Debate What if #2: Mississippi - John - Hurt

What if they'd done the right thing and scheduled this debate in New Orleans? And then the Great Spasm happened and McCain pulled this latest stunt?

Would he have cancelled on New Orleans? Could he escape the irony of the next Republican administration leaving the city hanging? Seems like that might've given the Obama people an even riper fruit to toss at this increasingly twisted opponent. I mean, if they'd, like, fought for us or somethin'.

New N.O. Blogger on the Scene

Welcome to the internets, F. Baby.

Proposal for the Debate

Idea: why doesn't Obama say, you know what? I'll see your request to cancel our debate and go listen to Bush babble about this panic attack. But why don't we have our VP candidates debate in our place? The whole point of a VP, after all, is that he or she is prepared to step in if necessary on a moment's notice. We can stick to your format, and we'll meet up on October 2nd, the scheduled VP debate.

What do you say?

End of an Error

This is how the Bush years end: millions in Texas without power, the coast ravaged, with gas prices over $4 a gallon, Wall Street collapsing in on itself, and the fundamentalist governor of another oil state on the precipice of the presidency.

Mission accomplished.

Still waiting

Again, when are we going to demand that the Gulf South and disaster become campaign issues? While two horrendous hurricanes blow through the bottom half of the country, followed by bungled responses by the federal government in the aftermath, why has neither candidate given a major speech on recent events? Not simply a name drop of Katrina, but a real, powerful speech about what we're going to do?

Around 3am on I-10, en route to Atlanta for our Gustav hurrication, I drove past a family parked on the shoulder. The parents stood at the fender while a toddler stood on the trunk, waving her arms playfully, oblivious to the standstill, or perhaps dazzled by the headlights. There, I thought, is the future.

Obviously none of us knows what the next 8 years of America will look like. But if no one wants to step up during election time and promise to build a better FEMA and a wall of barrier islands--temporary fixes, but protection all the same--then I don't have much to say about elections, democracy, and change. Instead we get talk of pigs and lipsticks.

And here's betting that pig with lipstick gives the first speech on the subject.

That lost highway

In the saddle again. And starting next Sunday, on WTUL 91.5FM doing--dig it--the Country Show from 2pm-4pm. Streamingling online at www.wtulneworleans.com.