While campaigning, Joe Biden promised to unite the country. But one year into his occupancy of the Oval Office, the divide between Republicans and Democrats has become a chasm. A recent poll by the Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports shows that a majority of Democratic voters would favor laws to fine and confine to house arrest those who refuse COVID-19 vaccines, and nearly half of them would favor fines and prison for those who publicly question the efficacy of the vaccines.
So much for unity. Biden has fanned the flames of disunity and division in speech after speech, referring to COVID-19 as an “epidemic of the unvaccinated” — among other slurs — to paint those who question the Big Government narrative as “others” who must be hated and feared.
And it appears that his tactics are working. Thanks to the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, America is more divided than ever — and the dividing line is Joe Biden himself.
According to Rasmussen, 1,016 “likely voters” were polled on January 5 and asked questions designed to measure public opinion related to possible responses to COVID-19 and those who may resist those possible responses. The questions asked were:
Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable impression of Dr. Anthony Fauci?
Do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose President Biden’s plan to impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on the employees of large companies and government agencies?
Would you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a proposal for federal or state governments to fine Americans who choose not to get a COVID-19 vaccine?
Would you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a proposal to limit the spread of the coronavirus by having federal or state governments require that citizens remain confined to their homes at all times, except for emergencies, if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine?
Would you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a proposal to limit the spread of the coronavirus by having federal or state governments require that citizens temporarily live in designated facilities or locations if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine?
Would you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a proposal for federal or state governments to fine or imprison individuals who publicly question the efficacy of the existing COVID-19 vaccines on social media, television, radio, or in online or digital publications?
Would you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a proposal for federal or state governments to require unvaccinated citizens to use a smart phone app or wearable device that tracks unvaccinated people to ensure that they are quarantined or socially distancing from others?
Would you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose a proposal to temporarily remove parents’ custody of their children if parents refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine?
The answers to those questions reveal not only a gaping divide between Republicans and Democrats, but a rabid Democratic animosity toward “the unvaccinated.” It also reveals that Democrats — and their rabid animosity — are out of touch with the rest of America. While the survey found that most Americans have a dim view of “COVID Tsar” Anthony Fauci — with a mere 21 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of unaffiliated voters having a favorable opinion of him — his popularity soars to a whopping 75 percent among likely Democratic voters.
The disconnect goes deeper, though. For instance, Rasmussen explains:
While about two-thirds (66%) of likely voters would be against governments using digital devices to track unvaccinated people to ensure that they are quarantined or socially distancing from others, 47% of Democrats favor a government tracking program for those who won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine.
And:
How far are Democrats willing to go in punishing the unvaccinated? Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Democratic voters would support temporarily removing parents’ custody of their children if parents refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s much more than twice the level of support in the rest of the electorate – seven percent (7%) of Republicans and 11% of unaffiliated voters – for such a policy.
So, while not all Democrats (or even only Democrats) support super-draconian and uber-punitive measures against “the unvaccinated,” the more supportive people are of Biden, the more willing they are to view those who disagree with him as enemies deserving of “the harshest punishments.” As the report on the poll explains:
President Biden’s strongest supporters are most likely to endorse the harshest punishments against those who won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine. Among voters who have a Very Favorable impression of Biden, 51% are in favor of government putting the unvaccinated in “designated facilities,” and 54% favor imposing fines or prison sentences on vaccine critics. By contrast, among voters who have a Very Unfavorable view of Biden, 95% are against “designated facilities” for the unvaccinated and 93% are against criminal punishment for vaccine critics.
The disconnect between Biden supporters and the rest of the country and the divide between Democrats and Republicans are further illustrated in other findings of the survey:
– Fifty-eight percent (58%) of voters would oppose a proposal for federal or state governments to fine Americans who choose not to get a COVID-19 vaccine. However, 55% of Democratic voters would support such a proposal, compared to just 19% of Republicans and 25% of unaffiliated voters.
– Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Democratic voters would favor a government policy requiring that citizens remain confined to their homes at all times, except for emergencies, if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Such a proposal is opposed by 61% of all likely voters, including 79% of Republicans and 71% of unaffiliated voters.
– Nearly half (48%) of Democratic voters think federal and state governments should be able to fine or imprison individuals who publicly question the efficacy of the existing COVID-19 vaccines on social media, television, radio, or in online or digital publications. Only 27% of all voters – including just 14% of Republicans and 18% of unaffiliated voters – favor criminal punishment of vaccine critics.
– Forty-five percent (45%) of Democrats would favor governments requiring citizens to temporarily live in designated facilities or locations if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Such a policy would be opposed by a strong majority (71%) of all voters, with 78% of Republicans and 64% of unaffiliated voters saying they would Strongly Oppose putting the unvaccinated in “designated facilities.”
– While about two-thirds (66%) of likely voters would be against governments using digital devices to track unvaccinated people to ensure that they are quarantined or socially distancing from others, 47% of Democrats favor a government tracking program for those who won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine.
So, far from uniting the country, Biden has managed to drive the wedge deeper into the soul of the country he promised to save, with Americans choosing sides along purely political lines. Those lines are marked by freedom on one side and tyranny on the other. If freedom-loving Americans win, Biden and his supporters get to keep their rights and freedom — or at least only lose them after due process — but if Biden and his supporters win, freedom-loving Americans will lose theirs.
