Let's assume Fed's response to Rita is exemplary

[BlueStateBlue]

What will that do to *s ratings?

Would people be lulled into a false sense of security?

Would they think "the resources were there all along, why didn't they SAVE those people in New Orleans???"

Let's hope their response is exemplary, then we'll see what the reaction to it is.

[alittlelark]

1. MANY sheeple have woken from their slumber

* has nowhere to go but DOWN.

[Raksha]

10. And I'll third that!

Edited to add: This was supposed to go under reply #2. Bush has nowhere to go but down.

[MadisonProgressive]

2. They'll wonder why he didn't do the same for Katrina

[BlueStateBlue]

4. That's what I think, too. n/t

[intheflow]

3. An exemplary response to Rita will be a floodlight

exposing the inequity between the two storms. Same timeline on warnings, totally different response. If it hits his home state of Texas and he responds amazingly well, it will highlight the difference even more--as in, he takes care of his own, but not poor people in states with Democratic leadership.

[BlueStateBlue]

7. I hadn't thought about the Texas factor! n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. A Floodlight to expose Floodgate

[iamjoy]

5. Nope, Dubya Will Win

and here is why, they will say the Feds can't do everything & compare the response and actions by Nagin and Blanco to those of White (Houston mayor) and Perry.

The overall response to Rita was better because local & state governments did their jobs.

[Wordie]

9. They'll say that, but will people believe it.

It seems to me that the disaster of Katrina is so overwhelming, that it will be hard to spin away. They certainly will try, however.

[Dervill Crow]

12. The simple sheeple will believe it.

The pukes with whom I work are still clueless.

[Wordie]

16. Well, yes, the Forever-Lost will never question. But I don't think * can

easily wiggle out of all that attention on his failures in Katrina. Most people will recognize that a president who probably won the election on the idea that he was the one to keep people safe, didn't.

[jean]

6. the fact will remain: New Orleans has been decimated. That will not go

away overnight even if they get an A+ on their response.

[Skink]

8. The thugs are divided and when more billions are thrown at Rita...

they will die by their own greed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. If the worst case for Rita comes to be

you are talking of a seconnd American City decimated... 600,000 houses destroyed... now how well do you think the economy will take taht, and I might remidn you the season is NOT over

[Booster]

18. I think that's true because you'd be hardpressed to find anyone

in the United States, no matter how religious they are, who doesn't have a warm spot in their heart for New Orleans just because it's so special and different. If anybody has gone to New Orleans and not enjoyed most of their trip there, then I don't want to know them.

[Carolab]

13. I'd say it depends on how much help the state & local officials get.

If FEMA is THERE and READY, why weren't they THERE and READY in NOLA?

[loudsue]

14. And don't forget Florida (Jeb's baby) before the 2004 election.

If Florida & Texas get help, and Democratic (governor) Louisiana ignored, with all the poor and black residents getting the shaft... don't tell me people won't notice!

Should this happen, we'll see how the news media spins it, but to at least 1/2 the population, the contrast will be sooooo evident!

:kick:

[spuddonna]

15. I think that people have woken up... at least a little!

If they respond spot-on to Rita, then we KNOW, they f'd up on Katrina - it was simply criminal.

If they don't respond and it's the same BS, and this hits Texas, the people of Texas are going to demand Bush's resignation!

I think though that Bush will have so many troops ready for this, since it's his adopted home, that it'll be a 'see? it was just a one time mess up!'...