re: #178 cliffster

Because it was highly visible, Cliffster. I’m trying to explain to Reine why some people do have such a strong impression that the feds— and Bush— fucked up.

I don’t think that Brown had that large of an effect. However, he was head of FEMA, and he was highly visible— flailing— during the disaster. This gave the impression to a lot of people that he was actually screwing things up— which, again, I don’t believe was the case, and I’ve said as much to many people. And I’m saying it again now.

But, since he was plastered all over the news, and since Bush unwisely complimented him, it fixates a lot of people. It was a Dukakis-in-the-tank moment. It had no real significance, but it created an indelible impression.

I’m mentioning it in the context of helping Reine understand the perception of the event on a national level.

Is that the only thing I said that you object to?

You know, I really spend almost no time ‘bashing’ Bush. At all. I doubt you could find three examples of me doing so. Because Bush isn’t president anymore, and I don’t find it useful to heap criticism on him. So it’s a little weird that you’re treating me as though I have some compulsion to criticize him.