Affluent, well-educated, vaccinated, and liberal. These are four adjectives that describe both the typical clientele of an urban Trader Joe’s and those who will likely be attending former President Barack Obama’s 60th birthday party this week. We would expect these two groups to behave very similarly, especially in relation to the coronavirus. But maybe not

Liberal politicians don’t pay attention to mask mandates they have imposed to socialize with the elite of the nation or host large celebrations in their honor, but their supporters within the general population aren’t just following the public health guidelines. They go well beyond what is expected of them.

We all know this, anecdotally. I shop at a Trader Joe’s located in an upscale area of Washington D.C. It is very likely that the majority of people who shop at this store are vaccinated. Even though Trader Joe’s allows vaccinated guests to go about their business mask-free, I would often find myself to be the only one not wearing a mask (or two). The influence of liberal thought leaders can be partly responsible for half the country’s stubbornness to take cumbersome measures in order to protect themselves against a virus that no longer poses a significant threat to them.

It is funny that many of these thought leaders don’t seem to share the same concern they have.

Barack Obama will host a huge birthday party despite the rise in COVID-19 cases due to the virus’ Delta variant. Even though the liberal press has hyped up the delta variant as a baleful harbinger of mass death, Obama has 700 people set to attend hisparty at his Martha’s Vineyard estate. An event of this size is not something that a person who believes in the apocalyptic views of the delta variant would host.

Obama and Muriel Bowser, D.C. Mayor, understand that large groups are safe because of high vaccination rates. They are comfortable with flouting all restrictions.

It is alarming to see the contradictions in the public positions held by the liberal elite as well as their private actions. Progressives have made people who trust them fearful of COVID-19 because of their misleading portrayal of the virus. Because policymakers must often work within the boundaries of public opinion when responding to COVID-19 trends in their areas, liberal fear-mongering has unnecessarily extended or reintroduced coronavirus restriction in many locales.

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Some liberal leaders may feel that reopening would be safe. However, they are bound to maintain social interaction limits by their electorate that they spent months sowing the seeds of paranoia.

The Democratic elite and their supporters often don’t share the same approach to public safety precautions. Maybe everyday liberals should be aware of how absurd their directives are, perhaps because not even their progressive idols wear masks or are socially distant.