Obama continues his vacation in Hawaii while Missouri drowns in flood waters

[Chomsky]

I'm curious. Where's the media outcry and criticism of President Obama continuing his vacation in Hawaii while dozens of people have died in storms this past week and thousands of people have been evacuated and dozens have lost their lives in floodwaters in Missouri?

Missouri news:

Deadly, rare winter flood slams Missouri - CBS News

Obama news:

President Obama's Hawaiian vacation continues with luau on Oahu' - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

President Bush gets slaughtered for his "flyover" of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and blamed for deaths and destruction there and President Obama enjoys playing golf and is feted with Hawaiian cuisine while Missourians suffer.

Nasty storms for sure.

But how can you equate this to Katrina taking-out a major American city?

 

[NonoBadDog]

What are you expecting him to do, exactly? Ride in with his cape and punch the water into submission?

The biggest criticism of the Bush admin during Katrina was not that Bush wasn't down in a canoe rescuing babies. It was that the FEMA operation was so inadequate and delayed that it led to tons of preventable deaths which he didn't take any action to resolve really, that the reason FEMA was so messed up in the first place was because of his idiotic appointments, that he had ignored warnings about the levies being in disrepair before the storm even happened, and that there was never really any substantial rebuilding effort when there should have been.

The criticism was never that it was somehow Bush's fault that it happened in the first place, or that he didn't have superpowers.

In Missouri, the federal government has already responded and troops been sent (likely by Obama's nod -- there is no such thing as a completely work-free vacation for a president), and operations seem to be going about as well as can be expected as of right now. We will see if it's up to snuff, and if it isn't, then criticize away.

But right now you're complaining over something completely illogical. It's horrible and tragic, but that's nature. There's nothing the president can do about nature other than respond, which he has done.

Uhh yeah, NO.
Hurricane Katrina Left a Mark on George W. Bush?s Presidency - US News
Leader: The week Bush failed America | US news | The Guardian
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/13/world/americas/13iht-katrina.html?_r=0
Rachel Maddow eviscerates the Bush administration?s incompetent Katrina response: ?A natural disaster became a manmade disaster? - Salon.com
“George Bush doesn’t care about black people�: How Kanye West's Katrina moment went down in the NBC control room.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/russert-presses-chertoff-on-katrina-failures-515291203583
http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/11/05/fox-smears-fema-by-comparing-sandy-response-to/191163

I could keep going but I am old and don't have enough time in my life to post the thousands of hits on google.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Uhh yeah, NO.
Hurricane Katrina Left a Mark on George W. Bush?s Presidency - US News
Leader: The week Bush failed America | US news | The Guardian
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/13/world/americas/13iht-katrina.html?_r=0
Rachel Maddow eviscerates the Bush administration?s incompetent Katrina response: ?A natural disaster became a manmade disaster? - Salon.com
“George Bush doesn’t care about black people�: How Kanye West's Katrina moment went down in the NBC control room.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/russert-presses-chertoff-on-katrina-failures-515291203583
http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/11/05/fox-smears-fema-by-comparing-sandy-response-to/191163

I could keep going but I am old and don't have enough time in my life to post the thousands of hits on google.

I fail to see where any of those are blaming Bush for the existence of Katrina. Did you understand what you read, here...?

 

[CanadaJohn]

Then this thread is in the wrong forum. It should be in the "Bias in the Media" forum, but from reading the posts that's really not what this is about. It's a criticism against Pres. Obama - period. So, let's not try to move the goal post.



Again, this isn't about the media. It's about Pres. Obama and every one of you anti-Obama critics have jumped on board to demonize him. At least be honest about it.



That we can agree with, but to be perfectly honest this has been a problem since the last great MS flood of 1927. It'll continue to be an area of concern and a big problem as long as people live around big waterways.



See! :shock: You're not fooling anybody but yourself. :2wave:

Gee - talk about having a set narrative - this thread is in the Bias in the Media forum and you even got that part wrong. Carry on.

 

[CanadaJohn]

And the only thing the media can do about it is cover the story. Of course, it might help if they reported on any state or federal disaster relief efforts that are ongoing. That notwithstanding, your bias is very evident.

