| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Fred Stone" |
| Date: |
08 Sep 2005 07:01:11 AM |
| Object: |
Blame Game Not Working |
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Comment/ByronYork/090805.h
tml
Of course people blame George W. Bush for some of the terrible mess that
followed Hurricane Katrina.
The federal government should have moved faster in the wake of the
storm, and the president, in the early days of the hurricane, should
have treated it like it was a big deal instead of continuing his working
vacation in Crawford, Texas.
But to the dismay of Democrats in Washington, members of the public are
not dumping all of the blame on the president.
First, a Washington Post/ABC News poll asked respondents, “How much
blame, if any, do you think Bush should get for the problems in the
federal response to the situation — a great deal, a good amount, only
some or none?”
Thirty-three percent of those polled said “some,” while 22 percent said
“none” — meaning 55 percent of those polled did not place a heavy share
of the blame at the president’s feet.
On the other side, 23 percent said a “great deal,” and 20 percent said a
“good amount” — meaning 43 percent of those polled did blame the
president.
Some of the president’s critics complained about the poll. People didn’t
put all the blame on Bush? Surely something was wrong.
For example, Media Matters for America, the “progressive” watchdog
group, wrote a critique headlined, “Media touted questionable Washington
Post/ABC poll to say public opinion of Bush’s hurricane response is
mixed.”
Media Matters said the Post polled too few people and the survey was
taken during a holiday weekend, when it could not reach a representative
sample of Americans.
But then came another poll, this one from Gallup, with a bigger sample
size, that was taken, at least in part, during this business week.
And it also showed the public taking a balanced view toward blame for
the post-Katrina mess.
Gallup asked, “Who do you think is most responsible for the problems in
New Orleans after the hurricane — George W. Bush, federal agencies,
state and local officials, or is no one really to blame?”
Thirteen percent of those polled said Bush was most responsible.
Eighteen percent said federal agencies. Twenty-five percent said state
and local officials. And 38 percent said no one is really to blame.
Gallup also asked, “Do you think that any of the top officials in the
federal agencies responsible for handling emergencies should be fired,
or don’t you think so?”
Twenty-nine percent said yes, top officials should be fired. Sixty-three
percent said no, they shouldn’t. And 8 percent had no opinion.
All in all, a fairly balanced view.
And why has the public, at least as its opinion was expressed in two
polls, shown such common sense when some of Bush’s critics have gone
over the top? There are three reasons.
First, everyone saw that Katrina was an unusually powerful —
historically powerful — storm that just happened to hit perhaps the
nation’s most vulnerable hurricane target. Ninety-three percent of
respondents in the Gallup poll said it was the worst natural disaster in
the United States in their lifetime.
They realized instinctively that it would have been impossible to get
everyone out of New Orleans as the storm approached.
Second, people saw the Louisiana state leadership — specifically Gov.
Kathleen Blanco — wringing hands and talking about how overwhelming it
all was.
“It’s just totally overwhelming,” Blanco said Aug. 30, as the full
extent of the damage became known.
“This whole situation is totally overwhelming,” she said the next day.
Blanco — whose political style relies on appointing commissions,
studying problems and taking a long time to make decisions — did not
exactly inspire confidence as a leader in a crisis.
Third, people saw New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin sputtering about how
“*****” he was that help had not come to his city quickly enough —
even though he had not followed the detailed New Orleans evacuation
plan.
“Excuse my French, everybody in America, but I am pissed,” Nagin said
Sept. 1.
“I am pissed,” he said later. “I am absolutely *****.”
Again, not exactly the portrait of a leader in a crisis.
People put all those factors together and came up with a balanced
scorecard. They could see that Bush didn’t appear to take the hurricane
seriously in the beginning — why did he stay in Crawford for two days
after Katrina struck? — and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency
was slow off the mark.
But they could also see what was happening in New Orleans, and in Baton
Rouge. So they apportioned the blame accordingly.
Now come the investigations. Whoever conducts them, they will, after
months of studying, interviewing witnesses and recreating events, most
likely come to the same conclusion that the public has reached in just a
few days.
Yes, everybody should have done a better job. But the effort to find a
single scapegoat — preferably one whose name is George W. Bush — just
won’t succeed.
--
Fred Stone
aa# 1369
I think if we had a three-word message right now it’d be, ‘We can do
better.’
- Howard Dean
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| User: "Fred Stone" |
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| Title: Re: Blame Game Not Working |
10 Sep 2005 07:30:47 AM |
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Steve Knight <wooly@sonic.net> wrote in
news:dmh4i11f0ncmhph4k178pjpajp5lhklfqf@4ax.com:
On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 02:52:57 GMT, Fred Stone <fstone69@earthling.com>
wrote:
Steve Knight <wooly@sonic.net> wrote in
news:b4p1i1dtg0kibp5l7201ouu9fptjqman4g@4ax.com:
On Thu, 08 Sep 2005 12:01:11 GMT, Fred Stone
<fstone69@earthling.com> wrote:
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Comment/ByronYork/090805.
h tml
Of course people blame George W. Bush for some of the terrible mess
that followed Hurricane Katrina.
Did I miss something?
Isn't he in charge!? Isn't he the President? The guy that's
supposed to see to the best interest of American citizens?
Along with the governors of the states and the mayors of the cities,
who are *not* his subordinates.
I adhere to the 'buck stops here' principal. Political antics don't
mean ***** when an elderly women drowns after four days of begging for
help in a nursing home.
Emotionalism doesn't alter the facts. NOLA authorities refused to allow
the Red Cross and the Salvation Army to deliver supplies and assistance
inside New Orleans immediately after the hurricane passed through.
It's a fucking no brainer! A powerful HURRICANE was headed for NO.
It was predicted a day before it hit.
A whole *day* of warning. If the NOLA authorities who were on the scene
weren't prepared to do their part, what makes you think some massive
bureaucracy in Washington could suddenly lurch into action and save them
from themselves?
It wasn't a surprise. Bush and
all the fucking bureaucracy killed people because there is no
leadership and I don't personally give a ***** about whom's labeled
what.
You seem to be very concerned about labelling the President though.
This tragedy underscores why the smart go into business for
themselves and the losers go into government.
Warlord Steve
BAAWA
www.sonic.net/~wooly
--
Fred Stone
aa# 1369
I think if we had a three-word message right now it’d be, ‘We can do
better.’ - Howard Dean
.
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