华盛顿——他们是沮丧的来源。对他们同胞的威胁。对国家经济复苏的威胁。
总统乔·拜登正试图集中全国接种疫苗的大多数人的愤怒，反对25%的合格美国人拒绝接种新冠肺炎疫苗。
向美国宣战近8个月后冠状病毒拜登上任之际，周四宣布了影响深远的联邦新要求，这可能会迫使数百万人接受注射。这样做的时候，他拥抱了那些没有卷起袖子的人，把他们作为一个新的障碍，因为案件的灾难性激增正在使国家不堪重负健康系统和紧缩其经济。
“我们一直很有耐心，但我们的耐心越来越少了，”拜登在国家食堂说。“你的拒绝让我们所有人都付出了代价。”
他补充说，未接种疫苗的少数人“会造成很大的伤害，他们确实如此。”
这一讲话标志着拜登最公开地表达了自己对新冠肺炎大流行方向的失望，并明显背离了他熟悉的“国家康复”的说法。本质上，他斥责了这个国家的少数人阻碍了大多数人。他对那些为了政治利益煽动或利用疫苗恐惧的政府官员说了特别严厉的话。
拜登说:“一个明显的少数美国人，在一个明显的少数当选官员的支持下，正在阻止我们转危为安。"这些流行病政治正在使人们生病，导致未接种疫苗的人死亡."
拜登的强硬姿态反映了一种算计，即更多的美国人将支持他的行动，而不是被一些右翼人士针对他的声明的发自内心的愤怒所吸引——在他看来，该国绝大多数人已经接种了疫苗就是证明。
这也是出于自身利益，因为拜登试图在对选民最重要的问题上为自己的工作表现辩护。
这种病毒的卷土重来使他的民调数字降到了他担任总统以来的最低点。美联社-NORC 8月份进行的一项民意调查发现，受共和党人和政治独立人士支持率下降的推动，54%的美国人认可拜登对大流行的管理，低于一个月前的66%。
支持率的下降与夏季抗击病毒的倒退同时发生。拜登将8月份就业增长低于预期归咎于病例激增，并警告称，如果不控制病毒，美国可能会继续面临经济处罚。
就在两个月前，拜登过早地宣布美国“独立”于大流行。现在，尽管超过75%的美国人至少接种了一剂疫苗，但与去年同期相比，美国每天新增新冠肺炎感染病例增加了约300%，住院人数增加了约2.5倍，死亡人数增加了近两倍。
拜登警告称:“我们正处于艰难时期，这可能会持续一段时间。
不过，他预测，随着大多数美国人接种疫苗，死亡人数不会超过去年冬天的大屠杀。
在直接谈到已经接种疫苗的美国人的恐惧时，拜登说，“对于你们绝大多数已经接种疫苗的人来说，我理解你们对那些没有接种疫苗的人的愤怒。我理解对获得突破性案例的焦虑。”他保证说，他的政府正在迅速采取行动，以确保增加mRNA的剂量疫苗最快在本月提供更持久的保护，抵御更易传播的德尔塔变种。
在宣布交通安全管理局将对拒绝在飞机上戴口罩的旅行者处以双倍罚款时，拜登毫不留情地说，“如果你违反了规定，请做好支付准备。”
白宫官员坚称，拜登并没有试图在真空中煽动愤怒，但他表示，他希望反映出美国大多数人的愤怒——加上新的疫苗要求——将成为遏制病毒的一个富有成效的步骤。他们认为，战胜病毒现在需要战胜8000万尚未接种疫苗的人的不情愿。
白宫在一年的大部分时间里都坚定不移地避免出现对那些等待接种疫苗的人的任何批评，这是一个令人头晕的语调变化。
联邦、州和地方政府投入数十亿美元用于疫苗安全性和有效性的教育、广告和宣传。他们赠送了现金、汽车、学费、运动票和啤酒。尽管一些共和党人批评拜登对疫苗接种的处理，但白宫几个月来一直保持沉默。
但官员们表示，随着越来越多的美国人卷起袖子，拜登变得越来越舒服，先是接受了他的政府指责他传播有关疫苗注射的错误信息，现在又实施了他的政府此前避免的疫苗接种要求。
即使他的姿态变得僵硬，拜登迄今为止仍坚持更具强制性的要求，比如要求国内航空旅行时拍照。
尽管如此，拜登的对手反应迅速。
密西西比州共和党州长泰特·里夫斯在推特上写道:“疫苗本身是救命的，但这种违宪的举动是可怕的。这仍然是美国，我们仍然相信摆脱暴君的自由。”
共和党全国委员会主席罗娜·麦克丹尼尔称这是一项“违反宪法的非美国联邦法令”南卡罗来纳州共和党州长亨利·麦克马斯特(Henry McMaster)毫无细微差别地回应道:“请放心，我们将与他们战斗到地狱之门，以保护每个南卡罗来纳州人的自由和生计。”
白宫正在为法律挑战做准备，并认为即使一些授权被否决，数百万美国人也会因为新的要求而获得机会——拯救生命和防止病毒传播。
拜登在商界找到了不同寻常的盟友，商界渴望在18个月的大流行中断后恢复正常。他们可能不喜欢拜登提议的增税，但他们似乎已经接受了他的观点，即美国不能允许未接种疫苗的人“破坏”加强经济的进展。
该集团总裁兼首席执行官约书亚·博尔滕(Joshua Bolten)表示:“商业圆桌会议欢迎拜登政府在打击COVID的斗争中继续保持警惕。
美国全国制造商协会主席兼首席执行官杰伊·蒂蒙斯(Jay Timmons)表示:“我们期待与政府合作，确保任何疫苗要求的结构都不会对制造商的运营产生负面影响，这些制造商一直在引领这场大流行，以确保美国人的安全。
尽管拜登的对手反应激烈，但总统可以从某些数据中得到安慰。
