Ebola – Fear Rules – Political Implications - the Plague and Politics

The case of Ebola that began the chain of events began in Dallas Texas. A man traveling from Liberia, who lied on his exit papers from that country, noting he had not been in contact with anyone carrying the disease (USA Today), showed systems when he arrived in Texas. Texas Governor, Rick Perry, who is a potential 2016 Presidential Candidate has done everything possible to quell the publics’ fears, while managing the State of Texas and their response with the CDC.(Dallas News). It is no wonder, therefore, that Perry, who has stood at the forefront of what might be wrong with the U.S. from the borders to Islamic religious zealots beheading people in Oklahoma (see ISIS), maintains a high popularity in the State, despite the indictment of charges of abuse of power for cutting funds from a Texas Democrat DA who was arrested for Drunken Driving and had made a scene at the Police station which was beneath the dignity of the office. (Washington Post) Apparently, as one of my Texas associates as assured me: “Rick Perry could be Governor for Life”. What makes that aforementioned statement compelling is the fact that this individual is a transplanted Massachusetts Democrat.

U.S. Senator, Rand Paul who is also a doctor, weighed in on the Ebola Virus, and suggested it might be more serious than stated by the government. He did so in conversations with a Conservative talk show host, who suggested a lack of faith in the Federal Government, given the many missteps on major issues by the administration. The fact that he feels that close confinement may spread the disease, is most likely common sense. (Louisville Courier Journal) Watch for attacks on the Senator for bringing up something that may apply but not be in favor of the administration. He is also a potential 2016 Presidential candidate.

The UN’s Anthony Banbury, the Secretary General's Special Representative, has suggested that the virus may mutate and go “airborne”., which would be consistent with the suggestions made by the Kentucky Senator.(UK Daily Mail) To add some validity to that suggestion, an NBC Camera Man on assignment for that network in Liberia, now is infectious, and he and the news crew will be flown back to the U.S. In the Reuters article, the fact that these crew members washed hands and feet with a bleach and water solution, and also wore protective clothing at times, does not appear consistent with “must come into contact with someone’s bodily fluids. That is not stated in the article; however, the implications are fairly clear. (Reuters) In spite of following conservative protocol, albeit in a hotbed area of the disease, it was still communicable.

Those that rise to the occasion, such as President Perry, allaying fears, and show leadership, as well as Rand Paul, by stating the obvious, will be in an excellent place for the general primary season. Simple suggestions made by both men, enforcing border security, not allowing flights or individuals into or out of those nations, may have prevented the first man to fly into Dallas, knowingly exposed, and potentially beginning a spread of the disease in one of the nation’s largest cities. All of the problems associated with this, real or imagined, will fall squarely on the administration and the President’s party. It has begun in Massachusetts, and the 2014 elections will tell how deep the wounds are and how far they will carry.

The Plague – Ebola in the US – Panic Mode or Mere Concern? - Personal Reflection

When news broke yesterday that the first confirmed case of Ebola in the U.S. was in Dallas, the initial knee-jerk reaction was one of deep concern, as well as some issues (to say the least) regarding our extremely lax border control and the ineptitude of the government at so many levels, and the extended response time our government has to crisis lately.

Understanding how the U.S. compares to other nations however, quickly instills a level of confidence, as we are, perhaps extremely focused on cleanliness and avoidance of germs. That was confirmed in an article in the National Journal”Why there won’t be an Ebola outbreak in the United States” – the gist, we are a nation and culture that simply won’t proliferate the spread of such a disease, when compared to those nations in Africa where, culture and national identity apparently hasten the infections rather than containing and eradicating said plague. (Read article here( National Journal)

Good reading for the faint of heart. Now only slightly concerned (given the conditions of those who have been crossing our southern border, their customs or culture that may leave them unprepared for the over antiseptic state of this union, might find those individuals at greatest risk. Then again, that is a very nationalist point of view and doesn’t take into account comparing a Latin American nation to those in Africa is akin to apples and oranges. Read the Journal Article – link above – makes perfect sense.

Massachusetts Turns – President Polls Under Water – Governors Race – Baker Slight Lead – Boston Globe Poll - MA Governors Debate

The Boston Globereleased a new graphic poll here which, for the first time, shows the President with a less than 50% approval in one of the ten states that consistently has given him 50 plus over the past 6 years.

The numbers:

Foreign Policy -56% disapprove

Overall Job Approval – 48% disapprove

Immigration – 56% disapprove

Economy -45% disapprove

Healthcare 45% disapprove

On the Governor’s Race: Baker(R) 40%, Coakley (D) 38%, Independent Candidates 5%, Have no clue: 18% The graphic for the Boston Globe is available at www.bostonglobe.com/news/p;olitics/dashboard?pl=article-related-box-article-more.

Give that Massachusetts enrollment by party is made up mostly of Unenrolled voters, followed by Democrats than Republicans the fact that the bluest state is turning against policy suggests a bit of a pickle for those who would think other states may be safe Democrat.(MA Secretary of State)

For giggles: Watch the GOP Candidate debate at wwlp.com

016-The pre-GOP candidates – value voters summit significance

Focusing on two particular pre-GOP candidates, Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY), one finds a contrast of sorts, the biggest being that both men are not either Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and or Chris Christie. Enter the Value Voters Summit , otherwise known as the Evangelical Christian look at viable candidates for the Presidency. Noticeably absent were the three previous mentioned. Generally, those are the candidates that the evangelicals and all the power of the vote they carry will vote for. If one’s name is not on the list, one can kiss the election goodbye. Both Cruz and Paul have fans from both sides of the Conservative bench and both were invited. Cruz won the straw poll, while Paul, not placing gets points for being invited. While the Boston Herald Op-Ed columnist Holly Robichaud describes Cruz as the second coming of Ronald Reagan., PJ O’Rourke came away with in some wonderment after interviewing Rand Paul.

Therefore one captivates the right, undoubtedly and the other, both the right and the left. But, the Religious vote in the nation plays a factor. Evangelical Christians are a larger force than Catholics who trend, for the most part, as Democrat voters according to Pew One only need to look at the turnout for the election of 2012 to notice that several million voters were absent. In 2004 – the general election vote tally was 68.4% of the nation’s vote, in 2008, when the African American vote was at a peak, the turnout was at 62.3%, but in 2012, the turnout was at 57.5% (CNN) –a group did not show up to vote. The outcome was obvious. When one is absent the “value voters” – those social issue voters that are, for the most part, single issue, Pro-Life, Pro-Marriage, they are also concerned about voting for someone they feel maybe in a cult – those are the evangelicals, to whom Mormonism is a cult. They will not come around and vote because someone is a Republican, they have had their dance, and the Catholic vote, which is slightly lower by a few million here or there, generally goes to the Democrats, regardless of the fact that they are pro choice, it is – what it is.

What will be interesting is how the rank and file GOP, when given a choice, hold sway in the voting process between say a Mitt Romney, or a Ted Cruz, or a Rand Paul. Should they vote in the primary and overwhelming support an anti-Romney candidate, in record numbers and should Romney win the nomination (or Jeb Bush or Chris Christie) the RNC should prepare in advance, to concede defeat to whoever it is on the Democrat ticket. Common sense, and a solid polling suggested that there should not have been a second term for this President, however..Without the full weight of the churches behind Romney, that did occur.