In what has become perhaps the worst natural disaster in US history, Hurricane Katrina has left Americans dumbfounded, glued to their televisions in utter horror at the events transpiring along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. In flooded New Orleans, a state of anarchy exists, with armed marauders terrorizing the populace. Meanwhile, the nation watches desperate refugees endure hardships thought unimaginable in this country — citizens, many of them elderly or children, victimized by hunger, thirst, and exposure.
As the appalling situation grows worse by the hour, Americans are losing patience with the government, which has, despite heroic efforts of many emergency personnel, failed to provide adequate emergency services. Anger is growing, accusations are flying, and the horrible scenes of suffering — not in Iraq or Afghanistan, but in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana — are certain to have political repercussions.
Harry Truman had a sign on his desk that stated, “The Buck Stops Here.” As commander-in-chief, Bush finds himself, once again, as the man of the moment, with the nation looking to the White House for leadership and inspiration. As a presidential candidate in 2000, Bush claimed that crisis tests the mettle of a leader. Thus far, however, the president, who famously rallied the nation in the wake of Sept. 11, is, at least in the public’s mind, failing his own test.
One could argue that Bush’s presidency has been defined by Sept. 11. Assuming office after one of the most controversial elections in American history — decided in the courtroom rather than at the ballot box — Bush’s approval ratings hovered around 50 percent before that fateful day. But his inspirational speech to Congress and memorable visit to the smoldering rubble of the World Trade Center irreparably altered his political fortunes. Within a month of Sept. 11, Bush’s approval rating in the ABC News-Washington Post poll rose to a lofty 92 percent.
The president spent the political capital earned during Sept. 11 efficiently. Domestic and international initiatives — tax cuts, health care reform, Iraq, Afghanistan, trade agreements — all sailed through Congress. Riding presidential coattails, Bush’s Republican allies decisively won the 2002 election. Bush’s poll numbers eventually began to fall, but the fumes of Sept. 11 carried him through the 2004 campaign, in which he narrowly edged John Kerry.
But with Sept. 11 political goodwill largely evaporated, Bush has had a difficult 2005. Despite passing several major pieces of legislation, including the Central American Free Trade Agreement and the energy bill, Bush has been dogged by two issues: Iraq and gas prices. As for Iraq, a growing number of American are convinced the 2003 invasion was a mistake and the nation-building mission is failing. This summer’s emergence of Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq, has galvanized the anti-war movement. Meanwhile, the price of gasoline has doubled in the past year; seventy percent of Americans, according to a CBS News poll, are suffering economic strains due to the fuel costs.
Bush’s refusal to meet with Sheehan, who camped out in front of his Texas ranch for nearly a month, made national headlines. The summer has been particularly costly for American troops. With the butcher’s bill approaching 1,900 American soldiers, many, including Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, are discussing the feasibility of a US withdrawal. Bush recently attempted to staunch the anti-Iraq tide with a series of pro-war speeches, but his efforts have not reversed public opinion trends.
In the wake of Katrina, gas prices are likely to increase. Louisiana is home to 12 percent of America’s refineries, and all will be closed for the unforeseen future. Oil rigs in the Gulf Mexico have been heavily damaged, cutting into US energy supplies. President Bush announced a limited release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has temporarily stabilized prices. But service station owners across the nation have already increased prices, and anecdotal evidence suggests consumers are hoarding gasoline in anticipation of supply shortages. As for the much-heralded energy bill passed by Congress in July, even proponents admit it will not lower prices in the short term.
Iraq and oil account for Bush’s slipping approval ratings, but the unfathomable saga unfolding along the Gulf Coast will have profound consequences. With thousands already feared dead, thousands more still lack even the basic necessities required for survival, such as food, water, and shelter. The alarming pictures speak volumes. Questions are already being asked as to whether the 6,500 Mississippi and Louisiana National Guardsmen — traditionally the first line of defense in a natural disaster — serving in Iraq could have helped save lives in America. Others wonder whether the massive post-Sept. 11 government reorganization, which resulted in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, has noticeably improved the nation’s ability to respond to disaster.
It is entirely inappropriate to play politics over a man-made disaster, but it is entirely appropriate for Americans to wonder, as they watch their fellow citizens suffer, how this national nightmare could happen. This, like Sept. 11, is a defining moment for the president. But Bush’s initial moves — a flight over the region and a speech the New York Times deemed “one of the worst of his life” — have been uninspiring.
— David Dumke is principal of the MidAmr Group.
