Rare political unity in Louisiana during outbreak

The medical mask emblazoned with Louisiana's state seal was a simple gift from a bitter political rival.

But the gesture was enough to help Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards pound home a bipartisan plea for people to stay at home and avoid spreading the new coronavirus.

The token from Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry marked a jaw-dropping truce in a state known for cantankerous politics.

Landry has also pledged to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Edwards in the fight against the pandemic.

The rare show of unity comes in an era of deep, political divides nationwide that have persisted, and in some cases, worsened amid the virus pandemic.

It seems to be having a positive effect: The growth in the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Louisiana appears to have slowed, and the number of patients on ventilators was down as of Tuesday afternoon.

Before his recent demonstrations of support, Landry had been at odds with the governor over policy and political turf since both took office in 2016.

Edwards' more than four years in office had been marked by ugly budget battles with a Republican-dominated Legislature.

Even President Donald Trump, who called Edwards "a disaster" while campaigning for a Republican to replace him in last year's state election, had rare words of praise for the governor.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy, a frequent cable news talking head and critic of Edwards, is on board as well.

The current atmosphere of bipartisanship marks a striking contrast to 2005.

Back then, the response to catastrophic levee failures after Hurricane Katrina was marked by disagreements between the late Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Republican President George W. Bush's administration.

Pearson Cross, an associate dean and political science professor at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, said bipartisan unity in the age of COVID-19 may be due to the virus's broad scope.

The pandemic affects Republican-led states as well as Democratic ones, making it harder to try to single out a Democratic administration for problems with the response.