No, the media bias is evident. President Bush, following Katrina, was slaughtered in the media for not immediately ending his August vacation in Crawford Texas and returning to the White House. Two days later, when the flooding became apparent and catastrophic, he cut his vacation short and flew back on Air Force One to Washington and on the way the plane flew over the disaster area so the President could get an aerial view of the situation. The media, on Air Force One, took a picture of President Bush looking out one of the plane's windows at the ground below and established a narrative that the President wasn't concerned about the situation and only flew over. They juxtaposed his look out the window with people standing on houses waiting to be rescued.

I still haven't seen any similar media clamouring for President Obama to cut his vacation short to return to Washington to deal with the situation nor any pictures of President Obama on the golf course juxtaposed with people in Missouri in distress. More than 20 people have died in the flooding in Missouri alone - over 50 total in the area - and that number could rise substantially and there are well over a million people affected in the area, far more than in New Orleans. It appears, however, that local officials in Missouri were and are better prepared for the situation and have evacuation plans. The people of New Orleans were left with an incompetent Democrat Mayor and an incompetent Democrat Governor who both did precious little before and after the advent of Katrina hitting land and the media immediately and completely went to President Bush to lay blame for the disaster and the deaths. That's media bias.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Seeing how partisan some people are, and in their eyes no matter what Obama does, or doesn't do is 'wrong' I'm a little surprised some hacks aren't blaming Obama for the rain that's causing the floods.

No - George W Bush is responsible for the weather - get you facts straight. :roll:

 

[CanadaJohn]

All of our recent presidents have been subjected to this kind of attack, this has nothing to do with Obama or that he is a D. Unknown is how many people are aware enough to know that the President cancelling his vacay would be useless, hopefully almost everyone but Americans tend to be stupid so I would not want to put any money on that,

That's the basis of this thread - the media should know and the media should be informing the public of such. However, President Bush got crucified in the media for something beyond his control and for something he was not responsible for preparing against and President Obama gets a pass in the media. That's media bias.

The underlying issues aren't the subject of this thread - the media's handling of each is the issue.

 

[CanadaJohn]

nagin had ZERO authority to designate evacuation points beyond the borders of new orleans
which is (only one reason) why the shrub's FEMA is found to have dropped the ball; something we do not see happening in response to the present flood disaster

being without a destination, what do you tell the bus drivers; head north and dump the passengers out in an open field?
having no federal assistance in the evacuation resulted in the superdome becoming the default local shelter

I don't think you've mentioned Governor Blanco once in your comments in this thread. You simply absolve Mayor Nagin of any responsibility and jump straight to blaming President Bush. You are aware, aren't you, that there is a Governor in Louisiana and what a Governor's responsibilities are for preparing for and managing such crises, right?

 

[CanadaJohn]

In the state of Nevada we pay far more in taxes than we get. Since you're Canadian I'm not surprised that you're ignorant on how federal outlays work in this country.

Of course, you didn't answer the question because the answer would embarrass you and destroy your narrative. So instead, as is the norm here on DP, you attack my nationality. Well done.

 

[CanadaJohn]

As someone who has worked national disaster I can assure you the last thing the emergency workers need or want is high level politicians in the area.

Not the point of the thread, but thanks anyway.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Nasty storms for sure.

But how can you equate this to Katrina taking-out a major American city?

I'm not equating the events - this thread is equating the media's response to the President at the time, both being on vacation at the time the events took place. The flooding in Missouri and surrounding areas is affecting well over 1 million people, many who've been evacuated and/or cut off from leaving. We don't know, at this time, how severe it's going to be before it's over. The death toll isn't near the same because local officials were better prepared and organized. The lack of preparedness by the Democrat Mayor of New Orleans and the Democrat Governor of Louisiana was laid in the lap of President Bush by the media and that narrative grew with many claiming that President Bush hated black people and didn't care how many people died in New Orleans.

That's the media bias I'm pointing out.

 

[CanadaJohn]

I fail to see where any of those are blaming Bush for the existence of Katrina. Did you understand what you read, here...?

