You believe in the flu?

Nobody said you need to be super smart to make a plane go up and down and left and right.

They’re not the Pope, they’re just like you and me. Only difference is they actually did something about our communities rather than complain about it like most of us do. The people criticizing the politicians for going out and violating their own health dept guidelines are the same ones that don’t want to comply with those guidelines anyways regardless of what the official does. I don’t care that they went to see their daughter or went to a restaurant, I don’t need to be led by example by them about the pandemic, I already know what’s safe behavior to not spread the virus. We do need them, however, to set guidelines to control the pandemic and that’s what they’re doing.

I understand what you are saying. HOWEVER, people are tired of politicians following the adage; “Do what I say. Not what I do.”

A person governing or in a leadership position is supposed to lead by example. Be held to a higher standard. If you are going to ask or require people to adhere to guidance or a rule, you better damn well adhere to it yourself for starters and in a consistent manner. That is basic supervision/leadership 101. Also, referred to as integrity.

If they're leaders in a crisis they need to behave like the freakin' pope. Leadership 101. Especially in a crisis.

I might agree with you if it was just one rogue idiot. But there's been too many, and those are just the ones who've been caught.

It sends the message that they don't actually believe their own guidance. That causes people to wonder what is the real motivation for the rules, which they see no actual reason to inconvenience themselves with.

Initially I assumed all the overreach was just typical inept pols flailing in panic when confronted with a crisis they didn't expect.

But between all the rule breaking, and some governors talking about banning vaccines in their states? I've actually started to really suspect some are trying to drag this out for political gain. I'm pretty measured, moderate, and grounded.... If I'M starting to suspect that, then a whole bunch of people out there have totally lost faith in those elected managers.

Like I said in another thread, this mistrust in our institutions isn’t a good thing. If we can’t trust scientists and doctors then how do we as a society function?

When scientists and doctors disagree you have to select which ones you place trust in. I personally don't place trust in doctors and scientists whose story has changed over the past few months. Some doctors and scientists have sang the same tune since this started and they are the ones that are shouted down as deniers and banned from social media. YMMV.

The whole goal of science is to respond to changing information as new data comes in. That's the definition of scientific progress. New conclusions are derived from new information. Why would anyone think that's a bad thing?

People who are unwilling to change in the face of new information aren't really scientists at all. The intransigence you seem to be commending is more the purview of religion and politics than science.

The only people being banned from social media are those who are spreading verifiably false misinformation and are contributing to the politicization of a public health crisis.

There are scientists who have said from early in this that children are not at risk and not spreaders of the virus. Fauchi finally came around to agree when he could no longer ignore mountains of evidence, and even NY is finally opening schools after doing irreparable harm to millions of students. But you can keep on believing whatever drivel you wish.

The whole picking and choosing what you want to believe in isn’t really science though, that’s religion you’re thinking of.