a hurricane's devastation need not be a rebranding opportunity for the Republican Party.

They could use a nice long poke with a hot iron. McCain did the same thing with the floods along the Mississippi earlier this summer. I guess the lesson is that you don't learn from experience, if there are no consequences.

It all depends how it gets played in the press. They need to emphasize the fact that these types of visits and the security and media apparatus that follow them are a major distraction that hurts the response.

If it rightly gets played as more blatant pandering from McCain, it could be a real loser for him. They also need to compare this time with his cake event with Bush as Katrina was hitting. McCain has never contended that he recommend Bush head straight down there, and he certainly didn't cancel the event. Leadership smeadership.

If recent experience is any indicator, the press won't call him on this. In fact, I won't be surprised if the press rewards McCain for his exploitation of this tragedy. Sigh.

I think it's a misguided attempt at "hanging your hat on your problem," but McCain's problem isn't Gustav --- it's his botched process in picking Palin. She may or may not be qualified to be VP, but clearly McCain barely met her and didn't vet her thoroughly --- Walmart greeters have been hired with a more care.

I was thinking along the same lines. First, to inflict a presidential campaign's entourage on people scrambling to handle a serious emergency is transparently cynical and self obsessed - if not an actual hindrance that could end up costing a few lives. To follow that shameless display by staging his acceptance speech from there may be the most cynical political act of recent memory - which that says quite a bit, considering the last 8 years.

Sorry, Steve you seem a little naive on this one. The Republicans will spare no effort in using Gustav to there advantage. None. McCain will be shown delivering FEMA trailers to homeless African-American babies, etc. The whole bit. You can bank on it. We know they don't care about the average American, They know they don't care about the average American, but they will likely be pretty successful in convincing the average American that they are cared about.

Jackson, the state capitol is pretty far north of the hurricane area.

It does put extra strain on police. McCain is just another egotistical senator and this is all about him.

Maybe there's still some sense of decency left in McCain.

Ah, the audacity of hope.

I'm watching Stephanopoulos doing a fawning puff interview with Cindy. It's sickening how much ABC's in the tank for McCain.

Maybe there's still some sense of decency left in McCain, and he'll realize a hurricane's devastation need not be a rebranding opportunity for the Republican Party.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA! Ha! Hee hee. Heh.

C'mon,Sarah will look so hot with the wind in her hair while in the back ground storm clouds flash lighting and grampy,in a full length yellow slicker,can stand resolute.As if to say "YE SHALL NOT PASS".you can picture it,no?

1. Avoid the downer contrast to the Dem gathering in Denver -- the Twin Cities meet-up would have looked pathetic in comparison.

2. Stave off the possible rebellion against the McCain nomination brewing (according to rumors.) With delegates scattered to the winds it will be harder to organize a challenge.

3. Make McCain do his Georgia "I'm the president, see" shtick again.

4. Keep Obama away from the news. Where is Obama?

Sarah would look cute in a pink rain slicker leaning against the wind. But McCain with a hood would look like the Grim Reaper.

ray beat me to it -- but I do think it will be pink.

Too crass. Could be a Mission Accomplished backlash. At least I hope people see through the craven pander.

I sure hope BoJoe don't follow suit.

Part of what informs the McCain campaign to pull these stunts is that at worst, the media will give them a pass, and will often delight them with fawning coverage.

If I were McCain I would be right on the spot. Same with Obama.

Where are the Bob Dylan fans? You don't have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. The answer is blowin' in the wind. A hard rain's gonna fall. Still relevant.

Is it her baby ?

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/archive/2008/08/30/bristol-palin-pregnancy-is-sarah-palin-s-baby-really-her-daughter-s.aspx

Look...when you see the name Haley Barbour attached to something like this, you KNOW it is bogus.

Barbour's biggest accomplishment with Katrina was diverting large swaths of money meant to help individual citizens rebuild in Mississippi and give it to commercial and port interests instead.

He's about as large a lizard as lives under the dark rocks in southern politics, which is why he has played such a prominent role in the GOP over the years.

Why doesn't McCain just go to Hanoi and deliver his speech from his old POW cell?

And there's more

http://www.ronpaulwarroom.com/?p=12996

The phrase "Adding insult to injury" comes to mind.

