I DUNNO, WHO’S BEEN TRYING SUPER-HARD TO MAINTAIN THAT DIVIDE? Who wins and who loses if the political divide on Covid breaks down — as it seems to be breaking down because of Omicron? “But those who loathed Trump agonized over every comparison to the flu because it seemed he wasn’t taking things seriously enough. I think he was trying to steel us for the fight and avert panic, but anti-Trump people were already in a panic over Trump and — in that election year — they wanted Trump to fail. So I see why people split politically over something that wasn’t inherently political. . . . You can see right there that the Atlantic writer — Derek Thompson — is going to say that the Democrats have changed their beliefs because the facts have changed. But the political landscape also has changed: The Democrats are in power, they’re in charge of the long hard fight, and they’re the ones who stand to lose in elections coming up later in the year. That’s reason to act like we’ll be fine, we can make it. Keep calm and tough it out. . . . Here’s why the breakdown of the political divide could help Democrats. If fighting Omicron is a losing game, the perception that it’s not a fight anymore keeps the Democrats, who are in charge, from looking like losers.”

The facts haven’t so much changed as they’ve suddenly been acknowledged.

Plus, from the comments: “Don’t worry, the sky will not stop falling. Look for another crisis, that only further empowering the federal government can save us from, to materialize.”