The energy is still out in the southern states ravaged by Hurricane Helene, and the vice-presidential conversation between Sen J. D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., was the last item on the minds of the subjects. They could n’t watch as Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan, tone-deaf CBS debate moderators, reduced their tragedy to a question about” climate change,” as their powerlines snarled on the ground.
In Appalachia, people mourn some 160 dying, and scores more are reeling from the loss of their houses, towns, and all things common. Some are still trying to cause regular access to water, fuel, and shelter. It is not surprising that Helene was a conversation topic because shock recovery is one of the biggest events taking place right now in the United States.
Here’s how the only storms related topic was phrased for J. D. Vance.
Because of the ancient rainfall, experts claim that climate change makes hurricane bigger, stronger, and more fatal. Seven in ten American and more than 60 percent of Republicans under the age of 45 support the US’s efforts to combat climate change. What obligation would the Trump administration have to try to “reduce the effects of climate change”?
It is a leading, assumptive question that suggests, if the weather would stay just a few degrees cooler, hurricanes would not kill people. How will Donald Trump prevent hurricanes during the upcoming hurricane season could have just as easily been posed on CBS.
Brennan and O’Donnell had to take the climate change angle to steer away from the Biden-Harris administration’s pitiful disaster response.
Neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor President Joe Biden formally visited the area to offer condolences or pledges of support for hurting people. Why alter your schedule when a social media spokesperson can quickly share the same sentiment? Showing up is what leaders are expected to do because nothing helps you understand a situation more than having firsthand experience it.
” Let’s start with the hurricane, because it’s an unbelievable, unspeakable human tragedy”, Vance said. They need their government to do their job, and I promise that when Donald Trump is elected president again, the government will put the people of this country first when they experience a disaster.” We want as robust and aggressive as a federal response as we can get, to save as many lives as we can, and then, of course, to help those people rebuild.
He did address the question’s climate change portion.
” Let’s just say that’s true. Just for the sake of arguments, let’s say we are not arguing about weird science”, Vance said. ” If you believe that, what would you want to do? Because we have the cleanest economy in the world, you want to restore as much American manufacturing as possible, and you want to produce as much energy as possible in the United States of America.
Biden/Harris policies have led to more energy production in China, more manufacturing overseas, and the U. S. doing more business in some of the dirtiest parts of the world.
Walz stated that his heart goes out to the people there and that governors collaborate with emergency management before the federal government arrives. Then he pivoted to climate change.
” There’s no doubt this thing roared onto the scene faster and stronger than anything we’ve seen”, Walz said. ” The Inflation Reduction Act has generated significant investment, which has led to jobs all over the nation,” says the director. Hs spoke of electric vehicle technology, and solar manufacturing propped up by government subsidies.
” We need to keep moving forward,” the solution is for us. that there is a climate change. Reducing our impact is absolutely critical. But this is not a false choice. You can do that while also generating the employment opportunities that are present all over the nation. That’s exactly what this administration has done. We anticipate that we will surpass all other countries in terms of energy in the future, not just the present. And that’s what absolutely makes sense”.
Because the questions remained more and more complex about climate change, CBS seems to care little about its Appalachian viewers. Hurricane Helene was never mentioned again, thereby ignoring an opportunity to address the devastating catastrophe and failing to draw attention to some serious issues facing America.
What about the deteriorating bridges that have been replaced, the damaged dams, the neglected businesses that no longer pay local taxes for services that are needed, and other issues? What about the aging power grid, overflowing water treatment facilities, and miles of water pipes that are deteriorating beneath our feet? Prior to this, all these crucial issues required federal funding. It must all be rebuilt from the ground up now that they have been washed away. Although some of these flaws were unavoidable, Helene, a powerful woman, would have had a better chance to answer these questions. How soon can some roads be constructed? When will the water start flowing again? A gas tanker is on its way, right?
Because of how appropriate they are for a debate are not just for Appalachia.
The American people also desire these solutions. We feel badly for the hurting victims. We want to assist them with our tax dollars. And we want to know if our leaders ever encounter such destruction, they will use the money we’ve spent to aid us.
Beth Brelje covers The Federalist’s elections coverage. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.