Look...when you see the name Haley Barbour attached to something like this, you KNOW it is bogus.

Barbour's biggest accomplishment with Katrina was diverting large swaths of money meant to help individual citizens rebuild in Mississippi and give it to commercial and port interests instead.

He's about as large a lizard as lives under the dark rocks in southern politics, which is why he has played such a prominent role in the GOP over the years.

Posted by: dweb on August 31, 2008 at 9:45 AM

It also explains why Republicans such as Bush or McCain invariably go to Mississippi rather than Louisiana in situations such as these (even though the latter now also has a Republican governor). I sense Terry McAuliffe has this power play in mind in his thoughts about running for governor of Virginia; he wants to be the Democratic equivalent of Barbour (sigh).

It's sickening how much ABC's in the tank for McCain.

Gee whiz, abc seems to have lost their footage of Obama's speech during the Stephanopoulos show. Dead time cut to George Will whining "We've heard it all before".

The sponsors:

Cialis
Vestas
"Lifeon Mars" abc
MasterCard
IBM

Go Kos!

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223

If McCain and Palin go to New Orleans, can we expect him to put his finger in the dike?

Hi Steve;

I bet ten dollars that Obama and/or Biden will be down there within 36 hours.

Any takers?

And I would like to amplify Polaris;

Sarah Palin’s sixteen-year-old daughter is soooooo fat, she must have been pregnant! Her daughter is fat, haha.

It isn't just Gustav.
Hannah is predicted to arrive on Friday.

http://isen.com/blog/2008/08/double-whammy-for-gulf-coast.html

That's why they ultimate didn't postpone the convention. What for? The next hurricane?

One more thing:

Every knows you should get the fuck out of the way in an emergency. Everyone gets pissed at those who don't.

'nuf said.

McCain's hopes for a major disaster are receding.

From the Oil Drum (oildrum.com):

Here is the early am commentary 09:49 am 8/31:

--
Gustav is looking pretty ragged this morning. It will probably recover
some strength, but I think it's well below the NHC estimated intensity
right now. The modeled intensities have dropped as well. Compare, for
example, the 6 month production estimates from HWRF (which has been
pessimistic):
30/12z: 185.95 MMBBL ( 89.83% normal), gas 1040.04 BCF ( 90.28% normal)
31/00z: 192.79 MMBBL ( 93.14% normal), gas 1092.81 BCF ( 94.86% normal)

--

Dig out the klieg lights and sickly green background. Turn on the rain machine. If Palinolithic's shirt gets a little wet then bonus points. McCain is on the scene.

They say lead, follow or get out of the way. McCain won't even get out of the way.

That's Just What I Said

McCain did the same thing during the Iowa floods. He ignored the Iowa Governor's request to stay away because it would distract police from doing their jobs.

But McCain's a professional opportunist, not only did he ignore the Governor's request, as I recall, they gave Obama grief for not showing up (Obama RESPECTED the Governor's request and didn't interfere).

Jesus, if you're not watching Fred Thompson on CNN try to explain Sarah Palin, you're truly missing a treat.

The ray of sunshine for McCain is that Bush and Cheney will not appear at the Republican Convention.

McCain, in Jackson, MS, says of the Gustav threat, "I think we are far, far better prepared than we were the last time."

He'd better hope so.

This may be perry, but the AP misspelled McCain's name? Snerk.

This may be petty, but the AP misspelled McCain's name? Snerk.

This may be petty, but the AP misspelled McCain's name? Snerk.

My head's exploding as I watched Chris Dodd on CNN. Dodd makes the point that the talk about changing the Republican convention must be taken in context of the Bush failure during Katrina. John King's is virtually outraged by the idea that the GOP may be playing politics.

Of course the talk about changing the order or length of the GOP convention is about Katrina. John King may be amazed by the idea that Republicans could celebrate while New Orleans drowns, but a simple review of history will show it's been done before.

Three years ago, a major federal officeholder had a birthday party as New Orleans flooded. He was feted by another major federal officeholder. For five kajillion dollars, Mr. King, who were these federal officeholders? What was the party of these national leaders?

Dammit, I remember the pictures of McCain and Bush with the birthday cake, why can't the well-paid "journalists?"

