Sunday, August 27, 2017

Can Trump, post-Hurricane Harvey, measure up to LBJ?

I know Trump has important golf games to play, campaign rallies to stir up, pardons to issue, investigations to obstruct and Tweets to let fly, but let's see as Hurricane Harvey's flooding recedes if he can measure up to the standard set for other Presidents by LBJ after a devastating hurricane on his watch:
Johnson entered the crowded shelter in near-total darkness; there were only a couple of flashlights to lead the way. 
“This is your President!” Johnson announced. “I’m here to help you!”
37 Lyndon Johnson 3x4.jpg
More:
Hurricane Betsy came ashore at Grand Isle, Louisiana, on the evening of Sept. 9, 1965. Like Hurricane Katrina would do 40 years later, the surge devastated New Orleans, flooding parts of the city, including the Lower Ninth Ward, for days.
One striking difference between Betsy and Katrina was the response of the president and the federal government. Less than 24 hours after Betsy hit and New Orleans was flooded, Pres. Lyndon Johnson was in the city, making surprise visits to shelters, offering encouragements to the city’s newly homeless residents. 
Here is a transcript of LBJ’s remarks upon landing at the New Orleans airport at 3 p.m. that day, via John Edwards ’08 Blog:
Today at 3 o’clock when Senator Long and Congressman Boggs and Congressman Willis called me on behalf of the entire Louisiana delegation, I put aside all the problems on my desk to come to Louisiana as soon as I could. I have observed from flying over your city how great the catastrophe is that you have experienced. Human suffering and physical damage are measureless. I’m here this evening to pledge to you the full resources of the federal government to Louisiana to help repair as best we can the injury that has been done by nature.
And then there is this:
In the Ninth Ward, Johnson visited the George Washington Elementary School, on St. Claude Avenue, which was being used as a shelter. “Most of the people inside and outside of the building were Negro,” the diary reads. “At first, they did not believe that it was actually the President.” Johnson entered the crowded shelter in near-total darkness; there were only a couple of flashlights to lead the way.
“This is your President!” Johnson announced. “I’m here to help you!”
I was a strong opponent of LBJ's escalation of the War in Vietnam, but I'm happy to give LBJ his due in the Hurricane Betsy matter. 

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