I've been thinking about this a lot the past day or two. Someone should have gone into New Orleans to wait with the people in the Superdome (or the Convention Center, whatever). I don't think the Mayor was in the Superdome and I know the Governor wasn't. It would have been better to have a political leader's spouse as they weren't needed to lead the relief effort. Ideally, Laura Bush should have gone in to live with those people as they were living, vowing not to leave until the last citizens of New Orleans were on their way.
I know this is fantasy and after the fact, but imagine how the situation would have been transformed if Laura Bush was living in the same awful conditions. It would have put paid to all this talk of race and government not caring. Mrs. Bush's presence would have not been simply a political stunt, although Bush's ratings would be in the 80s if Laura Bush had been in the Superdome. It would have sent a signal to everyone in New Orleans that all of America cared and that help would be there as fast as possible. It may well have defused much of the anger that is not helping the relief at all.