Axios/Ipsos于7月30日至8月2日进行的一项民意调查发现，58%的美国人(包括79%接种疫苗的人)表示，他们将新冠肺炎病例的上升和新变种在美国的传播归咎于未接种疫苗的人。该调查允许多种回应，但认为未接种疫苗的人应受责备的比例高于归咎于其他原因的人，包括来自其他国家前往美国的人(32%)和唐纳德·特朗普(28%)。
白宫助手指出了一个更明确的指标——已经有超过2.08亿美国人获得了注射机会。
Analysis: Biden takes fight to unvaccinated in virus battle
WASHINGTON -- They’re a source of frustration. A risk to their fellow citizens. A threat to the nation’s economic recovery.
PresidentJoe Bidenis trying to concentrate the anger of the nation’s inoculated majority against the refusal of 25% of eligible Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Nearly 8 months after declaring “war” on thecoronavirusas he took office, Biden announced far-reaching new federal requirements Thursday that could force millions to get shots. In doing so, he embraced those who haven't rolled up their sleeves as a new obstacle amid a devastating surge in cases that is straining the nation’shealthsystem and constricting its economy.
“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin,” Biden said from the State Dining Room. “And your refusal has cost all of us.”
The unvaccinated minority, he added, “can cause a lot of damage, and they are.”
The speech marked the starkest public airing of Biden’s own frustrations over the direction of the COVID-19 pandemic and a striking departure from his familiar talk of national healing. In essence, he scolded a minority of the country for holding back the majority. And he had especially harsh words for public officials who have stoked or exploited vaccine fears for political gain.
“A distinct minority of Americans, supported by a distinct minority of elected officials, are keeping us from turning the corner,” Biden said. “These pandemic politics are making people sick, causing unvaccinated people to die.”
Biden’s forceful posture reflected a calculus that far more Americans will support his action than will be drawn to the visceral anger that some on the right directed at his announcement — evidenced, in his view, by the fact that a supermajority of the country has already been vaccinated.
It was also driven by self-interest, as Biden tries to defend his own job performance on the issue most important to voters.
