Frankenstorm

Here in eastern North Carolina, Sandy stayed just to the east of I-95 until this morning when it’s leaving us a little rain on the way out. I must say, the weather radar looks kind of ominous to the north of us.

Wind advisory only for East Tennessee, but they’re expecting a good bit of snow in the Smokies.

Glad to see you own a Hasty Bake Smoker. Keep it safe. They’re great, made in Tulsa, OK.

God be with you all.

Get ready for the conservative blogosphere to explode with rants about what the Obama administration should have done but didn’t do, or should have done differently, in response to the storm. And no matter when the President returns to the campaign trail, the charge will be that he should have remained on the job. Any bets?

Dr. Veith -

I was planning on visiting DC and am flying in late Thursday. We are going to do the normal tourist stuff. Although the storm looks like it will pass before we arrive, I’m concerned that everything will still be shut down. Do you think things will be running again by Friday?

Any thoughts you can provide would be helpful, its always better to hear from someone who actually lives in the area.

I hope that all of you in the path of the storm will be kept safe.

Speaking of storms.

Try this one out on your Baptist/Calvinist/Catholic friends:

http://theoldadam.com/2012/10/29/if-christians-around-the-world-could-just-believe-this-one-overarching-truth-there-would-be-another-reformation/

…then stand back and watch the fur fly.

Those in Sandy’s path who want less government in your lives, you may get it. And when you do, no complaining about it. In other words, you know the trees and the overturned mobile home that are blocking access to the main road, now flooded — yeah, the one covered in downed power lines that provide the only way to get to Safeway — all the best to you. The National Weather Service and FEMA are not mentioned in, thus not authorized by, the US Constitution.

Tom @5

I think it will be more people that on the government take that will be complaining the most, since they are the most vulnerable and will be affected the worst. For myself I don’t think there is a whole lot that anyone can do from a government standpoint to make much of a difference on how bad it is. All of the governors in the affected area have issued warning and evacuations. Will people heed these warnings? There will always be some who will not and then expect to be rescued from their foolishness.

MarkB, whichever way you want to look at it, it will be politicized before next Tuesday.

One other thought that I have is:

Why should the rest of America after this disaster happens, need to open up their wallets and pay for rebuilding the houses that people have foolishly built on the shorelines and along rivers prone to flooding? It seems that a lot of relatively rich people get to build their really nice houses with a great view where it will eventually be washed away or blown down by the hurricanes and other weather disasters. And then when the inevitable happens they look to the rest of the US to rebuild their castles. Why not either self insure or buy insurance?

While I am not against helping to save their lives during the disaster we seem to have decided by default that we have to help rebuild where we shouldn’t.

Tom @ 10

I am sure that will happen. It is the silly season.

@8 Yeah, Jon cuz it’s all or nothing. Forcing sex ed on kindergartners is exactly the same as communities having a fire dept. or the federal government providing for common defense against the elements and promoting the general welfare by having a weather service and Coast Guard etc, in times of natural disaster. Limited government doesn’t mean no government, but you knew that.

It seems that a lot of relatively rich people get to build their really nice houses with a great view where it will eventually be washed away or blown down by the hurricanes and other weather disasters. (@ 11)

And then they insist, as in North Carolina, that state government re-do its scientific study of sea level rise, because “sea level rise” is a liberal concept (seriously!), negatively affects real estate values, and shouldn’t ever be mentioned (by law!).

@5 : It’s all Bush’s fault.

Abby,

Right on sister!

Bush and his evil mother, Barbara.

Re: @ 15. Well yes, it is. From the Fall onward. But that doesn’t make my prediction any less likely to be proven true, does it?

The VIDEO below is heartbreaking from the storm of 1938.

Flashback

The last ‘Frankenstorm’: Video of the 1938 nor’easter that ravaged New England

Historic footage of a deadly storm offers clues about what to expect from Hurricane Sandy

http://theweek.com/article/index/235529/the-last-frankenstorm-video-of-the-1938nbspnoreasternbspthat-ravaged-new-england

Hurricanes do not always follow the forecasters’ dictates.
In fact, they don’t, quite often.

Huh, I hadn’t heard this one before, but I’m seeing it all over G+ at the moment. Lots of people lambasting Romney for calling federal emergency aid “immoral”.

I had to go look up what he had said, because that didn’t sound like what a savvy politician would say. (and Romney is a savvy politician)

Yup, he called the wasteful methods of FEDERAL emergency money spending immoral because of the debts it leaves to future generations. He argues that it should be left to the states.

But, that doesn’t stop lots of posts and even some articles about how “Romney calls emergency aid immoral!!!”

And, to keep my criticisms balanced, I just recently got a FRC/FotF flier that declares that Obama “supports” abortion while Romney “opposes” abortion.

Loads of BS flying from all sides.

