Gallup released some new polling data, and the response to the question “In your opinion, is the coronavirus pandemic over in the U.S., or not?” is unlike most other responses. Typically, when people are asked questions like ‘how is the economy doing?’, there is a partisan effect: supporters of the party in power are more inclined to respond positively (and opponents more negatively too). But when it comes to the pandemic, we’re not seeing that:

Here, Democrats overwhelmingly think the pandemic is still ongoing, even though it would be in their best political interest to claim otherwise. At the same time, Republicans should want to push a ‘the sky is falling narrative’. There’s a partisan divide, it’s just completely backwards. Mind you, we’re still on pace for well over 100,000 dead from COVID this year, so the Democrats have the right of it.

This pattern is not a mystery: conservatives are heavily invested in COVID not being a real problem. Still, it’s not how things usually work.

All of this, of course, is great news for John McCain.