Wow. Said to be deteriorating? I've been watching the news almost 24/7 and I haven't seen one story about anything like that, except for the gas lines. However, my husband works in nearby Connecticut, and gassed up with no line there today, so it's obviously not widespread. And for someone who is living it firsthand, I've seen nothing close to what you're talking about.

As for our alleged high sense of self, I think that the nation will take notice of the aftermath and it certainly could sway votes. Hmmmm, if I live in an area like Florida that's prone to hurricanes, would I want my president to be the guy who gave us a 15 minute response, or the guy who thinks FEMA is nonsense and that storm victims shouldn't receive assistance?