Earlier, I posted the entire Palin RNC speech with the hopes that some of you would attack it, and others of you would defend it, and somewhere in the middle, some type of agreement would be met (or at least just a good deal of activity in the comments). We are now well past both that post, and the RNC, and not so much has been said here about the speech. Oh well…
I came across this post on another blog. I think its worth a read. My applause to the poster.
I have, despite my own better judgment, decided to post the entire text of Gov. Sarah Palin (Republican Candidate for Vice President, in case you weren’t paying attention) speech at the RNC. This is a warning. If you have just eaten, come back later. You have been warned. Also, please hang in there long enough to get to what I (and others) have to say at the bottom. I will try to make it worth your while. Okay, hold on…
In a place synonymous with “Good Times”, it is unfortunate that New Orleans had to host one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. History. Could it happen again?
Just about three years ago, I remember sitting in the living room of my Baton Rouge, LA suite. I hadn’t been there too long, but long enough to have developed a love for the food and a disdain for the humidity. Maybe my recollection is putting in overtime in the editing department, but I remember the days leading up to (and after for that matter) Katrina’s arrival as surreal. Everything was monochrome gray. The television and radio news outlets were all abuzz about the weather. The Walmarts, K-marts, Albertsons, Home Depots, and Lowes were reportedly out of everything; no batteries, no can goods, no bottled water, no generators; the gas stations were even out of – GAS. Hotel and roadways were bursting at the seams, yet still taking on more. As we lost power, I remember sitting in the open threshold of my formerly air conditioned, formerly lighted building, watching rain come down in biblical proportions. A couple of days later, I would travel overseas to tend to other matters, but others were not so lucky.
Half a world away, Katrina and its effects were discussed daily. Many of my coworkers had a personal interest; property, family, friends. I really didn’t have a dog in the fight, but tried my best to understand the thoughts that had to be running through there minds.
Fast forward three years. After all the discussions, analyses, donations, and documentaries are over, New Orleans is progressing to normal (maybe). Hello Gustav. For the first time since Katrina, there has been a reasonable threat of another serious hit. The Army Corps of Engineers still haven’t wholly blessed off on the city’s flood protections. Once again, I attempt to understand the thoughts of those that have a personal interest. No longer are they coworkers, but many of them I call friends.
Some other people are really worried about Gustav and its potential to significant damage. I’m not speaking of the guardsmen who will wade the water to police the streets, or the search and rescue teams that will have to pluck people out of rafts and off of rooftops. I am talking about McCain, the GOP, and the current administration. Who can forget this television moment:
Probably less than tactful, but an honest reaction to the lackluster response to the drowning of an American city. Gustav is expected to make landfall during the Republican National Convention. The timing couldn’t be any worse. The Dems have already set the bar high, in my opinion, for the “show factor” of the convention, so the GOP has their work cut out for them. Approval ratings for the current administration are at about 30%, and McCain, thus far, hasn’t been able to float away from that sinking ship. McCain the sailor, and his crew, have braved the rough waters, but the campaign has some rough weather on the horizon. The mismanagement of Katrina and its relief efforts will most definitely be the “elephant” in the room, if Gustav so much as knocks the cable out.
If Gustav does hit New Orleans, the residents won’t be the only ones looking for help.
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