Richard’s analysis of conservatives and collective action problems gets to the heart of why some true conservatives reject vaccination. But let’s not forget that Christie and the child that is the lesser Paul are both money grubbing politicians, so it isn’t just ideology motivating them, it’s cash. Who are the right-wing deep pockets who win when vaccination loses? In other words, who wants to embrace the nuts to make some money?
The first and most obvious interest that profits from anti-vaxxing is the gun lobby. Anytime a public health authority is discredited, or has to concentrate on defending something as obviously right as vaccination, that’s less time and energy devoted to another public health menace, guns. What do you think our new Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, is working on right now? I’m guessing it doesn’t have anything to do with AK-47s.
Discrediting public health authorities also fits in to the anti-abortion crowd, who have been denying science for decades. I’m not sure that they have very deep pockets or rich nutty buddies. They certainly won’t appreciate the irony of stopping an abortion so an unvaccinated child can die of measles pneumonia or encephalitis. Still, it can’t hurt for a Republican who wants to be President to make some sweet love to the pro-coathanger lobby.
So, who am I missing? How can flirting with anti-vaxxing get Christie and Paul some sweet donations?