The media has begun their flailing attempt to somehow equate the Administration's response to Katrina.
Shadow of Hurricane Katrina Hangs Over Obama After Spill
There’s a world of difference between the impact of an oil spill and a deadly hurricane. And the White House hopes it stays that way.
Perception can quickly become reality, especially with an adversarial media that uses Drudge as their assignment reporter.
I have a very simple question that I would be interested in hearing everyone's take on. Should the President attend WH Correspondent's Dinner and risk a potential image like this?
IMPORTANT NOTE: A Presidential visit to the impacted area has been announced for the next 48 hours.
The NYT article already begins to try to make the case that there is danger.
The fact that Mr. Obama has no plans to visit the Gulf Coast in the next few days has already raised the eyebrows of some administration critics, in particular as it relates to the president’s plans this weekend. He is scheduled to attend the high-wattage, celebrity-studded White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night, which CNN has been promising, in hourly promos, that it will broadcast live starting at 7 p.m. with dispatches from the red carpet.
For Mr. Obama, the potential political fallout "is going to be aggravated by the fact that the president traditionally gives a humorous speech," said Martha Kumar, a political science professor at Towson University. "There you are in Washington with celebrities and the media while wildlife and fishermen are doused in oil? That’s not going to do much for the White House or for the press, for that matter."
The Administration has just announced the President will visit the spill zone within the next 48 hours. This is a great mitigation strategy and I believe essential. Hopefully, that will be enough.
Jason Linkins has a great take on the ridiculous Katrina comparisons that are in their infant stages.
Oh, hey! Apparently, this massive oil spill in the Gulf Coast is now somehow "Obama's Katrina?" That's the tatty little bit of agitprop that Matt Drudge -- who I'm not entirely sure ever talked about "Bush's Katrina" -- is regurgitating into the mouths of pliable media organs. It all sort of makes sense, if your thinking is: "Gulf Coast" plus "bad thing happening" plus ("government response" minus "secret magic powers they are supposed to have over the elements") multiplied by "Whatever, it's a slow news day otherwise" equals "Katrina ZOMG!"
I'm watching a bunch of guys in hardhats on the teevee at this very moment working hard at managing the oil spill, and am reliably informed that the proper authorities have been busy trying to contain the damage. And, look, there's no doubt, in all the world, that TARFU in the Gulf of Mexico. And I think we can all remember that time when President Barack Obama said, "Despite the fact that I mocked and opposed offshore drilling as a candidate, let's ignore all that and drill the oceans, like crazy, for oil." And not long ago, Obama insisted that offshore drilling had become all kinds of safe, so what's to worry about.
So, yeah: oopsie-daisy! The unfolding calamity occurring today can, should and hopefully will drastically alter those aforementioned policy proposals, and they certainly make the White House look foolish for having gone all in on offshore drilling a month ago. But there are two major factors that prevent me from suggesting that what's going on is comparable to the Hurricane Katrina response: 1) I was alive during Hurricane Katrina and was paying attention to what was going on, and 2) I am, at this point, unwilling to do what is necessary to alter my knowledge of those events by battering my skull repeatedly with a ball peen hammer
We can all separate the event from the response. But can the media? Again, the RW has the ability to create a controversy out of thin air with the media's complicity. Is this a risk Administration should take? I don't personally like the idea of the dinner in the first place as I think it is an example of the way too chummy relationship between our media and our government, so I would not mind just canceling the thing. But I know that won't happen. Therefore, I want to hear the community's take. I can see both sides but I think it is an interesting question.
If they do, I simply ask that they do their best to avoid some type of iconic image. Leaving early or showing up late due to the spill response wouldn't hurt either.