Let It Go
Enough with the all-Gustav, all-the-time coverage from the cable news channels. It's not Katrina, New Orleans has been spared a second disaster and there's no real story except for video of water splashing over the levee walls on the Grand Canal. It's just a big ferocious storm that's causing some minor flooding and blowing over a lot of trees. If Katrina had never happened the news channels would be breaking into regular programming with occasional updates and bulletins when necessary...at most.
"Storm weakens to a Category 1 hurricane as it moves over Louisiana," says the current MSNBC headline. "Water sloshes over some levees, but officials expect them to hold." It's over, drop it, back to Sarah Palin.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 1, 2008 at 12:19 PM
comment #1
D.Z.
says ...
I figured you'd be elated, Jeff, since it killed the opening day of the RNC.
Posted by D.Z.
at September 1, 2008 12:38 PM
comment #2
Doug
says ...
The more that people are reminded of Katrina during the Republican convention the better. Their massive failure revisits them.
Posted by Doug
at September 1, 2008 12:38 PM
comment #3
D.Z.
says ...
Che poster I got off DH. http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/artman2/publish/movie_news/Che-poster-21270808.php
Posted by D.Z.
at September 1, 2008 12:40 PM
comment #4
adorian
says ...
But is Trent Lott's house safe this time? Are John and Cindy sandbagging it for him? Rich Republicans really suffer when one of their houses gets damaged.
Have there been any advanced screenings of Doubt? Has anyone seen it? That's the upcoming film I most want to see.
Posted by adorian
at September 1, 2008 12:47 PM
comment #5
Carl LaFong
says ...
Two million people have been displaced from the targeted coastline; not something that happens every day in the continental US. THAT is why Gustav a "real" story, even if the storm itself fizzled and was less telegenic than the ghoulish press desired.
Besides, there's still plenty that can go wrong with the compromised infrastructure, mass exodus back, and the likely anecdotal incompetency of some elected officials. And I'm with Doug, anything that keeps the RNC convention off the headlines if fine by me.
Can't help but notice that all commercial breaks are being retained this time around, so it is certainly still a revenue generator.
Posted by Carl LaFong
at September 1, 2008 1:22 PM
comment #6
Bart Smith
says ...
"I figured you'd be elated, Jeff, since it killed the opening day of the RNC. "
--
Are you kidding? Killing the opening day of the RNC is probably about the best thing that could happen to McCain. Do you think he wanted Bush and Cheney there, extolling his virtues to all of America? But he couldn't just not have them there. The hurricane made the perfect excuse for them to be as far away from St. Paul as possible.
Posted by Bart Smith
at September 1, 2008 4:01 PM
comment #7
D.Z.
says ...
Bart: On the contrary. The longer McCain waits, the less time he has to counterattack Obama's new surge in the polls. http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080831/pl_bloomberg/aiebvcaevo1y
Posted by D.Z.
at September 1, 2008 4:38 PM
comment #8
MDOC
says ...
The media hype regarding these storms is what made many people choose not to leave New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Posted by MDOC
at September 1, 2008 5:50 PM
comment #9
BNick
says ...
Totally, totally, totally agree with Jeff on this one. I'm watching MSNBC right now and they're actually talking about their own decision to cover Gustav instead of the convention. Brian Williams, live from New Orleans, was sheeplishly apologetic about it.
"We're LIVE with minute-to-minute coverage of Class 2 Hurric....Cliass 1 Hurricane Gu......Tropical Storm Gusta.....a series of large gusts of wind!"
Posted by BNick
at September 1, 2008 8:10 PM
comment #10
Movie Watcher
says ...
So the residents of New Orleans are evacuated, at least most of them. That's good, no deaths. But there are two potential hurricanes about a week out. Will they be allowed to come back in a few days? What if one of those storms turns into a hurricane and heads for New Orleans? Can you imagine getting all the people out again? What a clusterfuck that's going to be! I think more people will stay behind. How will FEMA/Bush handle that? The RNC convention is a loser. They can't celebrate, just do the necessary things to get McCain nominated. Our old friends at Fox are covering every precious second, like it was an actual convention.
Posted by Movie Watcher
at September 2, 2008 1:22 AM
comment #11
AuggieBenDoggie
says ...
Why would they let it go? It sells, and it appeals to our all consuming nationial habit of navel gazing. Covering the pontential carnage is their bread and butter, politics takes a backseat to death unless news came out that Obama and Pallis had an Edwards style lovechild.
Posted by AuggieBenDoggie
at September 2, 2008 8:59 AM
comment #12
AuggieBenDoggie
says ...
No edit function? :(
Posted by AuggieBenDoggie
at September 2, 2008 9:12 AM
comment #13
ketut
says ...
Reminds of a few years ago in Seattle. The local weather terrorists were bracing for this huge storm and all they could put on the air was some reporter saying, "There's a trashcan being blown down this alley, back to you Trish."
Posted by ketut
at September 2, 2008 9:45 AM
comment #14
janee
says ...
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Posted by janee
at May 18, 2011 1:40 AM