Before 2001 I would have never believed that we’d have a situation where I’d side with one political party over the other on every issue but Bush and Cheney have been remarkable for their ability to be wrong on, to put it briefly, everything. Until now. The New York Times reports on an issue where I must side with Bush and Cheney over Bill Richardson and Howard Dean–the use of Purell to clean hands after shaking hands with crowds of people.
For once George Bush’s simple explanation is actually true: “Good stuff, keeps you from getting colds.” Physician and Senator Tom Coburn explains in more detail that, “Every time you’re with big groups of people, you’re going to be exposed to rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and the viruses that cause gastroenteritis.”
It’s safe to assume that if George Bush says something, Howard Dean can be counted upon to say the opposite, which makes Dean correct virtually every time, except on this issue. According to Dean, “If you’ve had children, you’re immune to everything.” Bill Richardson holds the Guinness Book of World Records for shaking the most hands over an eight-hour period–13,392, at the New Mexico State Fair in 2002. He refuses to use Purell, saying “It’s condescending to the voters.”
Despite the positions of Dean and Richardson, Purell is increasingly popular among politicians. Bill Clinton started using Purell after being chastised by doctors for eating a pie with his hands when their was no fork available after shaking dozens of hands. Purell wasn’t an issue in the 2000 election as both Gore and Lieberman promoted its use. Donald Trump was also a supporter when he considered entering politics:
“One of the curses of American society is the simple act of shaking hands,” Mr. Trump wrote in his book “Comeback.” “I happen to be a clean-hands freak.”
Other cited as supporting the use of Purell include John McCain, Bob Dole, Harry Reid, and Barack O’Bama.
