Marc Martinez (@marcmartinezbcn) August 10, 2021
Won’t anyone please think of the Obamas?? https://t.co/wU1MzggzNU
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) August 10, 2021
please stop criticizing politicians for not masking up while they ignore their own mask mandates and while they try to blame the current state of the pandemic on (other) people not masking up. https://t.co/HBNkGI8B5H
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) August 10, 2021
Oh, the humanity!
Wowza.
What a string of incredibly tone-deaf takes there. https://t.co/fGhPVK3BCX
— The Quinntessential (@Quinntessence_) August 10, 2021
Seriously.
So, they're sure enough that the vaccine works that they'll all dance all over each other and eat from communal buffet tables and breathe tipsily all over each other in waterproof tents?
Good. Then, no more social distancing for the rest of us, either!
— Sarah Rachel Jacobs | #BOHICA #TANSTAAFL (@QueenSarahSatur) August 10, 2021
Except they aren’t being marred because those events are all still happening. Unless you mean that they shouldn’t have to hear any criticism for being hypocrites.
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) August 10, 2021
The logical solution here if you're vaccinated is not to be too concerned with what the other 30% are doing, because you are protected. It's the 30% who should be concerned, but if they aren't, that's not your problem. https://t.co/xsNw2P3fvY
— Patrick Ruffini (@PatrickRuffini) August 10, 2021
I’m not “incandescent with rage” at the unvaccinated. I just think they’re foolish. I don’t blame them for mask mandates. Those are a policy choice being made by politicians and the CDC, so I blame those people.
— Patrick Ruffini (@PatrickRuffini) August 10, 2021
Buddy you have no idea the rage people like me have in our hearts for you guys that made my grandmother wait a YEAR to bury my grandfather while your team did whatever the hell they wanted. https://t.co/jU2MAUkYDo
— NevilleTheCat (@FearTheFloof) August 10, 2021
Good people lost their livelihoods because you scared bitches decided to lock down the country. Some lost their LIVES.
I give zero shits how mad they are about people not getting vaccinated. https://t.co/CnczHnDBD7
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) August 10, 2021
We’re supposed to feel bad for the politicians? Nope.
media: "blame your fellow neighbor for the sacrifices politicians are forcing on you"
Also the media: "how dare you be mad at politicians for living their life while they force you to make sacrifices, they're human beings!"
This is why calling them "the enemy of the ppl" fits https://t.co/HMoqrofU5T
— Ahmed Al Asliken (@assliken) August 10, 2021
The people that are actively ruining our lives and won’t obey their own laws?
I’ll consider them human when they start suffering the consequences for their terrible actions like the rest of us.— Dank Hill (@Hotchkiz) August 10, 2021
They’re the ones who brought about lockdowns. If they don’t want to abide by their own policies they should apologize and come out against them
— Libertas (@Libertas) August 10, 2021
It’s actually quite simple. Put up or shut up.
