President Obama gains an advantage in the election front, as he gets a chance to play his role as commander-in-chief because of Hurricane Sandy. Obama not only expresses the desire to get all things under control, but also expresses grief over the inundated storm, which caused major destruction to the New York City, in the past two days. Although the Republican governor has been criticizing Obama for his performance over the years, he acknowledges Obama’s leadership during the national crisis and praises him.
On Wednesday, Obama will travel to New Jersey to tour damaged areas with Republican Gov. Chris Christie, a regular critic of the President who heaped praise on him in the aftermath of the storm, saying that “the president has been all over this and he deserves great credit.” The collaboration between Christie and Obama provided a stark contrast from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when President George W. Bush’s administration and that of Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) engaged in a bitter round of finger-pointing over the botched handling of the disaster. (NYT,OB,31)
This situation has put Romney in a difficult position, as Obama, being the President, can make many moves to get people’s attention over the cause, that has called upon the world’s attention. But unfortunately, Romney has no role to play in this regard except be a by-stander.
Obama’s performance can be viewed quite differently, as federal relief efforts continue to play out. Whatever problems arise will largely be Obama’s to bear, just as Bush was blamed for Katrina when it occurred.
“The storm is not over yet,” Obama cautioned during a Tuesday afternoon visit to the headquarters of the Red Cross in Washington. “We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can” to provide resources, he added, before emphasizing that his message to his administration is “no bureaucracy, no red tape.” (NYT,OB,31)
Obama has to be very careful in taking steps, as all of his moves are being watched closely by the world. The damage is undeniable as it has cost around 10 Billion to 20 billion US dollars. According to the associated press, the storm has caused 51 deaths up till now in both upper and lower coasts. The storm caused electricity knock out to around 7.5 million people; also, more than 16,000 flights have been cancelled till now. About 10$ billion to 20$ billion has been the cost to the country by this havoc storm, estimates Eqecat, a firm that models the costs of catastrophes for insurance companies.
President Obama is all geared up campaigning and collecting funds. For now, the president’s Chicago-based reelection team is exhibiting no urgency to return him to the campaign trail. The campaign canceled two rallies in Ohio on Wednesday, and one aide said Obama’s schedule is being determined by the President, along with the White House advisers such as David Plouffe and Chief of Staff Jacob Lew. (NYT,OB,31)
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