Louisiana Floods: Trump Shows Up, Clinton Tweets, And President Obama Does What He Does Best
[guest post by Dana]
Today found Donald Trump and Mike Pence in Louisiana where residents welcomed them to their flooded and ravaged state. Trump spent several hours talking to residents, passing out food and supplies, and encouraging those who lost their homes to the flood. It was a smart move by the campaign. The optics were great, and his presence effectively highlighted the notable absences of Hillary Clinton and President Obama.
Amusingly, given how the front page of the New York Times and the Washington Post are continually littered with Trump stories of a particular sort, this one didn’t make the front-page cut.
Trump’s visit comes on the heels of a blistering editorial by Baton Rouge’s newspaper, The Advocate. The editors took President Obama to task for his hypocrisy, and for failing to visit the state in its time of need:
Now that the flood waters ravaging Louisiana are receding, it’s time for President Barack Obama to visit the most anguished state in the union.
Last week, as torrential rains brought death, destruction and misery to Louisiana, the president continued his vacation at Martha’s Vineyard, a playground for the posh and well-connected.
We’ve seen this story before in Louisiana, and we don’t deserve a sequel. In 2005, a fly-over by a vacationing President George W. Bush became a symbol of official neglect for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The current president was among those making political hay out of Bush’s aloofness.
[Flashback, 1964: Listen to phone conversation between Sen. Russell Long and President Johnson as the senator begs for the president’s help.]
Sometimes, presidential visits can get in the way of emergency response, doing more harm than good. But we don’t see that as a factor now that flood waters are subsiding, even if at an agonizing pace. It’s past time for the president to pay a personal visit, showing his solidarity with suffering Americans.
Like his predecessors, Obama has no doubt discovered that crises keep their own calendar, even when commanders-in-chief are trying to take some time off the clock. It’s an inconvenience of the presidency, but it’s what chief executives sign up for when they take the oath of office.
And if the president can interrupt his vacation for a swanky fundraiser for fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, as he did on Monday, then surely he can make time to show up for a catastrophe that’s displaced thousands.
…
The optics of Obama golfing while Louisiana residents languished in flood waters was striking. It evoked the precedent of the passive federal response to the state’s agony in 2005, a chapter of history no one should ever repeat.
Coincidentally, the White House announced this afternoon that President Obama would be visiting the state on Tuesday. After his vacation officially ends:
“The President is mindful of the impact that his travel has on first responders and wants to ensure that his presence does not interfere with ongoing recovery efforts,” the White House said.
“He is also eager to get a first-hand look at the impact of the devastating floods, hear from more officials about the response, including how the federal government can assist and tell the people of Louisiana that the American people will be with them as they rebuild their community and come back stronger than ever,” the White House said.
Oh, how it must have stung for someone as arrogant and smug as President Obama to be shown up by the likes of Donald Trump.
Interestingly, and also coincidentally, there is a big 70th birthday bash planned for Bill Clinton tonight on Martha’s Vineyard. Exactly where President Obama is currently vacationing and fundraising for Hillary.
As for Hillary, she has nothing on her official schedule until Monday. But lest you think she doesn’t give a rip about the crisis in Louisiana, she tweeted her concern . But even she realized that was a really lame effort, especially in light of Trump making an actual visit to the devastated region, so she upped the ante and published a Facebook post as well.
ADDED: That time Obama criticized President Bush for surveying the Katrina’s destruction from a plane and not on the ground:
We can talk about levees that couldn’t hold, a FEMA that seemed not just incompetent but paralyzed and powerless, about a president who only saw the people from the window of an airplane instead of down here on the ground.”
This from the White House media pool:
At 11:25 am on this bright clear day, the motorcade was on the move. We passed a few walkers and bikers who waved as the president went by.
At 11:40 am, POTUS arrived at Farm Neck Golf Club.
–Dana
Hello.
Dana (995455) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:24 pmThanks for this Dana. Obama does what he does best which is lead from behind and allow the media to cover for him while proclaiming his “leadership. ”
I don’t think even the Soviets had it as good with Pravda as the left does in this country with the media.
njrob (126a79) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:26 pmmaybe if someone let loose gators on larry david’s golf course, he would have reacted sooner,
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:27 pmbgates a frequent commenter in many places, use to put words in kim jong il’s mouth:
‘why can’t I have this kind of coverage’
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:29 pmCan I just eat my waffles?
TFG was checked out when Nasville flooded as well.
Speaking of, that’s the only time I’ve ever seen a Waffle House shut down.
