Greg Abbott Confronts Coronavirus as Stronger Governor Than Texas Had 50 Years Ago Article Review
The article brings to light the leadership attributes of Greg Abbott, a Texas governor. In the midst of a scourging pandemic, the governor has shown tact and bravery. His leadership is portrayed as inspiring and unshaken. For instance, the writer claims that the Coronavirus outbreak gave him a chance to access countless opportunities to exercise his mandate as a Texas governor. Hence, his office sent out numerous directives in an attempt to combat coronavirus. By March 13th, the governor had already addressed the pandemic in his disaster declaration statement (Garrett, 2020). Not only is he boastful but his words ensue with relevant actionable steps. One may ask the underlying reasons which made him react in this particular manner. Whether his actions and mannerism are genuine or an act of campaign and gaining political mileage, one may never know.
Most of the political science experts ascertain that a leader is as powerful as the constitution. This indirectly implies that a leadership position is designed based on the precepts and actualization of the constitution. In line with the above statement, the article assumes that the Texas governor is one of the weakest leaders in the USA. However, in emergencies such as a pandemic, the governor can access supplementary powers availed in the constitution. Somehow this explains Greg Abbot’s effectiveness in fighting off Coronavirus. His actions have unveiled a different face of leadership. To some, he is a knight in shining armor while to others he has exposed the reluctance and ineffectiveness of leadership (Cohen, & Kupferschmidt, 2020). Additionally, the governor’s response opened up a debate on dos’ and donts’ of a leader especially during a pandemic or health situation. Furthermore, the governor’s actions opened up a can of worms. Some medical experts claimed that he was extreme because he banned crowds containing ten or more people, shut down academic institutions, eateries, parks, and other socializing spaces for two weeks. It is vital to note that his validity is based on the constitution and not assumptions. The governor is trying his best to prevent the coronavirus from spreading across Texas. Even though his actions rubbed some people the wrong way, the governor used his wielded his authority to do the right thing (Bukhari, & Jameel, 2020). More so, it is not a question of extremities but a question of containing the deadly virus. This way, the author failed to expose the effectiveness of the governor’s actions. The article only dwelled on the barrage of criticism thrown at the governor’s actions, for instance how he was seen as a dictator when he ordered magistrates to procure the orders he sent to them.
A leader balances numerous issues in order to be seen as central and useful. In any matter, a nationwide pandemic called for prudence and accurate gesture from the public. The perspectives of the article allow the reader to take aside. Taking aside is highly critical as it helps in judging Abbot’s actions. For instance, some democratically elected leaders criticized him for allowing his office to be caught up in a web of disagreement between him, mayors and magistrates on the closure of social spaces (Allcott et al., 2020). The governor's actions seemed to hurt the business community which preferred continuing with their way of life despite the glaring pandemic. As the article explains further, some loopholes in the governor's choices are brought to light. For example, he is not consulting with other leaders. Dallas medical association forced the governor to set up a shelter in case of coronavirus patients increased in number. The hospital was overwhelmed and medics needed more room to cater to the rising number. The only way the governor can accomplish all the tasks is by involving and seeking third party advice. Although some parts do not have a high number of coronavirus patients hence a lockdown would be a reactive decision. The article's ability to address and accommodate different perspectives allows the reader to search for solutions while reading. The main goal of the article was not criticizing government leadership but enlightening the public on the Texas situation. One of the most noteworthy subjects noted in the article was brought to speed to the plight of Texas residents and trying to provide solutions to the already dire situation.
There are some things that the government did very well. One of them was availing testing kits to the local medical institutions and arranging meetings to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. However, the article does not explore action-based policies nor does it ask tough questions that assist in solving the most pressing needs. Dwelling on the powers of the Texas governor does not bring up anything new, it only circles around important issues hence fails to inform and nail issues on the head. However, this does not deny it the chance to explore, inform, and push the Texas governor into consulting other team players and eventually strategically applying a suitable outcome to the already worsening situation.
References
Allcott, H., Boxell, L., Conway, J., Gentzkow, M., Thaler, M., & Yang, D. Y. (2020). Polarization and public health: Partisan differences in social distancing during the Coronavirus pandemic. NBER Working Paper, (w26946).
Bukhari, Q., & Jameel, Y. (2020). Will coronavirus pandemic diminish by summer?. Available at SSRN 3556998.
Cohen, J., & Kupferschmidt, K. (2020). Strategies shift as coronavirus pandemic looms.
Garrett.R.T (2020). Greg Abbott Confronts Coronavirus as Stronger Governor Than Texas Had 50 Years Ago
