From the LA Times: Bush never recovered from response to Katrina, aides say.
You know what else never recovered from the response to Katrina? NEW ORLEANS.
This piece almost reads like an Onion article.
"...entered a downward spiral from which he could never recover."
"Katrina to me was the tipping point."
"[I]t was the final nail in the coffin."
"The decline was accelerated."
No, they're not talking about New Orleans, but about the president. Who sat back and watched the devastation FROM AIR FORCE ONE. Honestly.
Somebody get me my throwing shoes.
13 years ago
I hate to say this, but you sound like one of the far left trying to make bush sound worse than he is. I know that he screwed up katrina, badly, but the fact that he was watching from air force one shouldn't be shocking. Any president could do more good there than in New Orleans. And the article is right, Bush's reputation never did recover from Katrina: he screwed it up too badly.
ReplyDeleteWell, the point i was trying to make with the air force one thing was more that he thought that was the best he could do...at least that's the message I got from it. Even back in 05 when it was happening I thought, 'he's treating this like it isn't an emergency at all.' I was angry that he was doing all this stuff, traveling, doing photos, repeatedly denying assistance, and yet we're supposed to believe that, oh, there he is in air force one, doing what a president should. It was grossly incongruous. I guess i didn't make clear enough what I meant. of course a president (any one) should observe the situation, but the action can't stop there.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the article was right. i just think it's problematic to discuss (with sympathy) the negative impact Katrina had on the president, when he was the one responsible for how badly it was handled, and not on the citizens of New Orleans, who were denied assistance over and over, and whose city is still recovering.
I think a better article, and a still correct one, would have discussed how Katrina affected Bush's reputation, but in a less sympathetic way, with fewer or no quotes from his own advisers. While it was correct, my problem with it was that it was so passive. The implication was that Katrina happened to Bush, not that Bush actively avoided the crisis until it was too late.
Sorry for rambling. :)
*grabs throwing shoes*
ReplyDeleteLET'S GO!!