The reasons why I think it would be a mistake for DeSantis to campaign on the vaccine issue are political. Consider these two questions: (1) Does DeSantis need to make vaccines a campaign issue to defeat Trump? and (2) Would making vaccines a campaign issue help or hurt DeSantis in a general election?
My answers are “no” and “hurt.”
Even assuming that Trump’s support hasn’t cratered by this time next year, DeSantis won’t need the vaccine issue in primary showdowns because he can get to the right of the former president on covid without discussing vaccines.
Trump largely turned federal covid policy over to the reviled Dr. Fauci. He supported lockdowns early on. DeSantis was critical of lockdowns and reopened Florida fairly quickly compared to most other jurisdictions.
Because most Republican dissatisfaction with covid policy revolves around lockdowns, not vaccines, DeSantis’ anti-lockdown policy gives him the upper hand in a covid debate with Trump. He doesn’t need to discuss vaccines.
[I suspect DeSantis is taking this action because he knows the CDC won’t. This may be more about opposing Biden than Trump. — Ed]
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