Blakeman beats Hochul on mask mandates

                                                                                  

Bruce Blakeman takes on Kathy Hochul on Fox News last month

In terms of public relations wars, Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman won his first fight against Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul today.

Blakeman promised during his campaign that he would issue an executive order allowing school districts to drop the state's mask mandate for children.

During his first week in office, he issued the promised order after weeks of pleas from parents to "unmask our kids." He also appeared on national news defending his decision and attacking Hochul for mandating masks for school children but never providing data to show why mask mandates were needed in the fight against the coronavirus.

Hochul huffed and puffed and said she had state law on her side in requiring school masks. She threatened to withhold funding from any district that made masks optional. She continued to fight even when a state supreme court said her order wasn't legal because it hadn't been approved by the state legislature.

Then, the theory goes, she and other Democrats across the nation who are running for election in November saw their poll numbers crashing and their hair stood on end.

For example, ABC just reported that Democratic President Joe Biden's approval rating had dropped to a "career-low" of 37 percent, with only 30 percent of independent voters who generally swing elections holding a favorable opinion of his job performance.

Whether it was dropping poll numbers or decreasing virus infections, the CDC on Friday did an about face and said masking is no longer needed in schools or indoor places in most areas including Long Island.

Today, Hochul did her own turnabout and said she will lift the school mask mandate on Wednesday -- coincidentally the day that she needed to justify her mask mandate to a state appellate court.

Blakeman posted her decision on his Facebook page this afternoon. Within one hour, he had 164 comments from parents and other supporters thanking and cheering him. More comments continued to be posted.

"Thank you for fighting so hard for these kids. I couldn’t be happier for my first grader to experience his first ever day of normal, maskless school and for his teacher to see his smile!!," said one commenter.

Another wrote: "Thank you Bruce for your advocacy. This state is filled with political sheep and you are a breathe of fresh air (without a mask)

Yet another: "I am crying . I am so so so happy. Thank you for fighting for us"

Then Blakeman held his own news conference to declare victory for the parents.

“While I believe the Governor’s decision to end her unconstitutional mandate is too little too late, I am happy that parents will soon have the power to decide what is best for their kids, and our students will finally be able to return to normal and see the smiling faces of their friends again,” Blakeman said. 

That's called winning in public relations terms.

                                                                                 

Blakeman at rally against school masks during county executive campaign