You blamed President Bush yourself, in this thread, saying that he knew the levees wouldn't hold and he did nothing to fix them. Don't run away from your idiocy now.

 

[Fletch]

I don't think you've mentioned Governor Blanco once in your comments in this thread. You simply absolve Mayor Nagin of any responsibility and jump straight to blaming President Bush. You are aware, aren't you, that there is a Governor in Louisiana and what a Governor's responsibilities are for preparing for and managing such crises, right?

Its amazing that after 10 years, liberals keep lying about Katrina. It just shows how its really not possible to have an honest discussion with a liberal on virtually any topic. I remember talk of a major hurricane swamping New Orleans 30 years ago. They had decades to prepare for what everyone knew was a disaster waiting to happen. It was the responsibility of state and local officials to prepare for this type of emergency. What were the real problems after Katrina? A poor evacuation plan left tens of thousands trapped in football and basketball arenas with no food, water, power or security. Whos responsibility was it to provide for those things? The LOCAL government leaders. So the failure began and ended there. But since those elected officials were corrupt and incompetent liberals, the media and the left put the blame elsewhere.

Once the disaster happened, there was no way to get in relief supplies in a timely manner. I had a buddy who took a truckload of generators down to Mississippi a few days after the storm. If I remember right, there was no power anywhere south of Atlanta. The nearer you got to the point of impact the worse the conditions became--roads were impassable due to debris and flooding and lack of power made it impossible to refuel the truck.

The point is, it is the responsibility of local officials to prepare for an event like this because the federal government isn't going to fly in on magic carpets to rescue everyone. Had the survivors had adequate food, water, power, medical supplies and police protection, Katrina would not have been an issue at all. It is an issue because local officials (who happen to have been democrats) failed miserably and the lying left, even 10 years later, is still covering for their incompetence.

 

[Moderate Right]

Realizing that this forum and thread is about bias in the media and it is so true, I would like to say that neither Bush nor Obama or any other president should take a hit on being on vacation during a natural disaster happening in some part of the country. I remember an interview with Ronald Reagan once where he was questioned about taking so many vacations on his California ranch and he got disgusted at the reporter and blurted out, "Presidents don't get vacations. All they get is a change of scenery.". Presidents work 24/7, 365 days a year, sometimes 366.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

You blamed President Bush yourself, in this thread, saying that he knew the levees wouldn't hold and he did nothing to fix them. Don't run away from your idiocy now.

I haven't run from anything. I've put forward that there were numerous ways he could have handled this information positively, even on short notice, and chose to do none of them. In fact, he actively crippled the organization that should have done so.

And your response was to stamp your feet.

 

[blackjack50]

they would have been better off having an evacuation destination
instead of having to remain in new orleans because there was not one

So you admit that remaining was not a good idea? So tell me. Why should they have stayed? You have a good reason?

 

[CanadaJohn]

Realizing that this forum and thread is about bias in the media and it is so true, I would like to say that neither Bush nor Obama or any other president should take a hit on being on vacation during a natural disaster happening in some part of the country. I remember an interview with Ronald Reagan once where he was questioned about taking so many vacations on his California ranch and he got disgusted at the reporter and blurted out, "Presidents don't get vacations. All they get is a change of scenery.". Presidents work 24/7, 365 days a year, sometimes 366.

Absolutely right. I wouldn't have posted this thread but for the media treatment of President Bush back in 2005.

 

[CanadaJohn]

I haven't run from anything. I've put forward that there were numerous ways he could have handled this information positively, even on short notice, and chose to do none of them. In fact, he actively crippled the organization that should have done so.

And your response was to stamp your feet.

Again, nonsense. Not stamping my feet - just shaking my head at your utter ignorance of the issues and situation.

According to your logic, we can also say that President Obama knew or should have known that catastrophic rains and rising water levels in the Mississippi flood plains would cause deaths and serious destruction of property and he did nothing. He is totally responsible for what happened the past week in Missouri.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Again, nonsense. Not stamping my feet - just shaking my head at your utter ignorance of the issues and situation.

