Saturday, August 30, 2008
If you are in the path of Gustav...
...it would have been smart to have ordered one of these
Meanwhile, I think this is a wonderful idea:
The contingency plan – a worst case scenario if the storm devastates coastal areas – would turn Republicans into Red Cross-type volunteers who would help collect donations, food and goods to help storm victims.
McCain - whose campaign motto is "Country First" – said helping people during an emergency will take precedence over accepting his GOP nomination for president.
My only concern is that there are very few "community organizers" at your typical Republican convention. How are all those Republicans actually going to help people if there are no professionals there to organize them?
6 Comments:
By 
clint, at
Sun Aug 31, 12:18:00 AM:
I think the idea isn't for everyone to jump on buses and head down to Louisiana. It is to turn the convention into a kind of telethon for disaster relief -- turning the RNC fundraising apparatus for a week into collecting donations (both money and goods) for the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and other similar charities.
If they can manage not to look hokey doing it, it could be an interesting contrast with Obama's message of an America of helpless victims waiting for Washington to save them. And the comparisons of "fundraising" numbers for the two parties for the week basically write themselves.
By Miss Ladybug, at
Sun Aug 31, 03:12:00 AM:
And I note that all the Gulf Coast governors - all Republicans - are staying home from the convention regardless. Depending on Gustav's ultimate path, I may see rain from it, but I thank the Lord that I don't live on the coast. My youngest sister's boyfriend left this afternoon for Corpus Christi. His mom & stepdad have a house there, on one of the canals. He hopes to go fishing Monday, but if nothing else, someone would need to board up the house should Gustav head that direction...
I'm just thankful that people are taking this seriously this time, not like they did with Katrina. I think a lot of them understand not that is CAN happen to them...
By 
, at
Sun Aug 31, 04:00:00 AM:
"How are all those Republicans actually going to help people if there are no professionals there to organize them?"
They can't. It is impossible to help anyone without a five year Harvard degree in "Helping". Princeton, as we know, offers no such degree.
By Dawnfire82, at
Sun Aug 31, 11:13:00 AM:
Once again, my folks are in the direct line of fire. Most of my family is relocating to Tyler, TX. Most, indeed, have left already. My dad called me this morning to let me know that he, too, was heading out. Fortunately, most of the trees which could smash into their houses did so already during Rita.
I expect that my sisters in law will be coming up to stay with us in the next day or so. They plan to hit the road at night to avoid the evacuation rush that turned a 4 hour trip into a 15 hour one last time.
There were no stories of looting and mass civil disturbances the last time a hurricane kicked Texas's ass, and I'm sure there won't be any this time. At the risk of sounding like a douche, Texans and Louisianans are in general different breeds of people.
By , at
Sun Aug 31, 11:24:00 AM:
That survival kit is lacking a few things, e.g., an inflatable boat and some oars, a water supply (or a water purification kit), something to keep the snakes and gators at bay, a week's supply of MREs for two. Yum.
By , at
Sun Aug 31, 05:32:00 PM:
I don't know a whole lot about how it works, but seems to me that Jindal, the republican, has taken a proactive approach to planning for the worst here. The mandatory evacuation of Nagin's brown n'olins is a good start.
I watched the press conf, and noted that the point was made of 'if you stay, expect no help', and 'if you stay, expect to be viewed as a criminal'.
No easy pickin's for the lefties this time, although we know that Bush placed a call to God on the private line to plan to hurt the downtroden and unwashed, and hedged it with a call to Satan, and all that ...
