New Orleans Mayor Prasie Jesus, Bush, Invokes Gandhi

[Guest guest]

New Orleans recently re-elected Mayor gave a victory speech in which he praised God, Jesus, thanked Bush for keeping his promises and closed by quoting Gandhi. Though Mayor Nagin's allegedly racist speech is found all over the internet, I have been unable to find a complete version of his unifying and thoughtful acceptance speech in text form. Below is a link to a video of the speech. His speech starts at the 4 minute mark and is about 5 min long. V.

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He praised his opponent, Mitch Landrieu, and then plucked out a powerful refrain from Mahatma Gandhi, to articulate what he believed he had achieved. "First they ignore you," said Mayor Nagin, "then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

"To President Bush, yeah, I want to thank you, President," Naginsaid. "You and I have probably been the most vilified politicians in the country. But I want to thank you for moving that promise in Jackson Square forward. You are delivering on your promise, and I want to thank you for delivering for the Jackson Square forward. You are delivering on your promise, and I want to thank you for delivering for the citizens of New Orleans."

He reached out to President Bush, thanking him for keeping his commitment to bring billions of dollars for levees, housing and incentives to the city.

And as for Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, with whom he feuded in the wake of the storm, Nagin thanked her "for what she's getting ready to do."

"It's time for a real partnership," he said. "It's time for us to get together and rebuild this city."

 

New Orleans's 'redeemed' mayor

 

By Duncan Kennedy

BBC News, New Orleans

 

 

Mr Nagin has both suffered from and thrived on controversy

 

For a man whose city has been downsized by the forces of nature, victory provided a rare moment of undiluted joy for Ray Nagin. As he took to the stage of a hotel on the famous Canal Street and stood before his adoring supporters, you could see him relish the ecstasy of his renewed mandate. His city may be broke, it may be in shambles, but the problems were, momentarily, drowned out by the noise of a jazz band, chanting party workers and the sheer forces of hope and relief. After an election striking for its civility, Mayor Nagin was never going to use his victory speech to turn bellicose or arrogant. 'Gandhi' speech And he did not. He praised his opponent, Mitch Landrieu, and then plucked out a powerful refrain from Mahatma Gandhi, to articulate what he believed he had achieved. Ray Nagin had been the lightning rod for criticism. It stung, but it did not stick. Enough people later revised their opinion of him

 

 

"First they ignore you," said Mayor Nagin, "then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." It may have been audacious to align himself with the thoughts of the great Indian leader, but it won the biggest cheer of the night. As he left to the deafening sounds of his euphoric black-and-white supporters I managed to get him in earshot to one of my questions. 6,000-vote margin "Why do you think you won?" I asked. Some parts of New Orleans still shows hurricane devastation

 

"Because the people coalesced behind me and we were able to work it out," he replied. It may not have been the most sophisticated of political analysis but it made sense. He had managed to galvanise enough of his African American base, but also lure sufficient cross-over votes from the white population. Both candidates needed to pull off this complicated trick, but it was Mr Nagin who managed to do it best. Just. By less than 6,000 votes. Respect Not long ago, in the traumatic days during and after Hurricane Katrina many would have said this election win could not happen. Mr Nagin had been the lightning rod for criticism. He stood accused of failing in his most fundamental duty as mayor, to clear the city of its population in its most dire moment of emergency. It stung, but it did not stick. Enough people later revised their opinion of him. Yes, they reasoned, he had made mistakes. But he had stayed. He did not desert his post. That earned him valuable

respect then and vital votes now. Tough challenges Ray Nagin has both suffered from and thrived on controversy. The slow pace of recovery after Katrina has brought fresh attacks. His inept attempt to claim God wanted New Orleans to remain a chocolate (i.e. black) city cost him credibility. But he has an attribute that the luckiest politicians carry with them: the power to redeem himself in the eyes of those who would put their electoral faith in him. Yes, he may shoot from the hip, but sometimes the bullets are blank and harmless. Now, though, as new mayor, he is going to need some big guns to get this city moving. Whole neighbourhoods still stand as uninhabited islands of despair. Some 200,000 people have not yet returned to the city. He must do something. It sounds simple. But it is going to take the unity he trumpeted in his victory speech and the dollars that have not yet flowed in to make New Orleans new again.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5002860.stm

 

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