60 million people—1/3 of us Americans—are in the midst of Sandy, which promises to be a devastating storm. Our two Presidential candidates are responding in totally opposite ways. Obama has cancelled his planned campaign stops, returned to Washington, and is working with FEMA to handle the emergency so that human suffering is lessened. Romney, too, has cancelled campaign speeches, but only in the storm-affected areas, where people are being evacuated anyway. Instead, he’s playing politics in the Midwest and, at a safe distance, sending wishes and prayers to those 60 million souls. Meanwhile, with FEMA on the scene helping people, you can bet he won’t be reminding voters of his intention to disband FEMA.
To be fair, Obama is in a better position to help people. It is, after all, his job to lead rescue and rebuilding efforts. Romney doesn’t have a job that puts him into such a position of power. On the other hand, he does have considerable influence. Couldn’t he be using that to help organize relief efforts or to remind big businesses in the rest of the country that they should help if only because the damage to 1/3 of our country harms businesses throughout the country? Couldn’t he find some way to roll up his sleeves and help? Or is the advantage of Obama’s being occupied and off the campaign trail too great an opportunity to pass up?
Shouldn’t the basic concern of anyone, especially the Man-Who-Would-Be-President, be people over politics?