Persuading reluctant Republicans

Daily Pilot March 26, 2021

A variety of media sources, from CNN to Forbes, recently have begun reporting a disturbing trend: Despite the current surge in the number of people coast to coast being vaccinated, as many as 40 percent of Republicans nationwide report they are either reluctant or unwilling to get a COVID shot now.

If true, I wonder what it will take to convince skeptical Republicans in Orange County to join the war on the deadly coronavirus?

One solution is to ask the Republican National Committee to air public service ads debunking myths about the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson shots. A version of this message could easily be tweaked and delivered by county GOP officials to rank and file supporters from Fullerton to San Clemente.

Another solution would be to offer Republicans a $500 credit when they file their tax returns next year. Some say that would not be enough to change people’s minds. Others say it’s too much. Either way, I’m happy to leave it up to the IRS or California Franchise Tax Board to decide.

Other solutions include municipal water districts giving GOP customers 90-day discounts on their monthly bills or banks doing something similar vis-à-vis their monthly charges. I also could imagine Orange County-based fast food giants like Taco Bell, Del Taco and Carl’s Jr. offering Republican customers discounts on their purchases. Maybe my cousin Shari, the county treasurer-tax collector, could figure out a way to offer Republicans limited discounts on their property taxes next year.

The list of possibilities is endless, but not so when it comes to time. It is the finite factor in the race to inoculate 300 million Americans by summer.

The clock is ticking, so I urge the Republican faithful to listen to former Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump. They both say it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get vaccinated.

-DF