Bush responding strongly to red state areas of North Carolina.

[RedCloud]

Now that a hurricane could hurt his precious voting areas in North Carolina, he has his team in there already.

This isn't like New Orleans where he let the dead pile up. They didn't vote his way, did they?

Nor is it like New york City on 9/11; 9/12; and 9/13 where he didn't show up. But they don't vote red there, do they?

It isn't even like California where he gleefully did nothing while the energy moguls price gouged. But they don't vote red there either, do they?

Anyone else see this pattern of letting the opposition suffer or even die?

I say this because I live in an area adjacent to North Carolina. When they get hit, billions of dollars roll their way despite having no major cities affected. When my major city gets rocked, it is lucky to get a million dollars.

Again, the pattern is: if you vote for me, I will shower you with money taken from all the people.

[Justice]

1. and Florida before the 2004 elections

you lay out several good examples. It would be interesting to do a study and timeline to see where and how he responded.

[napi21]

2. I believe you are right about Shrubs slant to those who vote for him,

BUT, in the NC situation, don't you think the FEDS are responding very early because someone in the WH said, "Damn it! We screwed up two weeks ago in our response to Katrina, you better NOT let it happen THIS TIME!!!

I'm only thinking rationally here. With any person, business or Gov't, if a similar situation is encountered that you screwed up on once, you're very concious not to make the same mistake again...especially if the occurrence is very soon after the first mistake!

[unless]

3. Exactly. I believe Bush's motto is....

"There's an old saying in North Carolina - I know it's in Texas, probably in North Carolina - that says, 'I screw up once, shame on - shame on you. screw up twice...uh...well, you can't screw up twice."

[zbdent]

4. "We've learned from our mistakes with Katrina, so we're responding

quickly to the dangers of Ophelia. Never mind that New Orleans was a likely Democratic area with a Dem Governor and Mayor, and that the Carolinas are generally swinging Republican. This is not about partisanship."

Yeah, right.

(For the sarcastically impaired, :sarcasm:. This was not a quote. But it's likely true . . .)

[Lex]

7. Umm . . . NC has a Dem Govenor, Lt. Gov., Atty Gen., & Legislature

and the state senator from the hard hit Wrightsville Beach area is an an out lesbian.

And the Dem Governor we have is from the Wilmington area, where the storm hit hardest.

But don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[zbdent]

16. "But the South is soooooooo Republican!"

the general theme - Dems are all "northern elite liberals".

[RedCloud]

20. The eye of the hurricane is larger than the area you say.

Hurricanes do not pursue only lesbians.

North Carolina did not go the way of its native son last presidential election.

«But don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.» What facts are you talking about? Isolated blurbs?

[Lex]

22. I wish I could understand what you are saying.

"Hurricanes do not pursue only lesbians"?

"The eye of the hurricane is larger than you say"?

:shrug:

[RedCloud]

28. The eye itself is larger than the community you said.

The eye will be moving slowly flooding the red voting counties of that area. In yesterday's DU there was a spoof about hurricanes pursuing Ellen Degeneres and Pat Robertson's attempt to blame disasters on homosexuals.

As far as that area voting in a lesbian, more power to them! But as for voting for Bush, less power to them!

My point is that the hurricane is pummeling more than just the abode of the state senator. Others who voted more for Bush will be swamped as well.

[marions ghost]

9. there are PLENTY of Democrats being affected by Ophelia

in NC. Inland flooding is especially hard on the poorer areas. The NC gov is a democrat. NC is not "swinging Republican." NC is a 50-50 state that has a lot of election corruption, skewing the razor-thin results. If the archaic election system could be cleaned up, you'd see a much bluer NC.

More to the point is that the coast of NC is a tourist goldmine and there are many vested interests keeping those fragile islands going.
Yes, a lot of those interests would be Republican, and many would not even be based in NC. So while I agree that of course there are partisan favors, let's not tar the whole state with this "red" label. NC's own emergency management systems have been improved as the area has had a lot of storm action in the last few years, and that's an important variable.

To prove your assertion, you'd need a lot more research is all I'm saying.

[gatorboy]

5. Let's not forget FEMA denying aid for California fires.

Hell, they are to blame for the fires!

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.democrats/browse_thread/thread/faeb2e2a9cae7460/8afbe3bfab843518?lnk=st&q=FEMA+california+fires&rnum=7#8afbe3bfab843518

SACRAMENTO — The Bush administration took six months to evaluate Gov. Gray Davis' emergency request last spring for $430 million to clear dead trees from fire-prone areas of Southern California.

The request was finally denied Oct. 24, only hours before wildfires roared out of control in what has become the largest fire disaster in California history.

Rep. Mary Bono (R-Palm Springs), a leader in the effort to get federal assistance for fire prevention, questioned Thursday why the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not rule sooner.

"FEMA's decision was wrong," Bono said. "The timing couldn't have been worse.... We knew this disaster was going to happen with certainty. It was only a matter of when, and we were trying to beat the clock with removing the dead trees."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[sando]

6. Red State

Don't forget LA was a red state in 2000 and 2004. Bush was their choice. It should stand as a warning to all other Red States what they will get if there are no other huge disaster's that got muffed by their boy wonder. They have to show they are on the ball right now with NC.

