A catchy new tweet from the Texas GOP attempted to draw a parallel between COVID-19 testing lines and voting lines across the country. “If you can wait in line for hours for testing … You can vote in person” the tweet reads. Instead of drawing insight, it drew ire.
If you can wait in line for a covid test, you can wait in line to vote. pic.twitter.com/Y8YrKEspYP
— Texas GOP (@TexasGOP) January 7, 2022
The post features an image of a long line leading to an outdoor COVID testing site with people bundled up in cold weather. While not mentioning NYC directly, but referencing a photo taken on the Upper East Side (East 86th Street), the cavalier post quickly sparked a viral feud. A fiery left attacked various logical flaws and oversights while an obstinate right stood by with little to add, observing the frustration bubble throughout the blue digital countryside.
“If you can test at home, you can vote at home” said @LynnZ. The obvious oversight of the Texas GOP was echoed by countless liberal tweets across the thread.
“Masks are dumb” retorted the Texas GOP, a leading political voice representing millions of people. After the post trended at #4, they shared their humble accomplishment. “Only #4 on trending, cry more.”
The Lincoln Project was also quick to chime in, tweeting, “So you want to talk about lines?” while linking a US News piece examining how Texas’ power grid failure occurred last February. The article featured a photograph of Texans lined up in the freezing rain, for over an hour, desperate to fill their empty propane tanks.
Anyone stumbling on yesterday’s hit tweet can smell the agitation and frustration and helplessness on both sides. Another year is marching on and today, like yesterday, we’re staring down closing schools and restaurants and entertainment institutions. We’ve been in this pandemic together for too long now. In the same boat, paddling in opposite directions, incapable of acknowledging each other’s human experience or looking at facts.
