Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has announced that even though he had covid, he will not be getting a vaccine. Surprise! NOT surprise!
Paul has become a “shock jock” among politicians. He seemingly prides himself on standing out from the crowd and getting lots of media. His hectoring of Dr. Anthony Fauci which usually has him making a variety of charges and (ahem) fact-challenged assertions against Fauci or on the coronavirus are classics. He comes out looking politically craven and outright dumb.
Still, his highly publicized clashes with Fauci over science and health have posed little political risk for him.
Here’s his justification:
“Until they show me evidence that people who have already had the infection are dying in large numbers or being hospitalized or getting very sick, I just made my own personal decision that I’m not getting vaccinated because I’ve already had the disease and I have natural immunity,” Paul said.
The CDC recommends those who’ve had covid get the vaccine because of some uncertainty about how long immunity lasts for those who’ve had the disease. Some GOPers like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have joined the White House in urging all Americans to get the shots.
I had a bad case of Covid-19 and jumped at the chance to get the vaccine because I respected my doctor’s medical and science grounded background and advice.
Paul seems to think that he knows more on health issues than many media doctors or Facui.
Actually, compared to Fauci his expertise is as much as Dr. Pepper’s.
Here’s some more from shock political jock Paul:
“In a free country, you would think people would honor the idea that each individual would get to make the medical decision, that it wouldn’t be a big brother coming to tell me what I have to do,” Paul said.
“Are they also going to tell me I can’t have a cheeseburger for lunch? Are they going to tell me that I have to eat carrots only and cut my calories?” Paul continued. “All that would probably be good for me, but I don’t think big brother ought to tell me to do it.”
Bad news for Republicans: Paul is becoming a “high concept” face of the Republican Party.
Well, maybe not a face…
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.