Pinandpuller (928ad9) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:37 pmbezos is actually worse than carlos slim’s and it has been on a number of stories,
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:40 pmhttps://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/08/19/shhhh-cnn-accidentally-stumbled-upon-and-broadcasts-donald-trump-supply-donation-to-louisiana/
mg (31009b) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:43 pmHow much will Obama’s indolence stick to Hillary?
Obama’s golfing, Hillary’s taking two days off and Trump’s in the mission field.
Pinandpuller (0845e7) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:43 pmYou can tell just by looking at that photo that Barack really is a lefty … and that he’s been one his entire life!
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:44 pmI’m surprised that Glenn Beck and his bff aren’t handing out soccer balls.
Pinandpuller (a12946) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:47 pmA flood like that is gonna really bring out the mosquitoes. I wonder if Obama has some Zika information that is being kept under wraps and maybe that’s why he doesnt want to go there?
Jcurtis (8d990d) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:48 pmMosquitos need stagnant water. Trump is being smart going there before the waters quiet down and the mosquitos have time to breed.
But let’s be realistic. Wouldn’t the country be better off if Obama stayed on vacation until January 20?
nk (dbc370) — 8/19/2016 @ 6:57 pmI think I did spot a piece on the inside section,
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:02 pmnobody gayer than kanye
nobody
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:04 pmkanye on that penis like a chicken on a cheeto
floodwaters be dayumed
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:08 pmKanye West is with Trump in Louisiana?
nk (dbc370) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:11 pmno kanye is just superlatively gay
wherever he be
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:13 pmBut let’s be realistic. Wouldn’t the country be better off if Obama stayed on vacation until January 20?
Like the dialogue in Fiddler on the Roof
Villager: Is there a blessing for the czar?
kishnevi (d99923) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:14 pmRabbi: A blessing for the czar? Of course there is…..May G-d bless and keep the Czar…far away from us.
Greetings:
I found it interesting how quickly the media, and even Louisiana’s Governor (D) got behind the “Sometimes, presidential visits can get in the way of emergency response, doing more harm than good.” theme of the day.
But then I had a father who taught me that there’s a difference between a reason and an excuse. An excuse, he would intone, is a bad reason.
11B40 (6abb5c) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:23 pmit’s almost as if they were reading from the same script, naw that would never happen, whether you call it journolist or grapevine,
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:28 pmNobody does arrogant quite as well as Obama.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:33 pmFour years from now, what’s the over under for girls named ‘Zika’ in each preschool class?
Pinandpuller (0845e7) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:36 pmWe cannot argue with that, 11B40. Obama does do more harm than good, everywhere and in everything. He is our chicken that came home to roost.
nk (dbc370) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:36 pm19.
There is however some truth to the claim.
After Wilma came through, the three most important things to find were operational grocery stores, operational gas stations, and FPL repair trucks. Politicians would be far down the list.
But Trump deserves credit at least for bringing donations with him. I’m sure Obama and Hillary will merely bring a list of FEMA offices.
kishnevi (d99923) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:42 pmthis event reminds of the no name storm of 2000, if you recall kish, caused significant flooding,
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:45 pmNobody does arrogant quite as well as Kanye on an unsatisfactory-seeming penis.
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:49 pmDidn’t Obama promise that if he was elected the waters would begin to recede?
Pinandpuller (c16705) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:53 pmno
obama promised that kanye would do hot and ready lip service on disappointed-with-life new orleans penises
and also the waters would recede or whatever
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:55 pmyou seem a little obsessed pikachu, as a musician, he’s a hack, who should be on minute 14:59
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:02 pmyeah u got ur finger on the pulse
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:06 pm25. Barely. Of course the main street in my neighborhood can become a small pond after a normal summer storm.
kishnevi (d99923) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:09 pmWhy isn’t President Bush doing something about the flooding?
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:14 pm#27 Pinandpuller,
I think the actual promise he made back in 2008 was that the waters would begin to recede after he finished playing his last round of golf on Martha’s Vineyard.
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:16 pmhappyfeet, you really got to get that randomizer implant looked at.
nk (dbc370) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:32 pmAs for Hillary, she has nothing on her official schedule until Monday.
Forget about Obama’s response.
Focus on her.
Look closely into her face on television (if you can stomach it.) Watch her eyes move. Even her gait. Compare it to images from the last campaign. Or last year. Something isn’t quite right. It’s subtle. But it’s there. And there’s a reason she takes all this time off we’re not being told.
