The Sentinel

Guest Commentary |
What Nikki Haley and Joe Manchin Should Do

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

Nikki Haley is overall respected for her political service. She did a good job as Governor of South Carolina for two terms and as an Ambassador for our country. Personally, I can see her as doing a fine job as President of the United States, but it won’t be this time around.

Haley has already lost Iowa, New Hampshire and even her home state of South Carolina. She wasn’t even in the contest when it came to the voting. Outcomes don’t look any more promising for her in the state of Michigan and the following Super Tuesday states.

There are reports that Haley might be a possible contender to run in the Presidential election as an Independent candidate in November.

Senator Joe Manchin is overall appreciated by many Democrats. and even by some Republicans. There is rumored speculation that Manchin might also run as an Independent.

Manchin has done a respectable job in the Senate and most likely would be fine as President. The only problem with Manchin is the same problem with Haley. Neither one has a snow ball’s chance in July of winning the election for President of the United States. Some Republicans would be accepting of Haley and many would be accepting of Manchin but the majority of Republicans aren’t going to vote for either one. Some Democrats would be okay with Manchin but again, he doesn’t have a chance of winning.

The greatest disaster for the Republican party would be for Haley to run in November and siphon off ten percent of the Republican voters for her. This would be enough votes to insure a loss for Trump. Or, if she doesn’t run and Manchin runs, he would surely glean about ten percent of Biden’s votes and insure Biden’s loss.

Manchin and Haley running in November as Independents or or representing some other party is not a good long-term plan for either of them. Both parties will view their runs as selfish acts and probably never elect either one of them to anything again.

Haley has every right to keep slugging in Michigan and even on Super Tuesday if she wishes. However, there comes a time to fold and support her party’s chosen candidate, who will be former President Donald Trump.

Manchin needs to run now and go for his party’s support. There’s nothing heroic about bring a spoiler of Biden’s reelection. The same is true for Haley.

Trump would be smart to make Haley his running mate. A solidified ticket would serve the Republicans better.

Regardless if Biden or Trump is elected President, chances are we could be swearing in the Vice President as President before the next four years are over. Americans surely will be looking closely at the Vice-Presidential contender this November.

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He is the author of 13 books including Uncommon Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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SJO rolls over Sullivan in regional semifinal, Jacob leads with 18 points

ST. JOSEPH - By now, you know that the boys' basketball team at St. Joseph-Ogden won their regional title on Friday. To reach the title game, the Spartans had to win their semifinal contest against Sullivan last Wednesday.

The Redskins, unable to stop SJO from scoring in the paint, found themselves down 15-2 a little more than six minutes after the opening tip.

Coy Taylor led the initial SJO charge with six points under the basket, while Luke Landrus, Logan Smith, Tanner Jacob, and Tanner Siems scored a bucket each in the first quarter. The Spartans continued their scoring onslaught extending their lead to 20 points at the half on the way to a decisive 59-25 win over the Redskins on their home floor.

Jacob led all scorers, averaging one point for every minute he was on the floor, with 18 points. Taylor finished the game with 13 points and led the team's rebounding effort with six boards. Smith was the third-leading scorer with nine points and eight assists.

Sullivan's offensive effort that led to a decent 22-10 record and a second-place finish in the Lincoln Prairie Conference fell short in the postseason against the Illini Prairie Conference champions. The Redskins converted on just 10 of their 43 shots and were 5-for-10 from the free-throw line in the season-ending contest.

Don't have health insurance for an updated COVID-19 vaccine? Here's how to get one free

BrandPoint - While COVID-19 activity is still below the levels seen last year at this time, COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising quickly. There is still time to get yourself and your loved ones vaccinated. Getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to stay protected against serious illness from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months and older stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccination also lowers your risk of getting long COVID - a wide range of health problems that can last weeks, months or even years after COVID-19 infection.

Most adults can get a free updated COVID-19 vaccine through their private health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid plans. However, some health insurance plans don't fully cover the cost of a COVID-19 vaccine, and an estimated 25-30 million people living in the U.S. don't have health insurance.

To address this concern, CDC's Bridge Access Program is offering adults who are uninsured or whose insurance doesn't fully cover COVID-19 vaccination a free, updated COVID-19 vaccine. This program will end by Dec. 31, 2024. To date, more than a million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided through the program.

Bridge Access Program

There is no enrollment process or application to qualify, and you don't need to provide identification or proof of insurance to get a vaccine through the Bridge Access Program. If you are 18 years or older and don't have health insurance, or your plan doesn't fully cover an updated COVID-19 vaccine, the Bridge Access Program can provide one for free at participating CVS, Walgreens and eTrueNorth-partnering pharmacies, local health centers and health providers.

How to find a vaccine through the Bridge Access Program

Follow these steps to find pharmacies and health care providers participating in the Bridge Access Program near you:

* Visit Vaccines.gov.

* Select "Find COVID-19 Vaccines."

* Enter your 5-digit ZIP code in the search bar and select which vaccine option(s) you're interested in finding.

* Select "Search for COVID-19 Vaccines."

* Select the option "Bridge Access Program Participant" to show participating providers and pharmacies.

When you find a convenient location, call ahead to confirm that they can provide you with a free updated COVID-19 vaccine through the Bridge Access Program. If you can't find a participating pharmacy or provider near you, check back later because new locations are still being added.

Why get vaccinated now?

Viruses constantly change through mutation and sometimes these mutations result in a new strain (or variant) of the virus. It's important to know that the updated COVID-19 vaccines offer protection against the variants spreading throughout our communities right now.

The cold winter months are a time when people spend more time in crowded indoor settings, where respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, may be more readily transmitted. Getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine will help protect you from serious illness.

Don't let cost stop you from getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine this year. Free COVID-19 vaccines are still available. If you are uninsured or your plan won't fully cover it, visit Vaccines.gov today to find a Bridge Access Program provider near you.