Gustav Will Definitely Help McCain, But Only Temporarily

First, the hurricane allows them to hide Bush and Cheney from the nation. There's no reason for both Bush and Cheney to miss the convention. They both could go and monitor the events from afar. If Bush and Cheney could go the 2004 convention while we were at war, then they could go to this one. However, this does allow McCain and the Republicans to distance themselves from his failures, but only temporarily.

Second, this also allows the cable news media to cheer lead for McCain. They're doing everything that they can to keep McCain in this election, and this hurricane gives them a narrative to sell McCain and hide Sarah Palin.

Finally, McCain will use this disaster as his backdrop for his acceptance speech. Again, the media will be effusive in their praise, but the public won't be moved that much.


In the end, the dynamics of this election are still in place. The people want a change from the past 8 years of failure, and even though McCain's stunts and gimmicks wow the media, it aint working on the people. This election is Obama's to lose. Barring a major gaffe or a horrible performance in the debates, Obama will win the presidency rather easily.

it's easy enough to remind the public that McCain was eating cake with Bush while New Orleans drowned 3 years ago.

"Winds of Change: McCain/Gustav '08" bumperstickers now???

A standard convention would have been enough for a considerable bounce. I fully expected Obama to fall behind, at least briefly. The second convention is always rewarded with a substantial bump. Gore took a 5 or 6 point lead over Bush after trailing for more than a year.

In this case, I think a second competing story aids Obama and will not allow the typical bounce for McCain, regardless of how they try to frame the convention. After all, why do the political parties avoid the Olympics every time? They don't want to go head to head with a huge alternate story.

it's the disaster that keeps on giving

the effects of Hurricane Katrina..I don't care how many pics mccain gets of his ugly a$$ out there in the winds.

First, I think you have a really good point when you wonder why they BOTH have to go monitor things. Well, that's because they don't want dopey-ass dingleberry Bush giving a speech, but who wants to hear that murmuring evil little troll Cheney speak, either? He scares children.

And yeah, they keep the nation from seeing the two big mistakes we've been suffering under. However, it also looks pretty bad that they've got to use a hurricane to keep the goddamned de facto leaders of their party away from the CONVENTION!