Does everyone agree that his response to Hurricane Sandy is a political plus for the president?

Since mid-afternoon, much TV attention has been devoted to the crane that toppled off this under-construction luxury high-rise at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, where the best hope is that it will continue to dangle. The area for a couple of blocks around has been evacuated. (This has been my kind of day -- I haven't set foot out of my apartment!)

by Ken

In a New Yorker blogpost today, "Obama Takes Early Lead in Hurricane Sandy World Series," John Cassidy ponders the political fallout from Hurricane Sandy. "To be sure," he says, "speculating about the likely impact of a giant storm that has roughly sixty million people in its path risks being in poor taste, but that's the world we live in, so let's get to it."

John seems to think that both the Obama people and the Willard people think the storm is a godsend for the president.

There's nothing like a potential natural disaster to remind people how much they rely on the government, and to undermine the G.O.P. message that the market will solve everything, or almost everything. Obama didn't point this out, of course: he didn't need to. Americans should prepare for lots of water, downed trees, and power outages, he went on, and he expressed confidence that the country would get through this unscathed. "The great thing about America is that people pull together in tough times," he said. "We set aside whatever issues we may have otherwise to respond appropriately and with swiftness, and that's exactly what I anticipate is going to happen here."

As Obama said these words, you could almost hear the groans at Romney H.Q. Just before the President reached the podium, the G.O.P. campaign issued a statement cancelling all its campaign events for Monday evening and Tuesday, even those that were to be held in places well away from the storm, such as Wisconsin. "Governor Romney believes this is a time for the nation and its leaders to come together to focus on those Americans who are in harm's way," the statement said. "We we will provide additional details regarding Governor Romney's and Congressman Ryan's schedule when they are available."

To make matters worse for the Republicans, they have had to endure the sight of one of their own campaign surrogates praising the President for his rapid response to the crisis. At a press conference in Trenton on Monday, Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, thanked Obama for approving a state of emergency in New Jersey even before the storm had arrived, which enables the state government to access federal funds and help from FEMA. "We appreciate the president's efforts in that regard," Christie said. "He and his staff worked tremendously hard." Confirming that Obama had promised to be there for New Jersey over the coming days, the governor added: "The President assured me on the phone that we'd get his immediate personal attention."

Doubtless, that's true. With his adroit actions and reassuring words over the past twenty-four hours, Obama has done exactly what you might have expected a responsible President, and a smart politician, to have done. He's looked engaged and concerned, but not panicked. He's marshalled the resources of the federal government as best he can. And he's kept a straight face while insisting that none of this has anything to do with November 6th. Before leaving the podium in the White House press room, he took one question, which, inevitably, was about the impact of Sandy on the election.

"I'm not worried at this point about the election," Obama said. "I'm worried about the impact on families and 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, that our search-and-rescue teams are going to be in place, that people are going to get the food, the water, the shelter that they need in case of emergency, and that we respond as quickly as possible to get the economy back on track."

"With that," he concludes, "the President was gone, presumably to save more lives and watch the Weather Channel."

His pitch and delivery had been perfect. After the first two innings of the Hurricane Sandy World Series, with the opposition unable to do anything but watch, Team Obama had opened up a big lead."

Okay, in this mythical "Hurricane Sandy World Series," maybe. But does everyone agree that there's some political advantage to the president here? I don't see it. I don't see that the people who haven't made up their minds yet are seriously plugged into reality, into what the president has or hasn't done. Is there really someone, anyone?, whose vote is going to be influenced by Chris Christie's tribute to the president for, you know, doing his job?

Of course a blunder -- or some combination of strokes of monumental bad luck -- could have had a seriously damaging effect on the campaign. But I don't think those voters' assessment of what the president has or hasn't done has much of anything to do with what he actually has or hasn't done. But I guess that could just be me.

HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO TAKE NOTE OF THAT
STATEMENT ISSUED ON WILLARD'S BEHALF:

"Governor Romney believes this is a time for the nation and its leaders to come together to focus on those Americans who are in harm's way."

This indeed suggests that the Romney people are nervous about the political fallout of the president's opportunity to look presidential. Because it's the first indication I've encountered that Willard and his people regard anything as above politics.

It's something I thought about a lot in Willard's -- and then his partys -- astonishing handling of the aftermath of the Libyan consulate assault, which brazenly tossed to the winds the old dictum about politics ending at the water's edge. If were to play our old game of "If the Shoe Was on the Other Foot," I can imagine angry mobs of Republican shouting for the arrest and prosecution for treason of a Democratic candidate who did anything like this.

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