Why God is a Democrat!

[Neil]

If the power doesn't come on fast enough, will that mean that Obama doesn't care about black people?

Yes they will, and that way they will take it out on him and vote for Romney, who has endorsed eliminating FEMA and putting disaster recovery on the states and the private sector.

Because you know that broke state budgets + for-profit disaster recovery = libertyism and freedomness.

That would certainly be interesting, wouldn't it?  Certain areas that aren't worth just don't get fixed up, and you could have some wastelands that the law has abandoned, just like Escape from New York.

Say, as an aside, do you ever think about going someplace and making a scene, like that black guy in Falling Down who was 'not economically viable'?  Just the way you talk about 'shareholder value' reminds me of him.

[derspiess]

Say, as an aside, do you ever think about going someplace and making a scene, like that black guy in Falling Down who was 'not economically viable'?  Just the way you talk about 'shareholder value' reminds me of him.

Uhh, that's precisely what he does here.

[Neil]

Say, as an aside, do you ever think about going someplace and making a scene, like that black guy in Falling Down who was 'not economically viable'?  Just the way you talk about 'shareholder value' reminds me of him.

Uhh, that's precisely what he does here.

He's not really making a scene here though.  We're pretty blazé about everything, and it's not like he's embarrassing himself.  And really, he's not even that shrill about it, when you compare him to Martinus when someone frowns at a gay or CC when someone calls a non-french wine champagne.

[CountDeMoney]

Though, if there are still widespread outages on Election day, there might be strong pressure to postpone it.  But seeing as how that would take an Act of Congress...won't happen.

Not gonna happen.  Elections are taken care of at the state and local level.  Feds got nothing to do with it.

[CountDeMoney]

If the power doesn't come on fast enough, will that mean that Obama doesn't care about black people?

Yes they will, and that way they will take it out on him and vote for Romney, who has endorsed eliminating FEMA and putting disaster recovery on the states and the private sector.

Because you know that broke state budgets + for-profit disaster recovery = libertyism and freedomness.

That would certainly be interesting, wouldn't it?  Certain areas that aren't worth just don't get fixed up, and you could have some wastelands that the law has abandoned, just like Escape from New York.

It would be funny as balls come Hurricane Season in 2015 during a Romney Presidency, when Mississippi EMA doesn't answer the phone for Scipio, and then he gets a bill from Haliburton.

Say, as an aside, do you ever think about going someplace and making a scene, like that black guy in Falling Down who was 'not economically viable'?  Just the way you talk about 'shareholder value' reminds me of him.

I am plotting.  Quietly.

[CountDeMoney]

Say, as an aside, do you ever think about going someplace and making a scene, like that black guy in Falling Down who was 'not economically viable'?  Just the way you talk about 'shareholder value' reminds me of him.

Uhh, that's precisely what he does here.

He's not really making a scene here though.  We're pretty blazé about everything, and it's not like he's embarrassing himself.  And really, he's not even that shrill about it, when you compare him to Martinus when someone frowns at a gay or CC when someone calls a non-french wine champagne.

"Shareholder value" is the proper terminology and reasoning anyway.  It's not like I'm using hyperbole or anything.  It is what it is, and that's all that it is.

[derspiess]

He's not really making a scene here though.  We're pretty blazé about everything, and it's not like he's embarrassing himself.

I'd say he does sort of make a scene, even though we take it in stride.  I'm not complaining-- he's entertaining and he just wouldn't be the Seedy we know & love without his rants.

And really, he's not even that shrill about it, when you compare him to Martinus when someone frowns at a gay or CC when someone calls a non-french wine champagne.

Nobody can live up to those standards of shrillness.

[Syt]

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2012/10/obama-takes-early-lead-in-hurricane-world-series.html

What with the official World Series having ended before it really got going, and the Jets quarterback controversy being put off for a bit—the hapless Gang Green has a much-needed bye week ahead—the big sports story of the moment is Hurricane Sandy and how it affects the Presidential race. To be sure, speculating about the likely impact of a giant storm that has roughly sixty million people in its path risks being in poor taste, but that's the world we live in, so let's get to it.

Having spent the first part of the weekend campaigning in the swing states and monitoring the weather forecasts, President Obama flew back to Washington on Sunday and set about exploiting his home-field advantage. With his opponent last reported to be stuck in Celina, Ohio, population 10,400, he went to the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he received a briefing from the head of the Agency and his colleagues. On Monday morning, the President received more updates, this time in the White House Situation Room, which is usually reserved for military briefings, and talked to the governors in the affected states. Then he ducked down to the press room to come on all businesslike and Presidential.

Luckily, it wasn't his wedding anniversary. Rather than apologizing to his wife for having to cancel their date, which is what he did on that fateful night in Denver, he got straight down to business. He noted that the weather forecast had worsened overnight; he said the White House had approved federal states of emergencies in the affected states; and he issued an assurance that that FEMA had "prepositioned assets"—whatever that meant. (Was it a subtle dig at Romney's holdings in the Cayman Islands?) Wisely, he didn't say that Craig Fugate, the head of the Agency, was doing "a heckuva job," but he gave that general impression. Then he issued what he described as his most important message: "Please listen to what your state and local officials are saying. When they say you need to evacuate. Do not delay. Don't pause. Don't question the instructions being given because this is a serious storm and could potentially have fatal consequences." Echoing what Governor Cuomo said on Sunday, he pointed out that people who refused to leave their homes were endangering the lives of the emergency crews who might have to come and rescue them.

