In an article in the Holland Sentinel about whether or not the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed politics, Jonathan Hanson notes that “things do change much more rapidly in politics sometimes than we expect. Over the course of a year, the issues can be very different.”
“The pandemic has been a very challenging time for everybody, and nobody likes having to live with these restrictions. We're all tired of it,” Hanson adds. “So it's understandable that people whose livelihoods depend upon the economy being fully open and functional are hurting, and they're angry. And of course, this will have some residual effect on the political situation in November 2022.”
Yet he notes, “It's quite possible that the evidence that is coming forward right now (shows) that the governor has been right to be cautious,” Hanson said. “As a political calculation, you're taking a risk. You're saying, ‘Hey, we need to loosen up,’ and then the evidence comes back and says maybe that was too fast.”