I for one would really like to see McCain posing as one of those idiot weathermen who find it necessary to stand in the middle of a storm in order to make the weather more exciting. And then for a big sign to smack him in the back of the head hard enough to jolt him, but without actually doing much damage. That'd be great.

Poor McCain. His campaign sucks so much that he's constantly reduced to finding campaign stunts to jazz things up and has no time for real campaigning. It's all gimmicks and cheap showmanship. He doesn't need a campaign manager. He needs PT Barnum. But I doubt even Barnum could sell this tired freakshow.

What a stroke of fortune for the GOP. Gustav is the perfect excuse for all the Goopers who don't want to be in Minneapolis for the convention to have a convenient excuse to be elsewhere. What a perfect way to sanitize the convention from the Bush/ Cheney years, provide cover for those in the party too embarrassed to go and offer prime time to the line-up of preachers taking every opportunity to pray for the victims.

But the lack of excitement will be palpable and their post-convention bounce will be a non-event.

I would hope that someone from the Louisiana Democratic Party monitors the preparations, and counts the number of state troopers diverted from actual important duties to baby-sit John McCain and Baby Sarah.

The only way this could be more inappropriate would be for McCain to make his acceptance speech from the Superdome.

"The only way this could be more inappropriate would be for McCain to make his acceptance speech from the Superdome." -- Mnemosyne

Actually, I read something about the possibility of his accepting the nomination while at the scene of the hurricane.

If they're smart, the Republicans will cancel their convention and collect disaster aid funds as a magnanimous -- but, politically expedient, if cynical -- public gesture. The publicity any political convention serves to generate is down the tubes next week, regardless.

I hate to say this, but I guarantee the Republicans will do everything they can to use Gustav to somehow demonstrate Sarah Palin's leadership qualities. Dunno what it will be, but it will happen, and probably backfire.

I used to work in emergency management, and believe me, having politicians visit in the middle of emergency preparedness and response preparations right before a major storm would be a MAJOR distraction. His visit will likely meet with a great deal of resentment from people who have work to do.

There's some talk of turning the convention into a giant telethon for 'hurricane relief'. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going to be doing any donating thru the RNC. They might 'accidentally' wire the donations to the wrong account. Not planning on helping to fund any McCain ads this year. Not in my budget plan at all.

There's some talk of turning the convention into a giant telethon for 'hurricane relief'. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going to be doing any donating thru the RNC. They might 'accidentally' wire the donations to the wrong account. Not planning on helping to fund any McCain ads this year. Not in my budget plan at all.

bahko said: Jackson, the state capitol is pretty far north of the hurricane area.

How disappointing to hear that. I thought we could all look forward to McCain giving Anderson Cooper a run for his money, as he stands there in the deepest water around, to make him look heroic. Of course Sarah Palin would take a hint from Fox News, and make sure her skirt blows up in the wind, 'accidentally' of course, to rile up the white republicans watching.

someone on McCain's staff realizes what a mistake it would be to exploit human suffering for partisan gain

Damn, that's funny!

I f McCain wants to give his speech from a disaster area, he should just carry on to St. Paul.

50,000 National Guard Troops sent to:

The South!

I guess the war in Iraq is officially over.

Come on guys. The Republicans will be there handing out towels to rain soaked hurricane victims, just like they did in Florida in 2004. The 2004 FEMA response was exemplary. And of course 2004 was an election year. We all know that would have had nothing to do with the level of response.

Remember: They have no shame, they're Republicans.

By the way Steve, love the new digs. You and Hilzoy will do a great job.

Madstork123

Remember when Obama announced the plans to accept his speech at Invesco? The Right wing religious zealots requested to have all prayers for raging rains to occur on Thursday,Aug 28,at the time of Obama's acceptance speech ?

Be careful what you ask for. Acts of God are occurring and raining on the Rep[ublican parade by way of Gustav and Hannah.

Remember when Obama announced the plans to accept his speech at Invesco? The Right wing religious zealots requested to have all prayers for raging rains to occur on Thursday,Aug 28,at the time of Obama's acceptance speech ?

Be careful what you ask for. Acts of God are occurring and raining on the Rep[ublican parade by way of Gustav and Hannah.

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