Since Tom has already politicized this, I will just make a small point. Didn’t Obama slam McCain for putting his campaign on hold to go back and do his job when they had the vote for the original financial bailout? I mean, McCain’s constituency did elect him to do a job and he owed them that. Obama said “It’s my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person will be the next president. It is going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once. It’s more important than ever to present ourselves to the American people.”

Now Obama realizes that the people who put him into office expect him to put his job ahead of any future political aspirations. Welcome to the real world, Mr. President.

Re: @ 22. I politicized it by predicting it will be politicized?

As for the McCain thing, it’s part of a presidential candidate’s job to show up for debates. That’s what all Americans expected of him.

Yes, the storm will be politicized by team Obama, for sure.

They will talk trash about Romney because he doesn’t care about those affected by the storm. They will accuse Romney of wanting to cut federal services that provide disaster relief for the 47% who pay no taxes and are reliant on govvernment.

They will accuse Romney of not providing birth control as part of storm disaster relief kits, and of him cutting funding for Planned Parenthood abortion clinics that are flooded out by the storm. In the melee that results, they will say that Romney wants to ban abortions for storm-victimized women.

Most of all, they will blame Romney for his insidious plot to cause global warming which resulted in the very storm that prevented the Dems from running their early voting groundgame.

Jon, Romney said during the GOP debates that he didn’t believe there should even be federal relief; it should all be state provided. Also, Ryan’s budget cuts deeply into the federal relief budget, presumably because such services should be done by each state.

I’m certain that those of you who’ve signed on to Romney-Ryan haven’t much of a clue about what you’re asking for. But Romney’s not Obama. That’s all that counts.

I’m going to politicize this and declare that it is obviously the fault of Pieter Stuyvesant, who stupidly decided to have a city built right in the path of a major hurricane and winter snowstorm pathway. What sort of idiot does such a short-sighted thing as that?! Then to compound the problem, along comes the British Empire to impose it’s imperialist weather patterns on the colonies! Can’t we just be left alone? Why does Great Britain insist on having its former colonies be in areas with bad weather? Now we are paying the price for their political shenanigans. Down with Britain, I say, along with their so-called “New” York. Same as the old, rainy, cold York, but now with severe wintry weather systems to top it all off. Will this poor policy of weather management ever be rectified? No President has ever, ever been so incompetent as the last 43 or so, who have never done anything to prevent New York City and the East Coast of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA from being covered in several inches of water and snow accompanied by high winds and locally severe flooding! Wake up, people! This weather system is nothing more than a plot in some sick, twisted government bureaucracy manual for imposing One World Government! What is in New York City? The United Nations! Coincidence? Clearly not.

For further proof of the horrifying conspiracy behind this storm, who has spoken to the United Nations recently? Al Gore, George W. Bush, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Lady Gaga. A nexus of pure evil. All it needs now is George Clooney or Matt Damon to show up with one of the Kardashians and Angela Merkel in tow, and we could witness the Apocalypse.

Is Hurricane Sandy male or female? Diminutive of Alexander or Allesandra/Sandra? Are conservatives surprised that the National Hurricane Center, a division of a federal agency (the National Weather Service), is promoting gender confusion? Hmm?

Tom, #23, first things first. McCain was elected to do a job, not to run for another office. First term presidents, likewise, are elected to do a job. Not to spend their time in office to run for a second term. I don’t care who it is: Democrat or Republican. It’s not good.

Re: @ 29. So what do you suggest for candidates who are incumbents? That they send the family dog out on the campaign trail as a surrogate? And why isn’t it a good idea for incumbents to end their terms by going before the public to defend their records and ask for another chance? I kind of like to watch them beg.

FJSteve (@29), points for trying to create an equivalancy here, but come on!

1) McCain mainly was trying to forestall a debate appearance, not campaigning as such. In no meaningful fashion did McCain “suspend” his actual campaign — ads kept running, spokesmen kept speaking, and McCain gave interviews and made speeches. And, you know, McCain went on to have the debate he didn’t want to. So it kind of looks from here like he spent most of his energy keeping his campaign alive, not in doing whatever it is that senators do when they’re not voting.

2) Your argument implies that no incumbent should ever run for re-election, or that, if they do, they should spend no time working on their re-election. This strikes me as incredibly naive — and, what’s more, I simply don’t believe that you would maintain this position for Republican incumbents.

Female, I think. Since the storms are alternately given male and female names, and the “R” storm was Rafael.

“the National Hurricane Center, a division of a federal agency (the National Weather Service), is promoting gender confusion? Hmm?”

too cute.

