1) a few weeks ago, Hurricane Gustav hit New Orleans, but not with the same intensity as Hurricane Katrina.
It did, however, gave a 2nd chance to 2 politicians of oppossing parties
Hurricane Katrina basically ruined the reputations of New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin (Democrat) and U.S. President George W. Bush (Republican), which made them seem unprepared under rough circumstances.
However, they learned the lessons of Katrina, and handled the Hurricane Gustav much better!
2) The 2 major political parties had their conventions.
For The Democrat convention, Ted Kennedy gave what many considered a legendary speech, and some predicted, it might be his last major speech -- due to his brain tumor surgery he had recently, amid rumours that Kennedy might be dying. Whatever his situation is, it was seen as a passing the torch of liberal legends, from Kennedy to Barack Obama.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE_eKhUC9rI
------
Barack Obama had his acceptance speech at Invesco Field (the stadium where the NFL's Denver Broncos play)! Some in Hawaii say that idea was inspired by the 1978 political rally at Aloha Stadium for then-governor candidate George Ariyoshi! And Obama was a high school student at Punahou at the time!
http://akamaipolitics.honadvblogs.com/2008/07/07/making-political-history-in-a-stadium-again/
-------------
At the Republican conventions, Rudy Guliani made fun of Obama voting "present" when he was a state senator in Illinois. The mockery went along the lines of "if you're president of the United States, it's not good enought to be present, you have to make a decision".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu9R_r2T9P0&feature=related
--------
Sarah Palin became a star at the convention, with her mockery of Barack Obama. Some of it was deserved, especially when she said Obama flatters small-town/rural voters when in front of them, but calls them "bitter" and "clinging to guns and religion" when talking to San Francisco fundraiser.
However, Giuliani and Palin said some idiotic things as well, mocking Obama's time working as a "community organizer". While those mockeries work since many suburban/rural people are unfamiliar with what a "community organizer" is, it can be seen as a mockery of inner city residents who rely on community organizers for assistance on legal, residential, civil and other social matters! Which will further alienate inner city voters from the Republican Party.
From http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080922/dreier_atlas
For the first time in American history, a major political party devoted a substantial portion of its national convention to attacking grassroots organizing.
(skip paragraphs )
The party of Ronald Reagan was touting government experience over civic engagement.
From http://organizersfightback.wordpress.com/
Though many people are unfamiliar with community organizing, the job is both straightforward and vital: community organizers work with families who are struggling–because of low wages, poor health coverage, unaffordable housing, and other community problems–so that collectively, they can fix those problems and make government respond to their day-to-day concerns. Organizers knock on doors, attend community meetings, visit churches and synagogues and mosques, and work with unions and civic groups and block associations to help ordinary people build power and counter the influence of self-interested insiders and highly paid lobbyists at all levels of government.
