Democrats flouting their own COVID rules isn't just elitist hypocrisy - it's a danger to public health

• Democrats think of themselves as the "party of science," but a lot of prominent Democratic politicians have acted like they're immune from COVID.
• While imposing restrictions on travel on gatherings, they've taken unnecessary pleasure trips and attended maskless indoor parties.
• We've come to expect COVID-denialism from Trump-sycophantic Republicans, but the brazen hypocrisy of far too many Democrats is a public health threat, because it gives COVID deniers all the motivation they need to ignore social distancing guidelines.
• We the people should be better than hypocritical Democrats and know-nothing Republicans, keeping our distance to help stop the out of control spread of COVID for just a little while longer, until this thing is over.
• This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.

I hold no particular regard for career politicians, which is why I'm rarely disappointed by them.

For the most part, I expect perennial public office seekers of both parties to be narcissistic mediocrities, with malleable sets of principles, and whose greatest talent is glad-handing on command.

That's why I'm not particularly shocked that so many of them have put their own personal enjoyment and political expediency ahead of public health.

Though unsurprised, I'm angry as hell about it. That's because when a prominent politician - especially one from the self-espoused "party of science" - flouts COVID restrictions, it carries consequences.

We've come to expect a substantial amount of COVID-denialism from Trump-sycophantic Republicans who, among other self-induced disgraces, made the White House the most unsafe workplace in the Beltway and have led their states to catastrophic death rates.

But it's the brazen hypocrisy of far too many prominent Democratic leaders flouting the restrictions they've imposed on the citizenry that now poses a public health threat, just as the winter surge in COVID infections hits the country.

Let them eat lockdowns

While we, the little people, have gone without innumerable basic aspects of everyday life - including attending school, houses of worship, and funerals - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi got an indoor haircut, California Gov. Gavin Newsom attended a prominent lobbyist's birthday party at the ultra-exclusive French Laundry restaurant, and on the very next night San Francisco Mayor London Breed attended a socialite's party at the same venue.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler, another Democrat, was just revealed to have sent a "stay at home" message to his constituents while vacationing in Mexico. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, inexplicably lauded as a paragon of leadership during the pandemic, flew to Georgia during a wave of infections to participate in a maskless, back-slapping celebration of himself.

These are just a few of many more examples of Democrats arrogantly refusing to be discomforted, while telling the rest of us to do the right thing for the good of the public. Conservatives have justifiably "pounced" over such liberal "elitism" and rank hypocrisy.

But rather than letting their political opponents' bad behavior speak for itself, a big part of the right-wing response has been generally, "The lockdowns are part of a totalitarian plot to remake society in Karl Marx's image."

That's incredibly stupid, of course, but it appeals to the Trumpist mindset that's looking for any excuse to cosplay as a rebel badass.

With some exceptions, social distancing restrictions are the most effective way to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. By exempting themselves for no reasons other than their own personal enjoyment or political expediency, these Democrats have given COVID-deniers all the ammunition they'll ever need to downplay the threat of the virus.

There's not much that Democrats caught behaving badly can do but apologize and set a better example from here on out. But the damage is done.

No one's going to notice if Gavin Newsom spends the rest of the pandemic modeling good behavior. But his mealy-mouthed, lie-filled explanation for attending an indoor, maskless, un-socially distanced party at the most exclusive restaurant on the West Coast is now legend.

By exempting themselves from their own rules, these Democratic "leaders" have given COVID-deniers all the ammunition they'll ever need to downplay the threat of the virus. Their selfishness and arrogance has literally endangered public health.

That's why we shouldn't look to politicians for leadership. They're fallible, self-interested actors who happen to hold jobs in public service.

Instead, look to the healthcare workers. Ask them if the virus is real and if social distancing is smart. Listen to them when they say that they and their services are stretched to the brink.

We the people should be better than the hypocritical Democrats and know-nothing Republicans, keeping our distance and sacrificing our needs for the good of the public, for just a little while longer until this thing is over.

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