But of course, the 1960 Kennedy campaign insisted their ‘vigorous’ candidate, JFK, absolutely, positively did not have Addison’s Disease and any rumor of same was a lie, lie, lie.
To quote a one-time presidential candidate from Texas, “Oops!”
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:32 pmpositronic relays are hard to come by with the palladium shortage,
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:34 pmi hate me sum kanye
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:43 pmNot going to La. is one of what will become several passive-agressive sabotagings of the HRC campaign by Obama. Probably still indignant of the fetch our coffee remark. The real humdinger is when he emerges from a mosque or is seen walking from a prayer rug to the oval office dais on November 4.
urbanleftbehind (878daf) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:44 pmYou know, the only Kardashian I knew of was the one in the O.J. case, until I started visiting this site. Got to take the good with the bad, I guess.
nk (dbc370) — 8/19/2016 @ 8:45 pm39. The good would be Kourtney and Kendall, but the other 3 are hazas.
urbanleftbehind (878daf) — 8/19/2016 @ 9:11 pmI meant stuff you learn at Patterico’s. The Kardashians, and I include West and Jenner, are mental pollution.
nk (dbc370) — 8/19/2016 @ 9:14 pmAnd they cancelled that freakshow, that’s the good news, the bad news it took two years.
narciso (732bc0) — 8/19/2016 @ 9:26 pmI expect countless articles about how Trump’s trip to Louisiana caused problems.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 8/19/2016 @ 9:46 pm“Balls”
I’ve been shanked
I’ve been sliced
In the woods
Not takin’ calls
I ain’t askin’ for much
I said Lar’ take my drivin’
I’m just looking for my balls
I’ve played bad
I’ve played good
Martha’s Vineyard
Hollywood
I ain’t askin’for much
I said Lar’ take drivin’
I’m just lookin’ for my balls
Pinandpuller (0845e7) — 8/19/2016 @ 9:49 pm* me drivin’
Shanked that twice myself.
Pinandpuller (a12946) — 8/19/2016 @ 9:54 pmAdded: I’ve updated with post with an old video clip of Obama criticizing President Bush for his lack of engagement during Katrina. Particularly about surveying the damaging from up in the air.
Also, a quote from the White House press pool about the president’s schedule.
Dana (995455) — 8/19/2016 @ 10:30 pmI’m listening to classical music, 101.1WRR fm Dallas, having glass of wine, thinking how wonderful it is that we get to vote for least worse arsehole in America. Democracy!
I know. I know. Secession is a settled issue. And as a practical matter it can’t work. But, still…
Steve57 (41f53d) — 8/19/2016 @ 11:12 pm47.I’m listening to classical music, 101.1WRR fm Dallas, having glass of wine, thinking how wonderful it is that we get to vote for least worse arsehole in America. Democracy!
Ted isn’t on the ballot. But feel free to write him in. Ah. Democracy! Drink up.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/20/2016 @ 12:47 amNot only is Odama a snivelling putz, he is also a terrible golfer…
champ (56cd04) — 8/20/2016 @ 7:43 amI found it interesting how quickly the media, and even Louisiana’s Governor (D) got behind the “Sometimes, presidential visits can get in the way of emergency response, doing more harm than good.” theme of the day.
11B40 (6abb5c) — 8/19/2016 @ 7:23 pm
It worked for Bush.
AZ Bob (d6a3a9) — 8/20/2016 @ 8:15 amBarack was for Presidential leadership by Presidents before he was against it.
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 8/20/2016 @ 8:27 amActually it didn’t they nearly boiled him in oil.
narciso (732bc0) — 8/20/2016 @ 8:33 am“Not only is Odama a snivelling putz, he is also a terrible golfer…”
That is a terrible finish to a golf swing. You’d think he would be better by now.
Mike K (90dfdc) — 8/20/2016 @ 8:35 amAnd the worst part is that our free “neutral” press completely goes along with him. As in the WaPo saying Obama doesn’t like to make political theater out of tragedies. R-i-i-i-i-ght.
Patricia (5fc097) — 8/20/2016 @ 8:39 amThe Washington Post was for presidential leadership by Presidents before they were against it.
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 8/20/2016 @ 8:59 amthank you Mr. Trump for bringing truth and hope to Louisiana when nobody else would
if you wanna help too Convoy of Hope is a good choice they’re an excellent and committed organization not sketchy like the Red Cross
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/20/2016 @ 10:21 amNo they werent, they just has to cover Blanco and nagin’s malpractice.
narciso (b863a7) — 8/20/2016 @ 10:22 amMy favorite story from yesterday was Hillary Clinton throwing Colin Powell under the bus. That’s the thanks he gets for supporting Obama.
