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Michael Moore and Louisiana Delegates Agree: God More Concerned About Party Politics Than Human Life
As you've probably heard, today is a wash for the RNC, with the schedule amended "to only conduct the official business of the convention." Even without the split infinitive, this would be a problem for the convention news, and it feels a little like a Scoop knockoff to be canvassing the delegates for reactions. Although the folks gathered in the Twin Cities may be secretly relieved that President Bush isn't showing, they kept up a good face, furrowing brows for the fate of New Orleans.
Only one person suggested the media were blowing Gustav out of proportion to jinx the GOP — which, given the apparent pooping out of the storm, seems as plausible a reading as any. All of the 15 or 20 delegates I spoke with were confident that their prayers for a less lethal storm had been answered, and one guy from Louisiana said "Absolutely" when I asked if he thought God was actually paying attention.
Interestingly, that puts them in agreement with Michael Moore, who has gotten a lot of flak recently for suggesting that God sent Gustav toward the Big Easy in order to punish the Republicans.
While the delegates tended to put a high-minded spin on the bad news ("We have to hold back because we're just all praying that the people down there will be OK," was a characteristic reaction), it's worth noting that it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference to people in Louisiana if the Republicans had decided to let les bons temps rouler. Only one guy I talked to was willing to put the thing into strict horse-race terms. "Everything was going our way," he said, "then all of a sudden here comes a hurricane... It's just bad luck. Sometimes you get unlucky, and we got unlucky."
Hoping for better luck today....
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|9.1.08 @ 10:56AM|#
Interestingly, that puts them in agreement with Michael Moore, who has gotten a lot of flak recently for suggesting that God sent Gustav toward the Big Easy in order to punish the Republicans.
Can we interpret this as a shift in God's sentiment toward gays and other assorted un-Christian libertines and floozies?
|9.1.08 @ 10:57AM|#
God's definitely walking a tightrope here. A hurricane hitting NO right around the time of Southern Decadence is going to punish both gays and Republicans, so he has to be careful to avoid mixed messages.
|9.1.08 @ 11:26AM|#
I always thought that God was more politically savvy than this. He should get better advisers.
Anonymous|9.1.08 @ 11:51AM|#
Former DNC Chairman Don Fowler apologized on Sunday for joking in a private conversation that the timing of Hurricane Gustav demonstrates that God is on the side of the Democrats.
I've never seen Moore and Foweler in the same room together.
|9.1.08 @ 12:40PM|#
I'm confused. The convention is in Minneapolis. Gustav is petering out just as it hit the Lousiana coast. The two are 1200 miles apart.
WTF does the hurricane have to do with the convention!?!?!
Karl Rove, you magnificent bas|9.1.08 @ 12:59PM|#
It's so perfect, you don't even see it.
LarryA|9.1.08 @ 1:13PM|#
Interestingly, that puts them in agreement with Michael Moore, who has gotten a lot of flak recently for suggesting that God sent Gustav toward the Big Easy in order to punish the Republicans.
New Orleans? If God wanted to teach Republicans a lesson, it seems unlikely he'd target one of the most Democratic cities in the U.S. Twice.
I've never seen Moore and Fowler in the same room together.
They're usually on the same page, though.
A hurricane hitting NO right around the time of Southern Decadence is going to punish both gays and Republicans,
Maybe He just doesn't like dikes. (No, the kind that hold back water.)
YHWH|9.1.08 @ 1:13PM|#
How much evidence do I have to provide you people to stop believing in me?.....
Aside from a pretty nifty system (if I do say so myself) and the fact that it's early September I have had nothing to do with Gustav!
|9.1.08 @ 1:31PM|#
I always thought that God was more politically savvy than this. He should get better advisers.
Are you there, Shrum? It's me, God.
|9.1.08 @ 1:35PM|#
I saw that interview live. First line out of his mouth, Moore swallows his foot.
Olberman looked like he was going to bleeding from the ears.
|9.1.08 @ 1:48PM|#
Why are you folks injecting GOD into a political debate? We are a nation of racial and economic class bigotry. No one has the right to inject GOD into a political campaign.
|9.1.08 @ 3:15PM|#
For what it's worth here's a link to the YouTube video of the Democrtats on the plane. Watch it and judge for yourselves.
|9.2.08 @ 10:42PM|#
um... obviously, the Louisiana delegates had plenty of very compelling, completely non-political reasons to pray for the mitigation of the storm. Like, hoping that their Louisiana homes and compatriots weren't destroyed.