Anyone who has turned on a news station in the past few weeks is probably an expert on the mayoral election taking place in the Chocolate City, the name current mayor Ray Nagin lovingly gave to his town of New Orleans.
The national media is covering this incredibly irrelevant event like a presidential election, right down to insipid press conferences and photo opportunities.
The fact of the matter is, no matter how it’s viewed, the mayoral election in New Orleans is a complete waste of time for everyone involved. In case no one remembers, a cute little storm named Katrina came ashore last August, bringing a wave of destruction nearly equal to the one found in “The Day After Tomorrow,” only Katrina was far more believable.
With thousands dead and displaced, the only course open to Mayor Nagin was to adopt a plan to restore New Orleans to its former glory: a town no one pays attention to until roughly 40 days before Easter. Anyone with a brain made out of anything but sand could figure out that, yes, it’s time to restore the city.
Now comes the media, pencils scribbling and cameras rolling, ready to cover the nation’s recovery of this natural disaster. Assuming by “the nation” one means “just one of many cities that was hit by the hurricane.” Forget the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Forget the rest of Louisiana. The city that matters is the big one with name recognition.
Well, it has been eight months since Katrina hit, and the New Orleans mayoral election is all over the news. This election shouldn’t even matter to the people who live in the city. There is one thing New Orleans needs: restoration. No matter which candidate is elected, that’s what the city will need.
The overall plan for restoration of each candidate is basically the same, and even if it was not, so many of New Orleans’ residents are living elsewhere now that the election is going to be unbalanced.
Nationally, it should be obvious why this election is not newsworthy. If it had any effect at all, it would only be on New Orleans’ residents. That’s why Louisiana affiliate broadcasting stations exist: to cover local news.
Let’s assume Republican-turned-Democrat Ray Nagin gets re-elected. OK, now the city continues being restored and proper attention is given to the African-Americans of the city.
What if Democrat Mitch Landrieu takes the election? Well, the city will continue to be restored and proper attention will be given to the African-Americans of the city, shown by Landrieu’s history of activity in African-American communities. The election will end the same no matter which candidate takes office.
It would be absolutely great if the national media decided to cover more important events, like a baking contest in Delaware. Who will have the better brownies? You decide.