Ray Nagin Disgusted By Apathy Of Others, Apathetic Toward Own

The Mayor of Chocolate City is currently repulsed by his subjects.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin recently pronounced himself "disgusted" with apathy among city residents, saying it was "unacceptable" that only about a quarter of registered voters bothered to cast a ballot in the Oct. 20 primary.
...
In a television appearance earlier this month, Nagin said he was disheartened that so many people appear to have lost interest in civic life.

"It was kind of offensive to me, because here I am busting my butt every day and all I'm asking citizens to do is to plug into the democratic process," Nagin said, exhorting his fellow New Orleanians to do better on Nov. 17.

Marring the credibility of Nagin's indignation, however, is the fact that he apparently can't be bothered to get to the polls either.

Nagin did not vote in the October primary, or in two citywide elections in March and May, according to Secretary of State Jay Dardenne's office.
...
Berry said the secretary of state's office is still collecting data from the Nov. 17 runoff, so he couldn't say whether Nagin voted in that race.

Naked hypocrisy notwithstanding, Nagin's moral authority on the matter is narrowly preserved, thanks to a poignant synopsis of the Civil Rights Movement.

While noting that the apathy appeared to cut across all social, racial and economic lines, Nagin reminded African-Americans in particular of the struggles their ancestors endured for the right to vote.

"People were bit by dogs and, you know, fire hoses and all that," he said. "So everybody, please go out and vote."

(HT: NRO)