# Is Ebola the new "Swift Boat" campaign for 2014 Elections? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ebola-the-new-swift-boat-campaign-for-2014-elections/702908 "2014-10-29T15:00:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ebola-the-new-swift-boat-campaign-for-2014-elections/702908/21 "2014-11-02T14:55:44Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > It makes me thinks there’s something artificial about it, and given some of the threads I read here, I suspect political shenanigans as the cause. But hasn’t the ebola coverage moved beyond the disease itself (because no new cases are popping up) and into the “quarantine - yay or nay” question. Because if anything, that makes Republicans like Chris Christie look like blubbering idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ebola-the-new-swift-boat-campaign-for-2014-elections/702908/22 "2014-11-02T16:07:05Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Because if anything, that makes Republicans like Chris Christie look like blubbering idiots. …for Free! (They have to _Pay_ to look like blubbering idiots (and [report and track](http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/fecfeca.shtml#Disclosure) those expenses) otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ebola-the-new-swift-boat-campaign-for-2014-elections/702908/23 "2014-11-02T16:22:46Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > As I wrote in a thread in GQ, the level of concern/panic over this issue in the USA is abnormally high by comparison with France at least, and according to another poster Europe in general, while it wasn’t the case in previous epidemic scares. > > It makes me thinks there’s something artificial about it, and given some of the threads I read here, I suspect political shenanigans as the cause. Australia and Canada just put travel bans in place along with a number of other countries. It’s a simple and cost effect method of controlling movement of the disease. When it’s brought under control in the affected countries then the bans are lifted. We’ve had 2 cases enter US undetected. One of those people infected 2 more. Imagine if the number were 30 infected people and we lost the ability to track it. Now it’s a problem in the flu season. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ebola-the-new-swift-boat-campaign-for-2014-elections/702908/24 "2014-11-03T13:04:29Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > But there is no comparison between the way the Obama administration handled Sandy and the way the Bush administration handled Katrina. And yet two years later parts of the shore still look like the set of The Walking Dead, there are still people living in trailers, there are still people who are homeless and there is still billions of dollars unspent or misspent. But Obama certainly looked better after it happened and that’s what is really important. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ebola-the-new-swift-boat-campaign-for-2014-elections/702908/25 "2014-11-03T13:10:20Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > But hasn’t the ebola coverage moved beyond the disease itself (because no new cases are popping up) and into the “quarantine - yay or nay” question. Because if anything, that makes Republicans like Chris Christie look like blubbering idiots. Not if you look at public opinion. Or make the mistake of reading news article comments. For one thing Republican Christie and Democrat Cuomo are handling it the same. And most of the public seems to be perfectly happy with locking up anyone who has ever thought of going to Africa. Or watched The Lion King. Or listened to Toto. If anything Christie is looking like a hero to the panicking masses. His approval has been pretty low lately. This is helping him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-ebola-the-new-swift-boat-campaign-for-2014-elections/702908.md?page=1)