Springtime for Who?

Driving home tonight, I saw a billboard by the highway that said, "Re-Elect Our Mayor." The thing was, it wasn't referring to the mayor of Houston. It was about the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin. Bit of a controversial fellow, too, which made it even more odd. And then, as it is wont to do, my mind started to wander.

See, I wondered how many New Orleanians currently living in Houston, cared enough about going back to care who their mayor was. And they must be the ones who paid for the billboard, right? (No, I'm not that naive...) But the idea of the citizens of New Orleans rallying behind their mayor for a return to their city just struck me as so... well, so... so Broadway Musical... Suddenly I could picture it clear as day... thousands of people bursting out of the Astrodome in perfectly choreographed steps, shuffle-ball-changing across the Reliant complex. The leading man and leading lady leading the crowd (of course - why do you think they're called "leading"?) in song...

The water's receded, our city'll be fine
It's time now for us to get ourselves in line
No fussin', no fightin', no cussin', no beggin'
And the man who can do it is our own Ray Nagin...
*tappity-tappity-tappity-tap*

Oh yeah. I'm a-goin' to hell. But me and Mel Brooks and Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are gonna have a great time there...