The massive destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy has caused both the President and Republican challenger Mitt Romney to suspend their elections campaigns just seven days away from the 2012 election.
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However, President Obama’s decision to put politics aside and step up to lead the country through the storm may give him an advantage in the polls as it demonstrates the leadership skills that Americans want in our next President.
During a press conference yesterday, the Commander-in-Chief declared that his current number one priority is “saving lives” not his re-election bid.
“I am not worried at this point about the impact on the election. I’m worried about the impact on families, and I’m worried about our first responders …The election will take care of itself next week. Right now, our number one priority is to make sure that we are saving lives,” he announced to the press.
This statement and the President’s outreach to state government’s across party lines like NJ GOP Gov. Chris Christie denotes that he has taken charge over the federal response to the disaster and displays his compassion toward victims of the storm. Yes, Obama is just doing his job, but he has the chance prove how well he can do it under a national spotlight during a natural crisis.
On the contrary, Sandy’s fury has weakened the Romney campaign which has forced him to cancel his campaign events on both Monday and Tuesday “out of sensitivity for the millions of Americans in the path of Hurricane Sandy,” he said. This can hurt the momentum that he was gaining in the polls before the storm hit.
In addition, Romney’s statement rejecting federal aid and FEMA has been circling media cycles. During a debate in 2011, Romney dismissed the important role that the federal government plays in natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, and instead charged that local and state governments should handle such crisis.
“Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction,” said Romney.
Moderator John King then replied: does that include disaster relief?
Romney responded, “We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids.”
A spokeswoman said Monday that,
“Governor Romney believes that states should be in charge of emergency management in responding to storms and other natural disasters in their jurisdictions.” They are in “the best position to aid affected individuals and communities, and to direct resources and assistance to where they are needed most. This includes help from the federal government and FEMA.”
Obama and Romney are two very different candidates. However, Sandy may help give Americans one last look at who they want leading the country over the next four years.
