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Sunday, August 31, 2008
Bush should be with Gustav
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From the airplane flying into the Twin Cities, you can see forever — and all eyes here are looking south, to the Gulf Coast. The fear is that Hurricane Gustav will become, like Katrina, a category 5 hurricane, and wreak havoc on New Orleans and elsewhere.
Democratic partisans would not wish for death or destruction, of course, but as the political games go a major hurricane that reminds the nation of Katrina, and the failed performance of local, state and then the federal government, could be a teaching moment. Too, it would draw attention away from the Republican convention, reducing any possible bounce John McCain and Sarah Palin would get from it. It’ll be a close election; any small advantage helps.
Lots of Republicans here aren’t all that disappointed to see President George W. Bush spend Monday — the day he is scheduled to deliver the keynote address — elsewhere. The best place would be in the area that will be affected when the hurricane comes ashore.
The setup here is perfect for him to address the convention from the hurricane-hit region. Unlike the Democratic convention, which was built for glitz, the Republican convention platform will be modest with a huge screen.
While President Bush has certainly earned the right to appear in person to receive the adulation of convention delegates, speaking from the coast would help two ways.
One is that it would draw attention to the importance of preparation, a difference between Katrina and Gustav. That planning and preparation should showcase Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a rising star in the GOP. Louisiana won’t be caught unprepared by either the state or by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The other is that his staying there would eliminate the appearance that Republicans are partying through disaster.
Bush was scheduled to be here Monday. The White House decided Sunday, he and Vice President Dick Cheney would stay in Washington. If Gustav delivers the punch expected, the place for him is there.
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