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Yes, focus on the lockdowns and on the dishonesty of those who pushed COVID lockdowns without anything like an honest discussion of what the economic and educational costs would be. Overall, the vaccines were a good thing (for the great majority, not for everyone), so attacking them per se, while it might appeal to Trump's base (which is, I suspect, behind DeSantis's thinking) just isn't smart.

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022

Tort lawyers might disagree. In the UK a coroner, it was reported, has attributed cause to one of the vaccines in a death due to clotting. IF adverse effects were not disclosed in the development process, there might a “small” problem, no? Yes, there were waivers of liability, but under what conditions? And if disclosure wasn’t made, or was made and not publicized by federal authorities, then vaccine policy becomes that much more a legitimate target. There’s no getting around any of that no matter how discomforting. After two and a half years, how much trust do you place in federal authorities regarding any of this?

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I agree, it's a "live wire" issue. He has supporters on both sides of the vaccine debate. I don't think it would be politically wise to turn off either group. The lockdown is the target in the Covid controversies. Keep your eye on the ball, Desantis!

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Agreed, I think this is a mistake. It will be too easy for his critics to paint him as unreasonable. I don't necessarily take issue with the merit of this investigation, but from a political standpoint, this is likely to cost him more votes than it gains him. The only upside is that at least he's done this well before he's started (openly) campaigning for the presidency - if he needs to backtrack, he can always just say he was asking questions & point out that it never went any further.

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 16, 2022

It depends on how he frames it, doesn’t it? There is a profound difference between being against the development of vaccines and being critical of vaccine policy. For instance, mandates need have nothing to do with development. It is possible to highly critical of the first and entirely lauditory of the second. This is an easy distinction and one for which there is plenty of evidence that the public understands the difference. Nevertheless, in this case the two are linked: These vaccines were granted significant exemptions to the normal development process demanded by FDA for approval for treatment in humans. Mandates, when imposed, assumed efficacy not in evidence. Population studies are now bandied about but they are no substitute for the phased double blind trials ordinarily required. So one can assert belief, but one cannot assert assurance that the standard process would have provided. And it may now be the case that we will never be able to perform those trials given the mutations of the virus since the original alpha variant. Vaccines were politicized from the start and formed a major policy flashpoint over the last two and half years. For that reason DeSantis cannot avoid it and would be foolish to try to avoid it. He will be pressed and confession will be sought regardless. Afterall, he will be asked to defend positions he took as governor regarding vaccine policy.

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