First- re: previous double birdstrike incidents... wasn't there one a few years ago where a Fokker 100 had double engine failure due bird ingestion, overran runway and came to rest in a field... (landing gear pictured in front of fuselage ifI recall correctly)
Second- perhaps people are confusing the Airbus 'power assisted' doors with 'electrically operated' doors- power assist helps in door opening when armed but is not always avilable in the event of electrical failure... electrically operated is just that- push a button and the door opens (as for some B767)
Third- large numbers of pax on slides/wing due to only 1 pair of doors opened armed, rear doors underwater so cannot be opened. If off wing slide can be disarmed then I'd say the crew would have done this if they could have. Or perhaps it just didn't deploy. (767 slide deploys just aft of wing which I believe in the same attitude as the A320 in this case the panel would be underwater, hence would not deploy?)
Fourth- Ben Sandilands needs to get a clue. If you were trying to open a door the size of an A320 underwater the pressure would keep it closed, it would be practically impossible to open as it goes outwards... unless you can make a hole in it somehow, and you don't want to do that in a ditching surely...!
If pax actually looked at the safety card, on aircraft such as the 737 and A320 it clearly shows exits ONLY from the overwings and fwd doors... maybe just a hint that you're not meant to exit from the rear? Moot point though as I said good luck to the pax trying to get rear doors open underwater!
Fifth- Great job done by flight crew, cabin crew, bystanders and emergency agencies in assisting this outcome.