If the President seemed to revelling in it, who could blame him? There's nothing like a potential natural disaster to remind people how much they rely on the government, and to undermine the G.O.P. message that the market will solve everything, or almost everything. Obama didn't point this out, of course: he didn't need to. Americans should prepare for lots of water, downed trees, and power outages, he went on, and he expressed confidence that the country would get through this unscathed. "The great thing about America is that people pull together in tough times," he said. "We set aside whatever issues we may have otherwise to respond appropriately and with swiftness, and that's exactly what I anticipate is going to happen here."

As Obama said these words, you could almost hear the groans at Romney H.Q. Just before the President reached the podium, the G.O.P. campaign issued a statement cancelling all its campaign events for Monday evening and Tuesday, even those that were to be held in places well away from the storm, such as Wisconsin. "Governor Romney believes this is a time for the nation and its leaders to come together to focus on those Americans who are in harm's way," the statement said. "We we will provide additional details regarding Governor Romney's and Congressman Ryan's schedule when they are available."

To make matters worse for the Republicans, they have had to endure the site of one of their own campaign surrogates praising the President for his rapid response to the crisis. At a press conference in Trenton on Monday, Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, thanked Obama for approving a state of emergency in New Jersey even before the storm had arrived, which enables the state government to access federal funds and help from FEMA. "We appreciate the president's efforts in that regard," Christie said. "He and his staff worked tremendously hard." Confirming that Obama had promised to be there for New Jersey over the coming days, the governor added: "The President assured me on the phone that we'd get his immediate personal attention."

Doubtless, that's true. With his adroit actions and reassuring words over the past twenty-four hours, Obama has done exactly what you might have expected a responsible President, and a smart politician, to have done. He's looked engaged and concerned, but not panicked. He's marshalled the resources of the federal government as best he can. And he's kept a straight face while insisting that none of this has anything to do with November 6th. Before leaving the podium in the White House press room, he took one question, which, inevitably, was about the impact of Sandy on the election.

"I'm not worried at this point about the election," Obama said. "I'm worried about the impact on families and first responders... The election will take care of itself next week. Right now, our number-one priority is to make sure that we are saving lives, that our search-and-rescue teams are going to be in place, that people are going to get the food, the water, the shelter that they need in case of emergency, and that we respond as quickly as possible to get the economy back on track."

With that, the President was gone, presumably to save more lives and watch the Weather Channel. His pitch and delivery had been perfect. After the first two innings of the Hurricane Sandy World Series, with the opposition unable to do anything but watch, Team Obama had opened up a big lead.

[Syt]

It reminds me a bit of the 2002 elections in Germany - huge floodings along the Elbe at the time. Conservative candidate Stoiber was waffling, while then Chancellor Schröder put on rubber boots and parka and got to the scenes of the disaster. His posing as levelheaded and competent manager in moments of crisis ostensibly was what got him re-elected.

[Barrister]

I remember the 1997 Red River Flood in Winnipeg.  It came during the 1997 Federal Election.  I was also the Campaign Manager for a local Reform Party candidate (it was an ultra-safe Liberal seat, which is why a 22 year old was campaign manager).

A flood is a fair bit slower than a hurricane, and if you weren't in the flood zone the weather was actually quite pleasant.  But in a restricted 5 week writ period we had to spend 2-3 weeks just sitting around not doing much, because you don't want to appear political during a natural disaster.

Although it was a good national result for us (though Chretien ultimately won) it probably helped with what was a strong Liberal showing in Winnipeg itself.  There were several Winnipeg ridings that were not safe Liberal seats.

[Martinus]

[Hamilcar]If New Yorkers were so stupid to live in the hurricane area, they have noone to blame but themselves.[/Hamilcar]

[Eddie Teach]

Storm makes the split electoral/popular result more likely, depressing votes in a bunch of blue states.

[Sheilbh]

A flood is a fair bit slower than a hurricane, and if you weren't in the flood zone the weather was actually quite pleasant.  But in a restricted 5 week writ period we had to spend 2-3 weeks just sitting around not doing much, because you don't want to appear political during a natural disaster.

In terms of a national campaign is that there's about a week left in this campaign and for about half of that the news will be this storm coming, hitting and the aftermath.  My view is that Romney needs another 1-2% to win and those are days when the news will be focused on something else entirely.  That's entirely right from a wider perspective, but it sucks the oxygen from a national campaign.

[Razgovory]

Chris Christie seems to have nice things to say about Obama.  I like that man. 

[derspiess]

Chris Christie seems to have nice things to say about Obama.  I like that man. 

Are you intentionally ignoring everything he said up to that point?