La. Gov. Kathleen Blanco: Does This Dress Make Me Look Narcissistic?

If there's anything more irritating than an ineffectual, blame-shifting politician, it's a self-centered, ineffectual, blame-shifting politician.

The Los Angeles Times (usually no enemy of ineffectual, blame-shifting, self-centered politicians), reports that aides to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco burned up the internet during the Hurricane Katrina crisis with e-mails advising Blanco on how to dress.

"Aides to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco fretted about her public image in the days following Hurricane Katrina, with one worrying that she looked more like a "first lady" than a "John Wayne" in responding to the storm, according to e-mails released Monday."  In another e-mail, Blanco's assistant chief of staff expressed concern about the large number of blacks being evacuated out of state, saying that move would create a perception problem.

The e-mails were made available by a House investigative committee two days before Blanco was scheduled to appear before the panel to testify about her state's much-criticized preparation for and response to one of the nation's worst natural disasters.  More from the Los Angeles Times:

"An e-mail sent Sept. 4 by Blanco's press secretary, Denise Bottcher, to the governor's communications director, said: "I'm now a bit concerned that we're doing too many 'first lady' things and not enough John Wayne. Women are easily portrayed as weak, which [Blanco] has had a hard time overcoming. I will say again … men cry — compassion; women cry — weak."

"Please put [Blanco] in casual clothes, a baseball cap, etc. . . . she needs to visit a shelter in prime time and talk tough, but hug some folks and be sensitive," consultant Liz Mangham of the Southern Strategy Group of Louisiana messaged Blanco's media office Sept. 2.

"She looks tired, but too comfy in her suit," Mangham said. "Please put the secretaries in caps and jeans . . . .  I don't care if they are in the field or not . . .they should look like they are."

More advice:  "Gov. Blanco might dress down a bit and look like she has rolled up her sleeves. I have some great Liz Claiborne sports clothes that look kind of Eddie Bauer, but with class, but would bring her down to [the] level of getting to work."

Fuller suggested that as Blanco accompanied Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on an inspection of relief efforts, she might consider "doing something 'physical'…. Maybe if she is with the troops she can put a few bags of ice in the hands of the citizens who need it. Make sure she is not wearing a suit, and make sure she has rough-looking shoes."

These e-mails were written by aides and advisors to Governor Blanco. But Governor Blanco is the one who picked these advisors and told them what kind of advice she wanted.

I can understand a politician getting a little fashion advice.  But when you combine a whole lot of fashion advice with a lackluster, passive response to a large natural disaster in your state, there's only one word that comes to mind:

Pathetic.

Here's a suggestion for Gov. Blanco:  Get rid of these aides.  And after you hire a new batch, ask them to advise you on how to actually help your state, not just look like you're helping.

Either that, or maybe Gov. Blanco should to try this T-shirt on for size (available at PsychTshirts.com for only $24.95).

What makes all of this particularly galling is that Kathleen Blanco spent a great deal of energy during and after the Hurricane Katrina crisis blaming President Bush and federal officials (with the exception of September 14th when she briefly took responsibility for her state's inadequate response to Katrina after she was inadvertently caught on camera admitting her mistake). Meanwhile, President Bush has remained the gentleman despite Governor Blanco's serious mistakes in her response to Katrina as well as her attacks on the Bush administration.

It comes down to the difference between "rolling up your sleeves" to address a crisis and rolling up your sleeves for the cameras.  If you watch people closely for a while, you can begin to distinguish one from the other.

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More at Confederate Yankee, Overtaken by Events and PunditGuy ("I'm Not a Real Governor, But I Play One on TV")

Comments

[Matt]

Brilliant headline. Wish I'd thought of it.