Gustav: McCain in Mississippi

Ahead of the landing of Hurricane Gustav, John McCain has announed that he and his running mate will campaign in Mississippi this week. (It is called a "briefing," but really, come on.) This strikes me as not just being in bad taste, but also exhibits poor judgment. It smacks of opportunism, but more importantly, it may actually hinder those who must do their jobs to help protect people and property in the face of the storm. As Will Thomas noted on TPM:

That being said, I find it disturbing that McCain and Palin have decided to go down to Mississippi this week. A trip like this is worse than opportunism. Let us not forget that McCain doesn't travel alone; he brings along staff and Secret Service agents, all of whom require the time and attention of local officials. The situation is reminiscent of Rumsfeld's infamous 9/11 response to rush outside the Pentagon and give orders: the images on TV inspire confidence, at least until one remembers that our leaders are neglecting the responsibilities that are truly meant to keep us safe.

Neither McCain nor Palin offer any unique advantage to New Orleans with their presence -- they are not Southern politicians, they don't have any particularly useful contacts in the area and they aren't emergency responders. (Meanwhile, Obama will not travel to the region but has said he will use his fundraiser lists to coordinate volunteers once damage is assessed.) However, McCain could be particularly helpful from his Senate position, if he so chose.

And if visiting a possible emergency site to "check on preparations" (as the campaign refers to it) doesn't bother you particularly, consider this line from Politico yesterday:

McCain was scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech Thursday but now may do so from the devastation zone if the storm hits the U.S. coast with the ferocity feared by forecasters.

It can be hard sometimes not to drift towards the spotlight. But that is precisely why we seek leaders with sound judgement, however they come across it.

Interestingly, President Bush has said that he will not travel to the regions most likely to be affected by the hurricane specifically because his very presence would hinder preparations for the storm. It is stunning indeed with Bush is out ahead of anyone on any subject.

Carl Rove already indicated that it was the perception of Republican leaders that they just can catch a break with hurricanes. First, Katrina makes them look bad. Now, Gustav will disrupt their convention. Only Rove could be so crass... at least out loud. Maybe McCain is doing more than hiring Rove's men to run his campaign. Now, he may be channeling him.

31 August 2008