It’s surprising that more moderate Democrats aren’t using this opportunity to distinguish themselves from the national party by calling for a post-COVID pivot. It’s popular, it’s not a particularly ideological issue, and it’s a much more salient way to display independence than simply touting government spending brought back to one’s district. If Maloney is any indication, that reticence may be dissipating. The only question is whether it’s coming too late.

Colorado’s independent-minded Democratic Gov. Jared Polis appreciated the public desire for normalcy ahead of his colleagues, and he’s benefited from his foresight. Simply reiterating obvious truths—“get vaccinated, get boosted, get back to normal”—has earned him credibility with even conservative Republicans.

For Democrats desperately looking for a way to run ahead of a struggling Biden in the midterms, it would be smart for their most vulnerable members to follow Polis’s example. Such a move could help win credibility across the aisle. What seems to be holding them back at this point in the pandemic, as has been the case with other issues throughout Biden’s first year in office, is the party’s activist class. Now would be a good time to cut bait.