According to your logic, we can also say that President Obama knew or should have known that catastrophic rains and rising water levels in the Mississippi flood plains would cause deaths and serious destruction of property and he did nothing. He is totally responsible for what happened the past week in Missouri.

Yes, you are. You are making a completely baseless claim and supporting it with nothing. You thought responding with one word was somehow a refutation.

Obama didn't cripple or neglect to deploy his own response team, so no. He has done what he was supposed to do, thus far.

Beyond that, unusual, freak natural events can't be accounted for. Hurricanes on the coast, which have happened every single year since forever, can be. That's why pre-existing infrastructure accounts for one and not the other.

 

[upsideguy]

I'm not equating the events - this thread is equating the media's response to the President at the time, both being on vacation at the time the events took place. The flooding in Missouri and surrounding areas is affecting well over 1 million people, many who've been evacuated and/or cut off from leaving. We don't know, at this time, how severe it's going to be before it's over. The death toll isn't near the same because local officials were better prepared and organized. The lack of preparedness by the Democrat Mayor of New Orleans and the Democrat Governor of Louisiana was laid in the lap of President Bush by the media and that narrative grew with many claiming that President Bush hated black people and didn't care how many people died in New Orleans.

That's the media bias I'm pointing out.

Its NOT media bias if the media is not attacking Obama for ending his vacation over a normal bad storm but crucified Bush for a tardy and inept response to a mega storm that killed nearly 2000 people. The storms are not remotely comparable, therefore the appropriate response is not remotely comparable, therefore the media interest in the story is not remotely comparable. You are looking for outrage in all the wrong places.

This is not remotely evidence of media bias as the core subject is lame. Tell us something interesting.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Yes, you are. You are making a completely baseless claim and supporting it with nothing. You thought responding with one word was somehow a refutation.

Obama didn't cripple or neglect to deploy his own response team, so no. He has done what he was supposed to do, thus far.

Beyond that, unusual, freak natural events can't be accounted for. Hurricanes on the coast, which have happened every single year since forever, can be. That's why pre-existing infrastructure accounts for one and not the other.

I posted references that indicated the levees in New Orleans were under evaluation since 2000 at the time that Katrina hit in 2005 and that the engineers reviewing them indicated it would take 20 to 25 years to upgrade the system of levees to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. You, on the other hand, posted a self serving opinion that Bush should have fixed them as if he were Moses and could wave his hand and miraculously it would be done but he selfishly chose not to.

There was preexisting levee infrastructure in New Orleans and there is preexisting levee infrastructure along the Mississippi - both were inadequate for the situation that developed. In one, you blame President Bush for not being a miracle worker, in the other you absolve Obama of any responsibility. That's complete hypocrisy, but not unexpected.

You imply that Bush failed to respond to requests from New Orleans/Louisiana for pre-storm assistance yet present zero evidence to back up your claim.

Here's evidence to the contrary:

Blanco Refused To Act... Governor?s Indecision Cost Precious Time

Just before midnight on August 26, three days before Katrina was to make landfall, Kathleen Blanco received a phone call from George Bush. The president had been through a series of briefings from Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin and knew the potential dangers to New Orleans and the surrounding area from a storm the size of Katrina. Now he was attempting to convince the Governor of Louisiana that she needed to take immediate action.

His pleas fell on deaf ears. It seemed that the Governor was more concerned with the legalities of accepting federal assistance, and the appearance that her office could not handle the emergency.

Despite Governor Blanco’s reluctance to coordinate the state’s efforts with federal assistance, President Bush declared a state of emergency for Louisiana two full days before Katrina hit the Louisiana coast. The move allowed FEMA to begin staging relief supplies for immediate distribution in New Orleans once the storm had passed.

The president's emergency declaration also allowed FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and to provide appropriate assistance in a number of Louisiana parishes. All that was left to do was wait for Kathleen Blanco to request Federal assistance. Under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which was revised after 9/11, the Federal Government and FEMA are not allowed to interfere with local operations unless they are authorized by state and local leaders.