Do you remember when the name Shawn started to replace Sean and Sian, so on paper, you didn’t know if it were a man or woman?

tODD,

1) Correct me if I’m wrong but that was not an inconsequential piece of legislation at stake. Was it? It dictated the fate of financial institutions and $700 billion of tax-payer money. So, yeah, the circumstances were different. Instead of a hurricane it was a so-called financial tsunami. Still, his constituency needed to be represented and although he handled it poorly, he was there doing his job. People thought he was stalling? Who cares? Figuring out whether to spend $700 billion is worth a little extra contemplation. Obama simply swung into town for the vote. But, you’re right; ads went running and speeches were still being made, much as is happening now with the Obama campaign. Of course, it’s just Biden stumping so it’s not like anything important is being said.

2) I’m not saying that at all but whatever were reasons Obama put his campaign on hold–whether he thinks his time is better spent being briefed on the storm or thinks its inappropriate to get out on the stump when people are fearing for their lives–McCain had equal justification when he put his campaign on hold. Like Obama, he had a job he was already hired to do. Ultimately, they were probably both campaign stunts or, at minimum, they were done with the goal that it would not hurt their respective campaigns.

FJSteve (@34), in what world are the actions of one senator equal to those of the President? That’s your argument, that inasmuch as the President is needed in times of crisis, so is one particular senator. Except that we have 100 senators, and it is a common occurrence that less than 100 of them are present for this or that vote.

Figuring out whether to spend $700 billion is worth a little extra contemplation. Obama simply swung into town for the vote.

Please. Do you think all the news articles from 2008 have disappeared? That’s just outright false.

You also appear to think that only Obama has reacted to the storm. Which makes me think you don’t really know what you’re talking about.

In the case of Sandy, it appears that both candidates are merely being prudent in not actively campaigning while a natural disaster takes place. That’s reasonable. Obama isn’t saying he’s not capable of campaigning right now, as you seem to think. They’re just both being respectful and/or prudent. There was no calling on the other campaign to do this or that in an attempt to control the narrative. Both campaigns just made the decision to lay low until the storm passes.

That bears almost no resemblance to McCain’s 2008 stunt. A fiscal crisis is almost entirely unlike a hurricane. Come on.

Tom Hering,

Congratuations for your successful politicization of this issue. And yes, claiming that Republicans and only Republicans will politicize this issue is to politicize the issue in advance.

You see, you couldn’t be content commenting on the storm itself, offering well-wishes to its victims, etc. No, you had to inject partisan campaign rhetoric into the discussion. Don’t pretend you’re innocent of the charge. Don’t play stupid. You know what you did. Nice work.

Cincinnatus, you have your cranky days, and your especially cranky days. Have you tried increasing the fiber in your diet?

Tom Hering supported Pieter Stuyvesant and his ill met decision to build a city right in the path of a hurricane! Shame on you, Hering!

Oh c’mon, Tom (@37)! Just own it. You know it’s true. And I fell for it because it’s my weakness, too. I’d meant to at least drop in some nice sentiments for those on the East Coast, but got suckered into a ridiculous argument that, yes, you spawned.

And, while I fully expected you to be right, a quick perusal of what I consider the mainstream conservative blogosphere shows your prediction to be quite off. And then some! Here’s a post from NRO’s The Corner noting how Chris Christie said:

The federal government’s response has been great. I was on the phone at midnight again last night with the president, personally, he has expedited the designation of New Jersey as a major disaster area. … Last night, I was on the phone with FEMA at 2 a.m. this morning to answer the questions they needed answered to get that designation and the president has been outstanding in this. The folks at FEMA, [Administrator] Craig Fugate and his folks have been excellent. … The president has been all over this and deserves great credit.

Sorry SK, but that’s a false charge. I never met Pieter. I was out west at the time, exploring areas that would become part of New France, and later, the state of Wisconsin. I’m still here. And yes, still old. Very old.

Todd, give it a day or two. I hope I’m wrong, as that would reassure me that our politics aren’t all the way down the crapper. But it’s not a great hope.

Here’s an angle I didn’t expect:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/41118_Ex-FEMA_Director_Michael_Brown-_Obama_Reacted_to_Hurricane_Sandy_Too_Quickly

Tom,

Well, I could use more fiber, but I’m actually in a rather good mood today.

I’m just hoping you actually read your own comments:

“Hey guys, Republicans are, like, totally gonna politicize this, right? They’re going try to claim that Obama sucks at emergency response, amirite? Because that’s totally something Republicans would do, right? Republicans have no scruples, man! And yes, I’m definitely implying that Democrats would never stoop to such depths of oozy partisan filth! And no, such attacks are definitely not typical in all other elections that have ever happened anywhere! Gah, Republicans! You know?!”

Just embrace your partisan hackery, Tom. It’s all good.

Piffle poop, Cincinnatus. Do you seriously believe I think Democrats are incapable of politicizing things like this? Then you don’t lack fiber – you suffer from the ingestion of too many fermented supplements. The facts are there’s a Democrat in the White House, we’re a week away from election day, and the race is as tight as tight gets. Who else is going jump on the President’s response to Sandy but Republicans? Did I miss it when civility and the best interests of the nation suddenly returned to politics?