I was watching the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, and he had a panel discussion with Krystal Ball, the most awesomely awesome Joy Reid, and Steve Kornacki, and they seemed to all agree that it would be improper for the Obama campaign to mention this:
The group consensus seemed to coalesce around the notion that it would be inappropriate for the Obama campaign to note that RMoney wants to shift the burden of the FEDERAL Emergency Management Agency to the states. You wouldn’t want to politicize it, they seemed to think, and it might “backfire” among voters.
This makes no sense to me whatsoever. The decision to gut FEMA and send it to the states, creating a far less efficient 50 state model that would not have the might and wealth of the federal government, the ability to make coordinated snap decisions, and work efficiently with NGO’s, the military, major businesses, suppliers, etc.- THAT IS A POLITICAL DECISION. Not only is it a political decision, but it is based on a deluded small government ideology rather than taking a clear look at the mission of the Agency and what would best serve the public.
So pointing out, during a natural disaster of epic proportions, that one candidate had made an entirely political, foolish, and unethical decision regarding FEMA is politicizing it?
Bullshit. Politicizing the event would be pointing to a fatality and making some partisan conclusion based on no facts. Pointing out that one of two candidates has a really bad plan for the future of FEMA and disaster relief is not politicizing the tragedy, the politicization has already been done. All pointing this out does is clarify the differences between Obama and Romney.
Sadly, though, our electorate is so god damned stupid and listens to so much talk radio, Fox, and right wing bullshit, that I’m afraid that as wrong as Larry O’s panel is, they’re probably also right.