Gustav Eclipses the GOP Convention
By Carl M. Cannon
August 31, 2008
Loose Cannon, like much of the Washington journalistic community, was planning to post on the Republican Convention in the Twin Cities this evening. Gustav had other ideas. Among those who quickly adjusted to the looming hurricane were President Bush and the 2008 GOP presidential ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. McCain, seizing the agenda, essentially canceled Monday’s opening festivities. In so doing, McCain put his party, and the nation, on notice that he will wait to see what damage Gustav does before deciding whether the scheduled four-day gala in Minnesota should continue. Then the nominee and his running mate flew to Mississippi to view the preparations. Afterward, McCain said he’d use the convention to marshal support for the storm's likely victims.
“We must redirect our efforts from the really celebratory event of the nomination of president and vice president of our party to acting as all Americans,” McCain said. “I pledge that tomorrow night, and if necessary, throughout our convention...to act as Americans not Republicans, because America needs us now no matter whether we are Republican or Democrat.”
George W. Bush, along with his entire administration, has been widely criticized during the last three years over the belated and ineffectual governmental response to Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall on this very day in 2005. In the post-mortems, however, it became clear that there was more than enough blame to go around: If anything, the response by city officials in New Orleans and state officials in Louisiana was even more feeble than the feds.’
If Bush took a hit, he wasn’t the only one. The reputation of Gov. Kathleen Blanco was so tarnished that she wasn’t really able to run for reelection. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin did win another term, but he is so negatively perceived outside the city that his reelection actually lessened the outside world’s outpouring of sympathy. (Hizzoner has retained his penchant for odd and colorful remarks during a crisis, it seems. This weekend, he used a pet phrase of Saddam Hussein’s, describing Gustav as “the mother of all storms.” Later, Nagin vowed that looters would be taken straight from the streets to a cell in the notorious Louisiana prison at Angola—apparently without benefit of trial.)
Nagin’s musings aside, it seems from the news reports tonight that this time preparations are proceeding apace. According to Florida-based CNN correspondent Mark Potter, the authorities in Louisiana are employing the model of preparedness perfected by a Bush—former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. That approach consists of insisting on an early evacuation, stockpiling supplies (and National Guard troops) right outside the storm area, and then moving in instantly when the winds and rain pass through. It doesn’t seem like rocket science, but evidently it’s easier said than done.
As readers of this blog know, I was in Denver last week for the Democrats’ weeklong convention-fest—and the Party of Obama certainly got a bounce from it. If it seems that what’s happening now is unfair to the Republicans, well, yes, it is. But think how those beleaguered people along the Gulf Coast feel. That's the real injustice. So let’s say a prayer for all of them…