Meanwhile Blanco had her own advisors insisting that the President was actually making a request for federal takeover of the Louisiana National Guard, and asking to put Louisiana State Police under federal control. They were concerned that this would be the same as martial law and lead to abuse of power by the federal government.

Your attempts to make President Bush a villain here are as much without merit as the media's biased yet successful attempt to lay all the blame at his feet and fool an ignorant American public.

 

[jonny5]

Pretty easy.

Is there a meaningful federal response at this point in the crisis?

Yes, there is. We don't know how it'll go yet, but there is.

That alone means that, so far, Obama has done better than Bush did, and avoided the things for which Bush was criticised.

We will see how it goes in the coming days and weeks, and the legitimacy of criticism may change in that time. But right now, the media has nothing to report on; objectively, there is a response, which is one better than Bush did by this point.

How do we know there is a meaningful response if the media doesnt hold democrat executive as accountable as republicans?

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

How do we know there is a meaningful response if the media doesnt hold democrat executive as accountable as republicans?

You're basing this question on a baseless belief that somehow the media are all in some kind of conspiracy together. It's not even worth addressing because no matter what answer I give you, your conspiracy theorism will persist.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

I posted references that indicated the levees in New Orleans were under evaluation since 2000 at the time that Katrina hit in 2005 and that the engineers reviewing them indicated it would take 20 to 25 years to upgrade the system of levees to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. You, on the other hand, posted a self serving opinion that Bush should have fixed them as if he were Moses and could wave his hand and miraculously it would be done but he selfishly chose not to.

There was preexisting levee infrastructure in New Orleans and there is preexisting levee infrastructure along the Mississippi - both were inadequate for the situation that developed. In one, you blame President Bush for not being a miracle worker, in the other you absolve Obama of any responsibility. That's complete hypocrisy, but not unexpected.

You imply that Bush failed to respond to requests from New Orleans/Louisiana for pre-storm assistance yet present zero evidence to back up your claim.

Here's evidence to the contrary:

Blanco Refused To Act... Governor?s Indecision Cost Precious Time

Just before midnight on August 26, three days before Katrina was to make landfall, Kathleen Blanco received a phone call from George Bush. The president had been through a series of briefings from Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin and knew the potential dangers to New Orleans and the surrounding area from a storm the size of Katrina. Now he was attempting to convince the Governor of Louisiana that she needed to take immediate action.

His pleas fell on deaf ears. It seemed that the Governor was more concerned with the legalities of accepting federal assistance, and the appearance that her office could not handle the emergency.

Despite Governor Blanco’s reluctance to coordinate the state’s efforts with federal assistance, President Bush declared a state of emergency for Louisiana two full days before Katrina hit the Louisiana coast. The move allowed FEMA to begin staging relief supplies for immediate distribution in New Orleans once the storm had passed.

The president's emergency declaration also allowed FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and to provide appropriate assistance in a number of Louisiana parishes. All that was left to do was wait for Kathleen Blanco to request Federal assistance. Under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which was revised after 9/11, the Federal Government and FEMA are not allowed to interfere with local operations unless they are authorized by state and local leaders.

Meanwhile Blanco had her own advisors insisting that the President was actually making a request for federal takeover of the Louisiana National Guard, and asking to put Louisiana State Police under federal control. They were concerned that this would be the same as martial law and lead to abuse of power by the federal government.

Your attempts to make President Bush a villain here are as much without merit as the media's biased yet successful attempt to lay all the blame at his feet and fool an ignorant American public.

All you have done is show that he was trying to pawn off his own responsibilities, in the case of such major disasters. You're simply proving my point.

It is simply false that FEMA provided appropriate assistance. It borders on delusion to claim such and is disrespectful to the endless dead caused by their incompetence.

 

[justabubba]

No - George W Bush is responsible for the weather - get you facts straight. :roll:

no
but he WAS responsible for the federal response to the disaster
or in this case, the absence of adequate response

no one is asserting that dubya caused the storm
only contributed to the **** storm aftermath by his administration's lack of response

and we do not see that shortcoming in the present midwest disaster response
hence the difference in media attention