First of all, I'm really tired of people trying to make political capital out of human disasters. Nobody in Louisiana needs to be a talking point. They need a dry bed, food, and income to bridge their employers being back open so they can go back to work.
Beyond that, though:
in 1997, there were severe tornadoes in Arkansas. Including one where I lived. The President of the United States came, toured the damage, and his security detail and such were a bit of a disruption to work efforts. In 2005, there was a disaster called Katrina on the Gulf Coast. The President of the United States stayed away for a while, claiming that he didn't want to get in the way of relief/rescue efforts. Now, in 2016, the President of the United States is saying the same thing regarding the disaster without a name in Louisiana.
Here's the deal: in 2005, the President was right, and in 2016, the President is right. I saw that in a smaller disaster in 1997. You don't have a President to do the hands-dirty work. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is better at it, anyway. There are two basic problems here:
The first is that people still need to be aware that the President, symbolic of the nation, cares. That is hard to reconcile with either flyovers or four irons. That's the President's issue to fix. But cut the POTUS some slack: there is always at least some part of the United States in crisis. ALWAYS.
Our issue is this: most of us are being stupidly inconsistent. In 2005, many people of one view thoroughly agreed that the President of the United States is just in the way in an ongoing disaster and needs to keep out. Those are the some of the same people who now want the President of the United States punished (in some way) for not keeping out.
Then there was the other side, which pilloried the President of the United States for staying out. Now, this one is justified to stay out of the way.
Folks, if we make inconsistent demands of our governmental leaders, we will get....INCONSISTENT GOVERNMENTAL LEADERS. "Leaders" who wait for opinion polls and serve their best interests on however the winds are blowing at the moment.
That's what we've got. That's what we have running in this election, too. We have the government we asked for, at the ballot box and the public forum, in the newstainment industry and in social media.
Now, delete that long-winded post about how President B is better than C ever was or how this candidate will actually be different. Go give blood, find an organization delivering relief supplies, or volunteer to feed the hungry where you are. Help rebuild the relationships that we ought to have.
Rant over.
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