We guess it sounded smart before they hit send...
Republicans in Texas tried to make a point about voting in person by dunking on people who wait in line for Covid tests, but didn’t go to plan.
The Texas GOP posted an image of people lining up for Covid PCR tests, with a text overlay that said: “If you can wait in line for hours for testing, you can vote in person.”
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
It was a clear reference to expanded access to voting by mail across America, which came about in the run-up to the 2020 election as Covid swept the nation and the US was still working on a vaccine. It’s just one of the things Donald Trump used to try to fan his unfounded claims of election fraud.
There’s one immediate problem with the GOP meme, though - voting is typically done at an indoor location, while most big-city Covid testing pop-ups are outdoors.
But there was a far better response than that...
One person pointed out that given everyone can skip the line and take a home-based rapid test, by the GOP’s logic, everyone should get to vote from home by mail too.
If I can test at home, I guess I should vote at home, right? pic.twitter.com/ODymCvodMB
— Abe Connally (@abeconnally) January 7, 2022
Someone from Colorado chimed in to point out that their state already has that, and asking the knowing question of Republicans: Who could be against that?
We do in Colorado! Its easy and encourages everyone vote. Who could be against that?
— Paul Stephan Birza (@PaulStephanBirz) January 7, 2022
Another person took a different - 2nd amendment-themed approach, and it was just as devastating:
If you can go without the protection of a mask, then you can go without the protection of a gun.
— Andrew (@AndrewCrow) January 7, 2022
Am I doing this right?
Others made the very fair point that you shouldn’t really have to wait in line for either one:
Here’s a hot take: you shouldn’t be forced to wait in line for either one. Do you even hear yourself? You sound like the villain in a cartoon. How are you ok with what you’ve become?
— New Year’s Dane (@monkeyminion) January 7, 2022
In TEXAS we like WAIT for stuff. I STAND OUTSIDE in a LINE with my FAMILY FOR HOURS JUST FOR FUN
— PeterDavies (@PeterMDavies80) January 7, 2022
Alternatively, you shouldn’t have to wait in line for either one.
— Krazy Katbot 🐈⬛🤖 (@KrazyKatbot) January 7, 2022
There was a prediction that the meme could even we weaponized against them at election time:
I hope the @texasdemocrats run the hell out of this tweet in every single ad this election season.
— Bama resistance 🇺🇸 (@BamaResistance) January 7, 2022
Of course, the Texas GOP doubled down on their bizarre viewpoint.
wow, this made the pronouns in bio people big mad.
— Texas GOP (@TexasGOP) January 7, 2022
And if trolling is the main aim, then we guess they succeeded.
If it was engaging the big issues of the day, however, we’d call it a fail.
According to Pew, a slim majority of voters (54%) say they voted in person in November 2020, compared with 46% who voted by absentee or mail-in ballot.
About one-quarter (27%) report having voted in person on Election Day, and an identical share say they voted in person before Election Day.
