Democrats are beginning to sound more like Republicans when they talk about Ebola. And Republicans are moving into overdrive with their criticism of the government's handling of the deadly virus.The Stoopid Party gets a clue?
The sharpened rhetoric, strategists say, suggests Democrats fear President Obama's response to Ebola in the United States could become a political liability in the midterm election and Republicans see an opportunity to tie increasing concerns about the disease to the public's broader worries about Obama's leadership.
If the shoe fits...
"This is feeding into the Republican narrative that Democrats don't know how to govern and government is too large," said Jim Manley, a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). Democrats, Manley said, "are desperate to try to demonstrate that they have tough ideas to respond to the crisis."
But they have no response to the idea that they can't govern, or that government has grown too big.
Democrats from across the political spectrum have suddenly embraced the idea of a temporary travel ban from West African Countries battling Ebola, even as the Obama administration has resisted the plan and health officials have warned it could make things worse.
Would you mind explaining again how the travel ban would make it worse for U.S. citizens, please?
Meanwhile, Republicans are increasingly claiming Obama's response to Ebola illustrates his inability to deal with crisis, with recent polls showing a high level of concern about the president's policies on several fronts. They are trying to level that attack against Democratic candidates by tethering them to the president.
The only crisis Champ can deal with is hitting into the rough.
Even Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), a liberal Democrat who is not in any danger of losing reelection, called on Obama to "immediately suspend commercial flights from the West African nations into the United States, as well as suspend visas for their passport holders, until we can ensure that our health facilities are adequately prepared."
Another difference between the (D) and me - I'd enforce the travel ban until the virus was controlled there, not until we were ready to import it here.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that shows 67 percent of Americans would support restricting entry to the United States from countries fighting dealing with an Ebola crisis.
And that was a poll prepared by the MSM, well-known for their political "neutrality".
The Post-ABC poll showed Obama's approval rating has fallen to 40 percent, the lowest of his presidency. It also showed just 35 percent approve of the way Obama has addressed the threat of the Islamic State. On immigration, his approval rating is a lowly 29 percent.
The WaPo-ABC people said "lowly", with respect to Champ's approval.
Democrats, meanwhile, have accused Republicans of hypocrisy in slamming the government's response to Ebola.
"I think [voters] are going to be considering the contrast in priorities. And so one of the things I believe will be on their minds is why would Republicans choose to preside over and choose specifically to reduce funding for the CDC and the NIH," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.) told reporters on Wednesday.
Because, Steve, they can't make proper use of what they do get.