[Lex]

8. And NC is a red state with a Blue Governor

and Lt. Governor and Attorney General, etc.

[RedCloud]

23. But the counties hit are red!

Check it out and if the facts hit you in the face, so be it!

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/NC/P/00/index.html


It doesn't seem to link. Here you can click on North Carolina and see how the counties voted. They don't look blue to me.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/

[Lex]

32. The counties are full of poor black people who don't vote

so do they not count to you at all?

[RedCloud]

34. They do count, for sure.

I am NOT saying don't give aid. I am saying that the Prez looks a disasters as political opportunities and the voting demography shows that area gave Bush enough votes to be colored in his favor. Therefore he reacts.

Your argument has changed in nature.

[maine_raptor]

10. And don't forget

the Pentagon's base closing recommendations. Funny how a majority of those hit Blue States more than Red States.

[Julius Civitatus]

11. Of course, they're mainly WHITE there

White, Xtian fundie, Republican-voting murkans. Of course he is responding quick!

:sarcasm:

[Lex]

12. Do you even KNOW the racial make up of Pender County?

New Hanover County? Brunswick County?

These are 3 are the hardest hit counties so far.

[Julius Civitatus]

14. Lighten up.

I'm sure that if a hurricane hit the Hamptons, Bush himself would be digging through the mud within minutes of the tragedy. I don't think my sarcastic comment was too far off the realities of Bush's "response."

Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure he's very aware all eyes are on him now, and he will be responding to this hurricane faster than you can say "photo-op." No matter what.

[Lex]

19. People in my state have just been hit by a hurricane . . .

sorry if I'm not "light" enough for you today.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lex]

31. My friend, please stop ordering me to do this or that.

Thanks, much appreciated.

[Julius Civitatus]

33. Who's "ordering you" anything?

Please, chill out. Is that better?

You certainly seem to be taking things a bit too personally, sincerely.

:smoke:

[marions ghost]

15. No they are not "mainly white"

Check out this map--
http://www.ncsociology.org/south.htm#ron

The black population in NC is 22% (the national average is 12%).

The South's black population (as a percentage of total US pop) is 19%, the largest of any region, and NC is greater than that.

So saying that hurricane response in NC is about "white fundy repugs helping white fundy repugs" is ridiculous. In fact, North Carolina and Louisiana are similar in population make-up and politics.

[Julius Civitatus]

17. No, it's about Chimpy trying to make up for his major f*ck up

in NOLA. The entire planet has seen how Bush responds to emergencies, so now Karl is working overtime in the PR department. I don't expect Bush taking many vacations in the short term...

[marions ghost]

21. you did make the assertion

that NC is "mostly white" did u not? Maybe I am misunderstanding your point. Did you look at the map of US counties, showing that eastern NC is 25-40% black?

So far, it doesn't look as though B* is going to make any grandstands
or photo ops in North Carolina. Have you seen indications of that happening, JC?

[Julius Civitatus]

26. Whatever. NC is still mostly white

You certainly can't refute that:

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37000.html

According to the Census Bureau, 72.1% of NC is white. So, why saying that is apparently "wrong"? I don't get it.

But anyway, that wasn't even my point.

PS: hat par of :sarcasm: you don't understand? My post was about Bush's slow response to a tragedy that mainly affected poor black folks in NOLA.

[marions ghost]

27. NC is less white

than most other states in the US. I think I did make that point.
NC has several eastern counties that are over 40% black, and most counties are over 25% black. Whenever there is an NC hurricane, these eastern counties are most affected.

I don't understand why you would be saying this sarcastically--can you explain?

[Julius Civitatus]

30. Not really

Maybe if you compare to Nebraska, yes. The average percentage of white population in America is 75%. It's about 72% in NC. Not that much difference as far as whites go.

I'll give you the fact that NC has more blacks than other minorities (about 20%). Just about 1 in every 5 people in NC is black.

Louisiana, on the other hand, has more than 32% of African Americans. That's about one out of every three people in that state. I think there's a considerable difference between NC and LA. That is a fact. And NC is much richer and industrialized than LA. Again, you'll certainly see a big difference in the response of Bush to NC.

Nevertheless, my original comment was made in jest (all that Xtian, white stuff). Just playing with archetypes. Either you folks are particularly touchy today, or sarcasm-impaired. Chill out. Really.

[goforit]

13. This too will pronounce the racial issue even more. NC more/NO less

[RedCloud]

29. And check out how La, voted in 2004

Notice the brilliant blue in La. Then put the cursor to reveal the name. Shame on you Bush...

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/LA/P/00/index.html

[RedCloud]

18. Bush already screwed up Sept. 11th, right?

That's when he said to the effect, never again.

They may be trying to play it like,"let's do our jobs right this time around" but they have already used their get out of jail free card after Sept. 11th.

[marions ghost]

25. and just where is

your city "adjacent to North Carolina" which gets millions while NC gets "billions" in the event of a hurricane. I have some statistics that might be relevant to that argument.