We are in some Hard Times in America. Our Country is drowning in COVID-19 adverse consequences: Deaths, Disease, Disability, Heartbreak, Lost Jobs, Economic Failures. Much of the horrific was preventable, but not averted by Top Leaders.

In polarized times everywhere, what difference can a Blue Governor in a Red State make for the People who are suffering?

COVID-19 is rampant and on the ascendance everywhere in America.

Consider one example, after nine months of Trump’s 2020 Plague. Louisiana was hit bad right from the start, for a time the worst affected place in the country.

Here is part of the data from today’s Washington Post Covid Tracker:

This partial chart lists total new COVID-19 cases by state for the past week. This part of the chart shows all the US states and territories doing the best in terms of slowest spread.

There are 10 states that are showing recent reduction in COVID spread (negative change in daily cases for seven days). There are also three territories with zero net change, but they are so small they make no substantial difference for the entire country, sad as even their small new losses are.

The 10 least badly-off states in America as of today are: Oklahoma, Kentucky, Oregon, California, Louisiana, Hawaii, District of Columbia, Vermont, Missouri, and Rhode Island (for our statistical purposes we consider DC as a state since it has had 16,000+ cases of COVID).

To ensure some relevance with respect to national trends, let us look at only those states with the most serious health effects. There have been 8.1 million American cases as of October 17, so we will focus here on those states with at least 1% of total US cases, that is at least 81,000 cases in that state.

Now the list comprises five states with the best recent results among seriously troubled circumstances. They are Oklahoma (107,000), Kentucky (87,000), California (867,000), Louisiana (179,000), and Missouri (155,000).

Among this group Louisiana had the fewest number of new cases (4,282), and the second largest week over week percentage reduction in new infections (down 12%), despite the viral surges spiraling around the country.

This better public health control benefitting all our citizens here is not down to our State Legislative leaders who want to reduce viral precautions, or statewide Republican Office Holders who want to make voting by mail harder and complain about onerous business restrictions and mask mandates, or our Republican Senators and Congressmen who won’t vote to authorize economic, job, and health pandemic aid, nor our Republican President who laughs and models reckless social behavior during a 100-Year Health Crisis.

Louisiana’s historical political structure is designed around a strong Governor Chief Executive with broad administrative powers. In 2020 that has been shown to be a very good thing for our state. Our Governor has adopted tough, sometimes unpopular control measures based on sound scientific advice, not slogans or quack theories, and squarely against the advice of an incumbent President who is still very popular hereabouts. Trump.45 won handily in Louisiana in 2016, and he and will win again here in two weeks.

In the meantime, the Red thinking citizens of Louisiana are most fortunate indeed to be led locally by a solid Blue Governor. Fewer Dead, Fewer Hospitalized, Fewer Sick, Fewer Off Work.

Whatever dangerous twists and difficulties face us here in the Bayou State before the pandemic is tamed, in the end I believe John Bel Edwards will be acknowledged, if grudgingly by some, as a talented and disciplined political leader, who saved many lives and avoided much damage for us, whatever your Party.

After nine months slogging through Trump’s National Plague, that is the difference one Blue Governor has made in one Red State.

Parenthetically, the next best current 7-day performance for fewest new cases among the harder hit US states is Kentucky (6,505). Perhaps, not coincidentally, another solid Red State with a Blue Governor.

Oh yeah, and 7 out of 10 of the best performing US states in Mid-October 2020 are all run by Democratic, that is Blue Governors, Y’all.

It is said that all Politics is local. Maybe some of our suffering brothers and sisters could use a little more home-grown medicine to whip the Pandemic. That nasty little bug seems to have Trump.45’s number in Diamond, Gold, and Platinum varieties.

Red or Blue; It’s Up to You. One Follows His Gut, One Follows Science.

Masks? I Don’t Need No Stinking Masks. Do You?