Ebola top on agenda ahead of US polls

The Director Center for Politics and Foreign Relations at George Mason University Robert Guttman addressing the media at the George Mason University in Washington DC. Photo by Olive Eyotaru

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However, Mr. Alec Tyson, Senior Researcher at Pew Research Center downplayed this, arguing that there is limited evidence that the crisis may change people’s decisions to vot

WASHINGTON

The recent outbreak of Ebola that saw at least nine cases detected in the United States could be a key decider in the voting patterns during the mid-term elections due next week, a political analyst has said.
The latest case is of a New York doctor, Dr. Craig Spencer, who tested positive for Ebola on October 23 after working for Doctors without Borders charity in Guinea. It comes less than a month after the first diagnosed case in the country where Thomas Eric Duncan died on October 8 after his arrival from Liberia in West Africa, where more than 4,000 people have died of the haemorrhagic fever.

Prof. Robert Guttman, the Director, Center for Politics and Foreign Relations at George Mason University, speaking at a press briefing with selected foreign journalists under the Midterm Election Reporting Tour on Tuesday, said the government has not explained the matter well to the citizens, which has in turn caused anxiety.
“One of the issues that are going to decide a lot of campaigns is Ebola. People are flipped out particularly because of the media reports. It is a week before the election and people are anxious about the disease. We think at this point, we have leaders who are not very competent to handle the issue. Right now, things are out of control and it makes people nervous before the elections,” Prof. Guttman said.

Americans head to the polls on November 4 in the general elections that are held two years after the quadrennial (four-year) elections for the President. All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, and the full terms for 33 or 34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate are being contested for.
Prof. Guttman added that the Ebola issue, coupled with looming terror threats by Isis could tip over the choice of candidates by voters significantly, in this case giving the Republican party an edge over President Barack Obama’s Democrats.
However, Mr. Alec Tyson, Senior Researcher at Pew Research Center downplayed this, arguing that there is limited evidence that the crisis may change people’s decisions to vote.
“It could matter more in specific state races for example if a candidate makes a misstep, then that could be a big issue. On the national level, we are not seeing it fundamentally shift public opinion,” Mr Tyson emphasized.