And the winner of the blame game is …
September 7th, 2005 ~ Current events… nobody.
According to this CNN/Gallup Poll (which you definitely won’t be reading in the NYT anytime soon), only 13% thought George Bush was “most responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane”. Nearly twice that — 25% — blamed state and local authorities. But the big winner at 38% was the answer “no one is to blame.” What amazing good sense people have sometimes.
Though I’d like to think that the attacks were so insane that everyone saw through them, journalist burnout may have something to do with it, as this LA Times writer opines:
What must they think of the talking heads who treat this as if it were another bit of minor grist for the political mills? As if this were another story about some politician’s war record or a nominee’s nanny issues. The callowness now on display goes a long way toward explaining why politicians and the media are held in public esteem somewhere above child molesters and below bankers.
And Mere Comments offers both a take on the urge to blame and some unblinking reminiscence about New Orleans. A long read, but worth it.