Yikes. NO mayor Nagin just told Aaron "I don't feel overwhelmed"

[karlrschneider]

He's either nuts or a real cool customer...
:eyes:

[ohio_liberal]

1. I think he's really pissed n/t

[tsuki]

3. Probably. What was Aaron trying to do, get him to admit that he does

not have a clue, that he's as dumb as W, with leadership skills less than W? I'd be PO'd also.

[tuvor]

2. Or maybe he wants to appear like a leader.

I once had a boss who got upset if you told him you felt "overwhelmed". He felt it meant you weren't up to the task.

[chalky]

4. The man's been up...what? 36 hours straight?

He's running on fumes. So, no, I don't think he feels overwhelmed anymore. I think he's numb.

[MidnightWind]

5. If he doesn't think he's got a problem on his hands. . .

he's insane.

[ohio_liberal]

12. I don't think he's crazy

I think he knows the score very well. I think he knew the score before the hurricane even hit, but there was little he could do. And now the Feds have seriously screwed up.

[expatriate]

6. I don't know Mayor Nagin

but the impression I have gotten in watching the live feeds is that he is exhausted and busy. If nothing else, I think he would want to give the impression that he is not overwhelmed. He comes across as a pretty cool customer.

I think what he is able to do is pretty limited too. Hampered by lack of resources, communication, etc. He may be doing all he can do and concentrating on that. Some people stay pretty cool in a crisis and then crumble afterward.

[Don Claybrook]

7. He's definitely a cool customer

I've been listening to him on the wdsu feed. As the poster above says, he's very angry, but he's also very professional, competent. He has a plan, he's in charge, and he's telling the "chiefs" (federal stooges, imo) to back off. The lack of the sandbags completely changed the calculus of the whole thing, but the mayor reassessed the thing on the spot and stated that the sandbag fuckup will add 4 weeks to the water removal procedure. Moreover, he downplayed the looting, batting down a reporter's question about whether some of the fires may have been caused by looters. It sounds like this is the guy you want on your side when it all goes to hell. And it has.

Grace under pressure.

[gumby]

13. What's the sandbag thing?

Did the attempt to fix the levee breach fail? Or something else?

[Don Claybrook]

17. It failed...the helicopters were diverted to rescue missions

The mayor is pissed--at the federal government.

[gumby]

8. Heard that too,

and thought it was very strange. His city is underwater and he doesn't feel overwhelmed?

What cam he say on camera? However, that "not overwhelmed" comment was totally unbelievable. :shrug:

[Kenroy]

10. They're all overwhelmed

but it does nobody any good for leaders to say so.

[belle]

11. Probably thinks he's maintaining leadership by saying it. Really, what

is he supposed to say? "Yes, we're completely fucked, and I wish I were anywhere but here doing any other job in the world." Sometimes honesty really isn't the best policy.

[Auntie Bush]

15. Maybe he has learned something from bush* never admit you

have a problem because you are a great leader and God is on your side.

[gumby]

16. I meant no disrespect to Mayor Nagin.

I heard that comment on CNN and thought it was "strange."

But, like I wrote, what CAN he say on camera?

I wish Mayor Nagin and all the victims the very best in dealing with this horrible catastrophe.

[Neshanic]

9. Somnombulistic before the hit. He's borderline incompetent.

[Fleshdancer]

14. I can understand him saying that

he doesn't have the time to sit back and reflect right now. He's busting his ass to save the city and the people still in it. He most likely felt extremely overwhelmed before the storm hit and he'll be a wreck after the worst part is finally over. But for now, he's too busy to feel anything.

[donheld]

18. He might be too overwhelmed to know

he's overwhelmed.

[goclark]

19. At least he is THERE

Georgie Boy is in California cutting his vacation short.

* cut the funds for NO's and now people are dying.

This is the New Iraq for Bush and he does nothing,nothing!

The mayor has his hands tied from the very beginning. Bush did not give a shit because it is a Deocratic City with a BLACK Democratic mayor.

[Cleita]

20. Maybe he doesn't feel overwhelmed because

he doesn't have a whole lot of power to do anything. Usually, mayors are just figureheads who supposedly persuade people and agencies to do their bidding, but they have no power to really order things. I think though that he didn't do his job previously if he didn't try to influence both state and federal legislators into doing the best he could for NO. There was no planning really and even if there was and he didn't persuade the agencies and politicians to get him what he needed, I don't think he did his job.

[RPM]

21. what the fuck do you want him to say....

i hardly think that FDR was trying to scare people in fireside chats or that Churchill was fearmongering during the blitz.

its called leadership.