Josh Mandel is a Republican running for Senate in Ohio to replace retiring Senator Rob Portman
He posted a maskless selfie next to a server (also maskless) at a brewpub and tweeted that he was proud of her for showing up to work even though she was sick because the restaurant was short staffed. Naturally, social media exploded in a negative way and he did tag the brewpub on Twitter. The brewpub did delete their Twitter although they’re getting overwhelmed with negative comments on other social media sites. He has very likely cost the sick employee her job as well as put a big black eye on the local business. I assume he has lost himself some votes.
I find it completely amazing a candidate for statewide office did not anticipate how this would play out. I am constantly around those who view the world just as he does – that for example gutting it out when you feel like staying home is an example of “overcoming” due to good ol’ American can do attitude. But they are people who can barely buy dog food and fuel up their vehicle without help.
It is one thing if you pull yourself out of the rack to go to the boiler room by yourself to be sure the entire building has heat during a blizzard; it is quite another for someone with respiratory illness to serve others food during an uptick in the midst of a pandemic. Amazing lack of insight. The epitome of a craftsman who only owns one tool, a hammer, and how that craftsman solves all problems – by hitting it hard.
I love this turnaround because it neatly demonstrates how Republicans really feel about “free enterprise” and the “getting the government out of the free market” – i.e. private businesses should be venerated as long as they do things that are palatable to Republicans. If a business makes a decision perfectly in line with their economic interests like responding to customer concerns about a sick employee, they’re “giving into a woke mob.”
Josh Mandel has been a total asshole since he entered politics, and probably well before that. If he’s going down in flames right now, so much for the better.
I’m going to coin the term “Josh Mandel Stupid” to mean a special kind of stupid.
Related to this, a family here in Ontario knowingly sent their sick child to daycare. At least 19 Pediatric Covid cases later, the family was fined for their actions.
Now he triples down, he’s at another diner today and maskless with another server. Yes, after knowingly being in close contact with a sick person yesterday.
