McCain's Disastrous Politics of Gustav
Today, Obama stated that he would stay out of the way as Hurricane Gustav once again threatens the Gulf Coast. Even Bush, who three years ago celebrated Katrina's landfall at John McCain's birthday party, is staying away.
What does McCain do? Just like he did when he traveled to a market place in Baghdad, he puts the lives of Americans in danger, and diverts the mission for his own personal political gain. He will travel to the Gulf Coast to give a speech while emergency professionals are urging people to leave. Not only is it political grandstanding, it's a disgusting display of the type of bad leadership we would see if John McCain became President.
Preparedness for hurricanes is serious business. When it's done right, emergency managers control the airwaves, the message, and urge political leaders to stay out of the way so they can make sure people and property are safe. Senators and Congressmen are briefed, but told to stay out of the way and wait until they find out what resources are needed, and then make it happen. The governor takes cues from the Emergency Management director of the state: brief people to get out, show leadership, be honest, and make the calls for resources that need to be made. The President turns the keys to government over to the FEMA director to make sure resources flow properly and stands by to twist arms if needed. The business of disasters is left to disaster professionals with politicians playing a supporting role.
Now admittedly, we haven't seen that in recent years, but when government works for people, this is how it happens.
But not in 2008, and not when John McCain is sucking wind on a political campaign.
Now, some Americans will see McCain's trip as "leadership" but just as John McCain's visit to a marketplace in Baghdad resulted in three Blackhawk helicopters and hundreds of soldiers being ordered to protect his photo op stroll through the market, this could be deadly.
It's a complete disregard for the mission and the government professionals at all levels attempting to keep people safe.
John McCain's mere suggestion that he should go there shows his horrific and dangerous judgment. If it actually happens, which hopefully it does not, then he will actually be doing harm. Because he is a presidential candidate, air traffic stops when he lands, roads are closed, and press follow him. Secret service and law enforcement personnel have to make sure everything is secure. That means all of these things STOP WORKING to make the area safer for the people getting out and protecting their homes. The only thing working in the favor of emergency management professionals are the noticeably small crowds at McCain events...so perhaps people will not be motivated to stay around.
These are the very reasons Obama and Biden dismissed the suggestion of travel immediately when asked. He's talked to Jindal--a man on McCain's short list for veep--and has expressed help. Trips of politicians often happen after major storms, but when doing these, the main goal is to highlight the devastation in order to secure the resources needed to fix it. It appears these gentlemen get it, and McCain is out of touch in a truly dangerous way.
McCain's suggestion of a visit will waste precious hours in getting resources in at a time when hours and minutes make all the difference. It will impact news coverage which should otherwise be used to urge people to get out through the proper channels, not political parties.
The Republican suggestion that they may postpone their convention is understandable in some ways. This is, after all, a major emergency. I do think there are many who see this as a political opportunity to not have an embarrassing show that follows one that was amazing the Democrats had this week. They've floated the idea of a telethon to raise money. Political grandstanding? Sure, but at least it could do some good and you're not in the way.
But a visit? Senator McCain, that would be a disaster for the country. Your truly reckless act would show once and for all that you actually would be worse than President Bush.
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McCain is going down to Jackson, Miss. (way out of Gustav's path), BEFORE it hits, for a photo-op. Not only does McCain get rid of the Bush-Cheney association at the Convention, but he gets free photo-ops and looks presidential before actually getting "elected" (installed?). Talk about luck.
His real luck was that Republicans at the Convention wiill not have to give 5 seconds of polite applause to Cheney, and 5 seconds of polite applause to Bush, both mixed with boos, for that was what some of us were prepared to do. Moreover, the visual presentation of the embraces and hand shakes by McCain with these two has been avoided, with the hope that the associative connection isn't necessarily made.
My take on this is that this is a sad state of affairs, even though a stroike of luck for McCain, the Bush Clone. Why? Because it is horrendous to think of what he has done to the Rep;ublican Party, but, indeed, far worse to think about what Bush and Cheney have done to our country. A pox be on all three of them.
Life-long Republican Voting for Obama
The last thing any disaster area needs is the national disaster Bush or McCain prima donnas showing up and trying to politicize it by giving a speech.
Go to St. Paul. You can say the word "change" but your were in charge and nobody wants to listen to more of the same. It is lipstick on a pig.
when the storm is over, watch obama, or biden draw a sharp contrast with mc,.cain coming down there and his past voting record on katrina. he is SOOOOOO out of touch
I'm confused, Moira. You're blaming McCain for doing what Bush decided against doing in Katrina which was getting in the way of rescue efforts and creating a dangerous distraction. Bush was accused of indifference by the media and it created an unfair and hateful mindset that dogs him to this day. McCain apparently feels he has no choice but to participate. I agree with him.
Clairemont
It's a stupid idea for him to be going to New Orleans for a photo op which is what he's doing. He's endangering peoples' lives for God sakes. He has already shown he has no intelligence and this Photo Op move will surely prove the point. McCain's photo op versus peoples' lives is more important.
Bush's failure was not that he didn't visit but that he allowed FEMA to deteriorate into incompetence. Just like Bush's entire administration. "You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie"
I think it's different. Bush was on vacation and having a party with McCain. He wasn't paying attention, as evidenced by the total incompetence shown in '05. Bush was and is President and presumably has the power to make things happen. McCain is a candidate and has no power. All he can do is grandstand and get in the way. All attention is already focused on the region, he can only distract from the business at hand.
Obama already has a plan to mobilize millions when needed, and he is not going to go there. McCain has nothing. no plan aside from disruption.
