70% of the Country Thinks It's Time to Throw Off the Tyranny of the Karens, But The Party of Karens, Get This, Disagrees

 

Fully 70 percent of Americans agreed with the statement that "it's time we accept Covid is here to stay and we just need to get on with our lives" in a recent poll by Monmouth University. 

That survey found that support for vaccine mandates has dropped to just 43 percent from 53 percent in September, while support for masking and social distancing guidelines dropped to 52 percent from 63 percent over the same period. 

The findings come at a possible turning point in the pandemic, as several Democratic governors announced intentions to ease some mask mandates over the next month. 

The growing frustration with pandemic restrictions may help explain some of those early announcements -- even as cases reach record levels. 

The polls create a delicate challenge for the Biden administration, which never regained its political standing since the rise of the Delta variant dashed last summer's hopes of a return to normalcy. 

The growing unease with the pandemic seems to have added to the president's political woes, and may help explain why the public disapproves of Mr. Biden's handling of the coronavirus for the first time. 

But a majority of Democratic-leaning voters continue to support a more vigorous response to the pandemic, potentially limiting how quickly the administration can readjust to public opinion. 

Fully 7 in 10 Americans (70%) agree with the sentiment that "it's time we accept that Covid is here to stay and we just need to get on with our lives" -- including 78% of those who report having gotten Covid and 65% of those who say they have not been infected. The main difference in the sense that it is time to move on is due to partisanship -- ranging from 89% of Republicans and 71% of independents to 47% of Democrats.

GO READ THE WHOLE THING.