ANALYSIS: Five Reasons God Isn't on the Democrats' Side (and Michael Moore Is Wrong Again!)

Democrats have taken a break from blaming natural disasters on Republican environmental policies long enough to claim that God now sends them to disrupt Republicans.

First, there was Michael Moore, gloating that "I was just thinking, this Gustav is proof that there is a God in heaven." Outrageous? Watch the video:





As if that wasn't enough, next up to bat was former DNC chair--and strong supporter of current DNC chair Howard Dean--Dan Fowler, who laughed that "they think the hurricane's going to hit (starts laughing) New Orleans about the time they start. The timing, at least it appears now, that it'll be there Monday. That just demonstrates God's on our side." Outrageous? Watch the video:





Those Democrats really know how to yuk it up, huh?

Well, since we've now established that it's okay to make cold calculations about the political implications of natural disasters, here's my list of five reasons this isn't the end of the world for Republicans, and maybe God hasn't rushed out to change his voter registration.

1. Dovetail with the Palin Announcement - I alluded to this in a post earlier today, but only a few hours after the media apparently felt liberated to set aside any pretense of independence and gush openly about Obama, McCain shook things up with his announcement of Sarah Palin as his choice for vice president. Now that the Democrats are finally settling on their talking points, the media is focusing on Gustav. And next week, as they try to get their talking points across, they'll be competing with Gustav and the Republican Convention.

2. A Chance To Be Creative - As we know, the media was bedazzled by Obama's "bold" decision to give his acceptance speech outdoors. After that, some of us were concerned that the Republican Convention would be a letdown. But, according to CNN (via Sister Toldjah), Republican officials are considering turning the Republican Convention (or at least some portion of it) into some sort of service event, such as a telethon to raise money for the Red Cross. The Republicans would have to strike a delicate balance to show that they actually care without appearing to politicize the hurricane, but if they can pull it off, it might be the second McCain surprise in only a few days.

3. A Good Excuse To Keep George W. Bush and Dick Cheney out of the Twin Cities - FOXNews reports that "[u]p in the air is whether President Bush, set to address the convention Monday, will cancel his plans." Mark my words—he will not be there, nor will Vice President Cheney. After months of being dogged by his relationship with Bush (and that horrible photo of the two man-hugging each other), there is no way that McCain is going to pass up this once-in-a-lifetime excuse to keep President Bush away.

4. A Chance for Redemption - One of the biggest stains on the Bush administration—one that even his most ardent supporters struggle to justify—is his handling of the Katrina disaster three years ago. Watching Anderson Cooper "keep them honest" in New Orleans, you'd think that things haven't changed. Of course, this results in low expectations for the administration's handling of this disaster. However, things have changed since then. When a spate of tornadoes struck down in Arkansas this past spring, reports were that that state's Democratic governor, who had once been highly critical of FEMA, praised FEMA for its response to a series of tornadoes that struck the state. (In fairness, he later went back to criticizing FEMA, but that was weeks later and dealt with the quality of mobile homes offered to the victims, and not FEMA's initial response). If FEMA can act even slightly competent during this apparent imminent disaster, it will exceed expectations and might get at least some positive coverage.

5. Showcasing Republican Governors - One thing that will help with the response to Gustav this time around is that the incompetent former governor, Kathleen Blanco, is no longer around to foul things up. Instead, we will hear from Republican Governors Rick Perry (TX), Bobby Jindal (LA), Haley Barbour (MS) (though it appears that Mississippi will be spared the brunt of this damage), and, perhaps later in the week, Republican Governor Charlie Crist (FL) with Hannah.

Making a cold, political calculation like this is probably insensitive during a time of crisis like this, and I'll be issuing an apology as soon as Michael Moore and Dan Fowler offer their full and unequivocal apologies for their remarks.