With an election barely a month, it’s hard not to view major policy shifts through a partisan lens. When Gov. Ron DeSantis abruptly announced Friday that Florida would move into Phase Three of reopening — and moreover would largely preempt local government efforts to restrict business — skepticism followed.

One hopes this change comes based on data, not desire to move past pandemic conditions prematurely. On that front, it’s notable reports of new cases have been on the decline. Certainly many businesses living under burdensome rules, most notably a 50% capacity limit on restaurants and bars, feel severe economic pain that cannot last forever. In addition to more than 14,000 Florida lives, this pandemic consumed independent establishments like Smacks and enRich Bistro.

It’s tougher to swallow pure motives when one considers mere days ago the Governor went from being “absolutely appalled” about the death of George Floyd to becoming anxious to crack down on protesters. But perhaps that skepticism in fact shows why regulation cannot and will not be what truly governs public behavior. People across the political spectrum, including many involved in politics directly, lament the problems that come as everything from lockdown orders to mask usage to the approval of a vaccine turned politicized. More than six months after Florida’s first coronavirus diagnosis became public thanks to a letter to patients at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, there’s a hunger for normalcy unlike anything in contemporary memory.

The slow boil of the COVID-19 crisis makes perspective difficult. There’s less support now for limiting bar capacity than there was for a total lockdown in April. Officials at the local and federal level will stand for election in November, and many face questions on a daily basis about when the government will end draconian measures.

There’s also evidence government regulations are not what adjusted citizen behavior in the midst of this crisis. Counties of similar size with and without face covering ordinances, for example, saw roughly the same amount of mask usage. Yes, that’s noteworthy to me months after writing in this space that such a nudge from local government might be what’s needed to put face coverings en vogue. I do think now that more people in public use masks than don’t. Maybe that’s thanks to ordinances like those in place in Sarasota and Venice. Maybe it’s reasonable reaction to the surge in reported cases this summer.

But what I actually believe drove the change was rules in major retailers. Who would have predicted Walmart could govern public actions more effectively than City Hall?

Speaking briefly with some restaurant owners I know, there’s mixed emotions about how to respond to news they can operate with full dining rooms. Some appreciate the ability to make that decision but will limit seating for the time being. There’s a different mindset when forced to act a certain way and when the responsibility of decision-making falls on your shoulders.

But there’s also agreement among business owners the government will not determine whether reservations sell out at fine dineries today. Rather, consumers themselves will decide when they feel safe in a crowded dining room with A/C recycling the breath of strangers.

On that front, I’m reminded of a man not always quoted here with much reverence. Early in the run for The Apprentice, Donald Trump explained a truism about business. ”The market is so smart,” he said. It puts the highest price on the best art, and leaves chotchkes on the shelf if they get priced 50 cents too high.  Now, we must hope it knows the best way to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor for SRQ MEDIA.