SaintsBro

There is a certain segment of people, New Orleans "booster" types, who think that everybody "out there" LOVES New Orleans, that the world loves our food and music and culture, that everyone thinks it's the coolest town, that New Orleans is known and loved by everybody all over the world.... And these people think that everybody thinks like they do -- that New Orleans is the best place on earth.

And NEWS FLASH -- a lot of people DON'T FEEL THAT WAY, they actually hate us, they loathe the city and its people, and they wish the whole city would just go away and stop existing. They wish it just wasn't even there for them to have to deal with. A lot of people would be perfectly happy if New Orleans fell into the swamp, or if it had never been rebuilt after Katrina. They DON'T like us and never will.

So this "Mike" is just speaking for a large proportion of the national population, confirming what his audience already thinks about the city, telling them what they want to hear, reflecting the thoughts of a large number of people who don't "get" New Orleans and would rather not have to go there at all, or even think about it.

He is only reflecting what a large number of people think, and the sooner people realize this, the better.

The other thing that this displays is the self-defeating animosity that is endemic to New Orleans -- the NOPD guy who does nothing to help, but enjoys making the visitor uncomfortable and kind of antagonizing him. I see this a lot, it's a certain strain of negative thinking in the city.