Kids being unvaccinated strikes me as a weak argument because they are the least vulnerable demographic on average. Rare medical conditions is also a weak argument because those types of people are exceedingly rare.
> This stance isn't compatible with the current position/branding of either the Democrats or the Republicans.
Ouch, this really strikes at one of the core issues. In a very real sense, covid could be re-framed as a proxy war for political control, a crisis that has (and continues to be) artificially hyped and prolonged for political advantage.
I have heard that, yes.
But I've also heard [1] saying when a Houston 11-month-old presented with Covid, five "major pediatric hospital groups" said they had no beds available, and she ended up at a hospital 150 miles away.
I can understand why a politician might not give two thumbs up to such a state of affairs.
[1] https://abc7chicago.com/baby-with-covid-treated-at-hospital-...
1. Some people aren't vaccinated because they're too young, they have some medical condition, or they had the misfortune to be born to anti-vaxxer parents.
There are also other downsides, like people in need of non-urgent treatment getting turned away from packed hospitals, and medical staff who are pushed to the point of exhaustion.
2. This stance isn't compatible with the current position/branding of either the Democrats or the Republicans.
A lot of Democrats are squeamish about people's deaths, even when it's a result of the person's own informed choices.
If I killed myself juggling chainsaws, many people would say "ha, what a dumbass" - but if somehow Biden came to comment on it, he wouldn't say that - he'd say every death is tragic and his thoughts are with my family.
That, alongside the fact they've spent a lot of time telling their supporters how very important it is to wear masks, means it's unlikely you'll find any Democrats politicians agreeing with you publicly.
And as for Republicans politicians? Well first of all it's their supporters who are dying, they're not going to come out in support of that; and second of all, by maintaining the stance that these deaths are avoidable and a result of the crisis being mishandled, they can use that against Biden at the midterms.