Maybe I can help, Clairemont. Bush was President during Katrina. McCain is a presidential candidate. Read: President=power and influence. Candidate=
I would have been more impressed with McCain's executive prowess if he had followed through with the convention. In my opinion, the longer he can keep Palin away from interviewers, the harder it will be to expose her political naivete. She is no doubt undergoing intensive training and indoctrination as we sit here typing, and every minute is crucial to the success of her "coming out".
Bush was President, at the time of Katrina he should be involved, although from a distance at this point. McCain is running for President, has no business there.
I live in a hurricane prone area. The last thing you need when a major storm is approaching is a political figure coming down for a personal agenda. There is much to do, a high level of stress and anxiety and no time or man power to be used on this type of political foolishness.
I hope "the" people see through McCain.
It's simple: McCAIN DOESN' T GET IT!
McCain is so used to pissing against the wind that facing a hurricane must have sounded like a chance of a lifetime. It seems that NOLA has been spared from the big winds; however, the twin cities have not. Let us get on with the convention--I want to see what Palin is wearing.
And McCain plans to accept his nomination in the disaster area.
God bless Obama indeed! He's got a lot more common sense than McCain. And he thinks of the consequences of any decision he makes before going for it.
I hope right-wing Evangelicals would realize this.
Neff you need to stop watching so much damn Fox news, have you heard of channel surfing to find different news broadcast about Gustav. I watched Obama talking about New Orleans today, some people are so stupid , open up your ears, McCain voted against funding for the Katrina victims, and now he want to do a photo-op, the people in New Orleans are really going through another tragedy and he want to play political games with these people lives, even Bush is not making the trip, John McCain is a political wh--- that don't give a damn about nobody but John McCain, this just pisses me off, I saw the pain and hurt and in the children eyes, people on top of roofs waiting for someone to rescue them, and now he has so much concern for the people of New Orleans, GMAB, my gut feeling tells me McCain will reap what he sow!!!
Actually it would be a bit enjoyable to see him blown off of his feet as Al Roker was when he was reporting Katrina...
And, disrupting the evacuation for his own political gain is horrible.
While I agree with you that McCain will only be in the way, that's not what it will look like on CNN and the evening news.
There McCain will be with his people handing out bottled water and hugging any African Americans they can find. The press won't question the danger McCain puts relief workers in. McCain looking presidential and empathetic, while Palin hands out rations, trumps any sanity you think you can still count on from the media.
I can see one or all of the anchors right now saying, "Many people question if Obama truly does care about people's suffering, when he is a no-show at this disaster."
Obama had better get his butt down there, or he'll look like the Repub claim of "all talk" is real.
This ain't Walter Cronkite's hayday when you got real reporting. This is a dog and pony show media. Or should I say dog and donkey show?
You know, that was what I was saying. Sometimes I watch shows like these (well, all time), and with the exception of Keith Olberman, Jack Cafferty, Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow, that is how it goes. Especially Wolf Blitzer. I know they know what is the real deal, but they "omit" that part.
I doubt all that beneficince will happen unless McCain, et al. go door to door. I've been through hurricanes. Once they're gone you are too busy checking for damage and picking up pieces to worry about any visitors. Unless McCain is planning on handing out 5 gallon bottles of water, gasoline for generators and the generators themselves he isn't going to get much of a crowd. Blue tarps for damaged roofs would also draw crowds, IF he gets the word out on radio that that's what he'll be doing. If not then people won't know that he's there.
His transportation out of there could have been used as evacuation.
He really does act like Bush Junior Junior. Speaks before he thinks, IF he thinks. Another feeble old GOP veteran like Dole whose time will never come, barking out "POW" as his excuse the way Cheney and Bush barked "911" in lieu of logic. Immediately stated that he might postpone the convention til I suppose someone explained the logistics. Now it's photo op time ( and to let Cindy and Sara Barracuda "assess the situation " ). For the sake of everyone, I'd like to see Gustav weaken at the last second and spare the citizens, and leave McCain and his opportunistic too little too laters standing in the rain while their convention is in ruins. It's still his birthday weekend - let them eat cake.
On a positive note: people don't go to McCain events. So it won't be that big a distraction.
You know, I should really finish reading articles before posting jokes already in there. :(
Disgusting. He claims the slogan "Country First" and he can't even put the people of the Gulf first. This is opportunism at it's most despicable. How he could even SUGGEST giving his acceptance speech from the regions is beneath contempt.
God bless all the folks in the path of the hurricane; may they all be home soon with no loss of life.
Not to mention he picks, as his VP - someone who is a heartbeat away from the Presidency, a person who has marginal experience in running a government no bigger than a medium size US city. He really cares about us!
Biden.... DE....Big State. Oh well, at least when it comes time for a speech we can count on Joe stealing one.
I wanted to say that this article and some of the hate-mongering responses were idiotic, short-cited and ridiculously immature, but I thought it may not pass your censorship rules, so I won't say it. I will say that you should learn more about the convictions and dedication of Senator McCain, and why he's in public service before you continue your diatribe. I found it very insightful (of your attitude) on how you managed to say everything negative about Senator McCain, any republican, and the President - and everything good about Senator Obama. You couldn't bare to just talk about the senator's trip (to Jackson, Miss by the way - long before causing any consternation or danger to the emergency personnel there), which is your prerogative to dislike, but you had to add in all your other hateful comments. And by the way, I'm sure you had similar comments about Senator Obama upon his recent trip to Iraq? Thanks for your time.
It's not what McCain alone is doing, its what Brian Willliams and NBC is doing. They interviewed McCain today, acting like he was the President by discussing Gustav preparations with him instead of Bush. It's their enabling that is disgusting as well as McCain's cynical ploy.
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