He was busy doncha' know?
Posted on 08/18/2004 7:00:09 AM PDT by RayChuang88
Maybe national emergencies shouldn't be political events, but they are. So after Hurricane Charley ripped through Florida this past weekend, President Bush understood the political imperative: Get down there. With thousands left homeless and a million people without electricity, the president needed to walk amid the wreckage and stand with the people most affected. For those questioning his political motives in responding so quickly, Mr. Bush said simply: "If I didn't come, they would've said we should have been here more rapidly."
If 90% of success in life is just showing up, in politics often it's the whole ball of wax. This is a lesson that John Kerry could stand to learn. It isn't enough to be "right"; you must also be right there. Mastering and internalizing this lesson would go a lot further in showing that Mr. Kerry can lead in a crisis than boasting about his four months in Vietnam ever could. It would also reveal his more human, compassionate side. This is something Bill Clinton practiced shamelessly and Al Gore never learned. Mr. Kerry should have gone to Punta Gorda and felt their pain.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Given the fact that there are a good number of Democratic voters (especially many "bluebloods") that suffered a lot from the effects of Hurricane Charley, the very fact Senator Kerry wasn't there to comfort these people could end up costing Kerry votes in Florida. Meanwhile, not only has President Bush visited the serious damage, but fast response by FEMA, Red Cross, and even the insurance companies could garner the type of good will that will make sure Bush gets a lot of votes in Florida. :-)
John F*ckin' will never be a touchy-feely kind of guy. He's the Donald Stirling of national politics.
I'm not going to criticize Kerry for not going. The president is in a position to kick some bureacratic fanny if they aren't moving fast enough. Kerry can't do nearly as much - and since he would have to fly in his Secret Service detail, his butler AND his hairstylist, it would have been just too much of a distraction for law enforcement.
But he could have gotten in some killer wind surfing down there as the storm passed, don'tcha think?
Unfortunately, it is more likely that the press will focus on pro-Kerry people and so-called former Republicans who will complain about how help just didn't come fast enough.
Having survived a hurricane as a child, and having to live out of a garage before we finally got a tent and cots, I can say that any help no matter how delayed is better than none, and no one can or should blame those who are bringing help for failing to get there in time. They are doing their best as quickly as possible, and that should be enough. Shame on anyone who dares to hint otherwise.
I disagree. Kerry isn't the senator from Florida and any visit there would be obviously political. President Bush had a reason for being there.
this guy is so right it is scary, I hope Kerry doesn't take his advise
My mother is 89 and observed she certainly wouldn't want a doctor
who attended only 25% of his classes in Med School.
I don't think it matters much in the long run, anyway. My prediction is that Florida isn't even going to be a contested state by the time November comes around.
Have you seen how the media is spinning it? They are so anti-Bush that it reeks. They've put on every negative person to say that the President and Governor aren't doing anything or aren't doing it fast enough. At the same time, they're giving the no-show guy who was getting a haircut a complete pass because he said that going there now would "interfere" with first responders. Triple gag.
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