The resurgence of the virus has sent his poll numbers to the lowest point yet of his presidency. An AP-NORC poll conducted in August found that 54% of Americans approved of Biden’s stewardship of the pandemic, down from 66% the month before, driven by a drop in support among Republicans and political independents.
The drop in approval has coincided with a summer backslide in the fight against the virus. Biden blamed the spiking cases for August’s slower-than-expected job growth and warned the nation could continue to face economic penalty if it doesn’t get the virus under control.
It was just two months ago that Biden prematurely declared the nation’s “independence” from the pandemic. Now, despite more than 75% of Americans having at least one dose of vaccine, the U.S. is seeing about 300% more new COVID-19 infections a day, about two-and-a-half times more hospitalizations, and nearly twice the number of deaths compared to the same time last year.
“We’re in the tough stretch, and it could last for a while,” Biden warned.
Still, he predicted, with most Americans vaccinated, the human toll won't exceed last winter’s carnage.
Speaking directly to the fears of Americans who have received a dose, Biden said, “For the vast majority of you who’ve gotten vaccinated, I understand your anger at those who haven’t gotten vaccinated. I understand the anxiety about getting a breakthrough case.” He pledged that his administration was moving forward swiftly to secure booster doses of the mRNAvaccinesas soon as this month to provide more durable protection against the more transmissible delta variant.
In announcing that the Transportation Security Administration will double fines on travelers who refuse to wear masks on planes, Biden was unforgiving, “If you break the rules, be prepared to pay.”
White House officials maintain Biden isn’t trying to stoke anger in a vacuum but said he hopes that reflecting the irritation of the nation’s majority — combined with new vaccine requirements — will serve as a productive step toward putting the virus back in check. Defeating the virus, they argue, now requires defeating the reluctance of the 80 million people who have yet to get a shot.
It’s a head-spinning change in tone from a White House that spent much of the year steadfastly avoiding any appearance of criticism of those who were waiting to be vaccinated.
Federal, state and local governments invested billions on education, advertising and outreach about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. They gave away cash, cars, tuition, sports tickets and beer. Even as some Republicans criticized Biden’s handling of the vaccination rollout, the White House for months held its tongue.
But as more Americans rolled up their sleeves, officials said, Biden grew more comfortable, first taking on those his administration blames for spreading misinformation about the shots and now imposing the vaccination requirements his administration had previously avoided.
Even as his posture has stiffened, Biden has thus far held off on even more coercive requirements, such as requiring shots for domestic air travel.
Still, the reaction from Biden’s opponents was swift.
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted: “The vaccine itself is life-saving, but this unconstitutional move is terrifying. This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants.”
Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, called it an “unconstitutional, un-American federal decree.” South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster responded without nuance: “Rest assured, we will fight them to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian.”
The White House is gearing up for legal challenges and believes that even if some of the mandates are tossed out, millions of Americans will get a shot because of the new requirements — saving lives and preventing the spread of the virus.
Biden has found unusual allies in the business community, which is eager for a return to normalcy after 18 months of pandemic disruption. They may not like Biden's proposed tax increases, but they appear to have bought into his argument that the nation can ill afford to allow the unvaccinated to “undo" progress on strengthening the economy.
“Business Roundtable welcomes the Biden Administration’s continued vigilance in the fight against COVID,” said Joshua Bolten, the group’s president and CEO.
“We look forward to working with the administration to ensure any vaccine requirements are structured in a way that does not negatively impact the operations of manufacturers that have been leading through the pandemic to keep Americans safe,” said National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons.
Despite the vehement reaction of Biden's opponents, the president can take comfort in certain data points.
An Axios/Ipsos poll conducted July 30-Aug, 2 found that 58% of Americans, including 79% of those who are vaccinated, said they blame the unvaccinated for rising COVID-19 cases and the spread of new variants in the U.S. The poll allowed multiple responses, but the share saying the unvaccinated were to blame was higher than those blaming other causes, including people from other countries traveling to the U.S. (32%) and Donald Trump (28%).
White House aides point to an even clearer metric — the more than 208 million Americans who have already gotten a shot.