I am sure Powell told her to put a private server in her house. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
AZ Bob (d6a3a9) — 8/20/2016 @ 10:32 amcolin powell’s a sleazy racist wad
his coward ass should be under all the buses i think
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/20/2016 @ 10:41 amThat is the story Joe conason,an even lower renfield than sid, conjured up.
narciso (b863a7) — 8/20/2016 @ 10:45 amObama is practicing with his woods for a trip to Louisiana.
The water hazards there represent a once in a lifetime Potus golfing experience.
PTS (ce7fc3) — 8/20/2016 @ 11:01 amThe ‘logistics’ of simply getting the nation’s own Chief Executive to and from places in his own country is no excuse. We’ve paid for planes and cars and radios and every other widget necessary to make access and travel easier, not harder.
The ‘system’ they’ve put in place to manage it gets in its own way.
Presidents manage to get to Broadway plays and talk shows in congested midtown Manhattan as well as TV studios in busy Los Angeles; find their way to McDonald’s and rib joints… manage to shop for their kids at the holidays and so on… even fly into war zones overnight to visit troops halfway across the world. Christ, even Nixon managed to pick up a phone, order a car and be driven to the Lincoln Memorial in the middle of the night — and banter amidst anti-war protesters.
Saying it is too complex to get the President around is just plain bogus. All he as to say is I want to be there in X-hours. Make it happen.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/20/2016 @ 12:41 pmDidn’t this clown purchase, with our money of course, two big friggin’ multi million dollar buses from Canada earlier in his tenure? Where are they? This is what they were for n’est-ce pas? Where exactly do all the “toys” go that we buy for these elite pigs go when they’re done screwin’ with them?
Rev. Hoagie® (0f4ef6) — 8/20/2016 @ 1:39 pmnevertrump wants four more years of this but with a diseased stinkypig instead of a bulimic pothead
i can’t even belieber it
happyfeet (28a91b) — 8/20/2016 @ 1:52 pm@58- My favorite story from yesterday was Hillary Clinton throwing Colin Powell under the bus…
Ba-THUMPA- indeed.
Pretty bogus, too. Email and web access was much more limited and ‘primitive’ in Powell’s tenure than HRC’s. Like comparing a DC-3 to a 747. And it stinks of what your Mommy would remind you, too: “So, if everybody else jumped off a bridge, you would too?”
There’s something not quite right with her. Literally. Watch the eyes. Look closely into her face on TV. Even her gait seems off, compared to last year or the last campaign in ’08. It’s subtle, but it’s there. There’s more to these periods of ‘time off’ than the electorate is being told.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/20/2016 @ 1:56 pmGreetings, happyfeet: ( @ #64 (28a91b) — 8/20/2016 @ 1:52 pm )
And bulimic pothead is not easy to do.
11B40 (6abb5c) — 8/20/2016 @ 5:58 pm53. “That is a terrible finish to a golf swing. You’d think he would be better by now”
Yeah, what is with that limp-wristed finish to his swing? Did he learn that from Reggie Love?
champ (56cd04) — 8/20/2016 @ 6:45 pmyes, he spends more time with clubs than tiger, maybe he’s just a terrible golfer, the carlos slim piece wasn’t too bad all told, but it was buried inside the paper, if it was say john edwards, that story would be on the first page, if not above the fold,
narciso (732bc0) — 8/20/2016 @ 6:57 pmToo bad there isn’t a Senior LPGA tour for him to join when he leaves the house built by slaves
Skip (043e3c) — 8/21/2016 @ 3:18 pmMebbe someone should ask him, Skip!
Yeah.
Steve57 (41f53d) — 8/21/2016 @ 11:02 pmI am both the “Sexy European” and “Black is beautiful.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZlJ4UvQhww
I burned through a lot of cars, Coronello. My first was a Ranchero.
Steve57 (41f53d) — 8/21/2016 @ 11:40 pmI do care. Although I’m on my third chainsaw, digging Louisiana o8tta this.
This s**t really has to stop.
Steve57 (41f53d) — 8/22/2016 @ 12:07 amI am on my third pawn shop chain saw.
Steve57 (41f53d) — 8/22/2016 @ 12:17 amApparently I was just being silly.
http://www.lowpriceshopper.com/reconditioned-saws/search
The subsidized fun can last for freaking ever.
Steve57 (41f53d) — 8/22/2016 @ 12:28 am