Democrats Bet on Monkeypox for 2024

Democratic leadership is quietly preparing to make pandemic preparedness a central campaign issue, with internal memos revealing plans to frame monkeypox as "the next COVID" unless Republicans support increased health funding. Party strategists have identified 17 competitive districts where public health messaging could sway suburban voters, with focus groups showing "disease anxiety" outperforms climate change as a motivator. The coordinated push includes proposed legislation dubbed "Monkeypox PATRIOT Act" that would grant CDC expanded quarantine powers, while dark money groups test ads featuring ominous virus animations and slogans like "Your Freedom Ends Where My Rash Begins." Republicans are crying foul, with one House member accusing Democrats of "viral fearmongering" and noting that current case counts are lower than seasonal flu. Meanwhile, the White House has abruptly shifted $2 billion from border security to smallpox vaccine research, and Fauci has emerged from retirement to give carefully timed interviews about "the disturbing evolution of orthopoxviruses." The most cynical maneuver? A super PAC's prototype attack ad splicing footage of Republican candidates shaking hands with footage of monkeypox lesions - set to the Jurassic Park theme. As one Democratic consultant confessed off-record: "Ebola was too scary, RSV too boring - monkeypox is the Goldilocks virus for our needs."