Obama cancelling campaign stops in CO & VA due to Sandy - Do you agree?

[Hawaii Hiker]

Isn't there way to do both, last week before the most important election in our lifetime: HCR, Supreme Court, etc. hanging in the balance..

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/27/us/politics/27reuters-usa-campaign-obama-travel.html

[mucifer]

1. He's gotta be on top of the situation. He is the Commander In Chief.

[earthside]

27. That's somewhat irrelevant.

The president is commander-in-chief of the military ... that particular duty will only effect military installations possibly affected by the storm, or if some military assistance is required to help out people in trouble.

As head of the executive branch the president has a lot of responsibilities if the storm turns into a real disaster.

I make this point because too many folks use the term 'commander-in-chief' like that means he is the 'commander' of everyone in the country -- he is not my commander-in-chief because I am not in the military.

[Hippo_Tron]

29. The national guard in disaster struck states might be federalized, thus he would be C-in-C

Disaster response is usually a joint military and civilian endeavor. I'd say that commander-in-chief is appropriate for this instance.

[Maximumnegro]

35. Oh my God. Come on. Is it really

necessary to parse into semantics. We all understood the point.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. He absolutely has to do this.

If he kept campaigning during a dangerous, destructive storm it could be much more politically damaging than missing a few speeches. Anyhow, it's his job.

[geek tragedy]

3. Politically, much better to act Presidential. nt

[TwilightGardener]

4. He may very well have his hands full in a couple days. I don't think

he has a choice. Mittens, of course, has no day job, and matters to no one.

[Third Doctor]

5. I think it's for the best

This is a huge storm and he should monitor what's going on. If he did not I'm certain the Romney and the GOP would use it against him. He can reschedule these rallies later this week probably. That is if the weather permits.

[Doctor Jack]

6. Obama will get more news coverage

Besides, if Romney is campaigning and Obama has stopped for a few days, Romney will look like (more of) a douche.

[Maximumnegro]

38. Agreed. Regardless, it's a dumb thread.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

7. But when you are the sitting President and the worst storm in 100 years is approaching...

He knows he needs to be at the White House to monitor the affects of this storm.

[Maximumnegro]

36. The storm works in his favor anyway.

It's a potential domestic crisis and people naturally rally around the incumbent in crisis. It also helps that most people trust him on these kinds of issues/circumstances. So frankly the storm is a win to me and the obsession about it's potential effect on the election is ridiculous. At this rate most of the folks on this board will pass out from hysterics before they even get to vote.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

40. Yes, people have been hysterical lately...

There was that week after the first debate that my blood pressure was up. I feel better now than I did a month ago. The President looks like he is cool, calm and collected - so can I.

[LisaL]

8. People who go to rallies presumably are going to vote for Obama anyway.

He has no choice, really. He can't campaign when there is this supposed monster storm going on.

[courseofhistory]

9. When is the storm to pass through the NE and

when is it expected to be "over" as far as the storm itself goes? I know there will be the aftermath but I'm speaking of the storm itself. Can't he go later in the week to those states he's cancelling? Biden could go instead or Bill Clinton.

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. He may be working with FEMA and such

It's the right thing to do.

[Historic NY]

14. +1

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

15. +1

[brewens]

11. He can probably do his job and do himself just as much good campaign wise

on tv. He has a good excuse to show himself as a leader in a time of disaster. He might even do so good as to draw fire from Romney on having caused the storm intentionally.

[Angry Dragon]

16. Pat Robertson is dialed in on that

[NCLefty]

12. If someone got hurt, he would be blamed.

So yes, he clearly has to do this. Also, what someone said about needing to be at the White House and in-charge during a possible crisis.

[Angry Dragon]

13. The President has a job to do

republicans can have a birthday party and not get blamed for dereliction of duty but not dems

bush says let them eat cake when told of Katrina
he said it was more important to give mcain a big kiss than do his job

[PlanetBev]

17. I agree, Hiker

I've got a feeling Mitt's gonna look very small this week. Running around hysterically from state to state, while Obama is looking real presidential, on the job, monitoring the storm.

[TeacherB87]

18. Of course I agree...

Just like with everything else he has done, he's putting the interest of the country ahead of political interests. He is a good man and good president, and we are ALL better off because of it. I am in the direct path of this storm. And there is no one I would rather have managing the federal response to this storm than him.

[tomg]

19. If he didn't do this,

would he be the knd of man we would want as president? He is doing his job and the right thing.

[Faith9326]

22. Yup

Agreed

[Faith9326]

20. Well

After all, he is the President.


Plus, if he doesn't the right will FLIP.

[exboyfil]

21. Could he send surrogates like Bill Clinton and

Michelle Obama? They could trumpet how being CinC is more important than campaigning.

Of course the Right Wing Talking point could be - "See he is too lazy to do both jobs".

[mucifer]

23. I'm sure surrogates will be everywhere. He has a job to do.

[tbennett76]

24. Act like a President get re-elected like one

One man's opinion.

[uppityperson]

25. This will play much better, for those who care about such things. Will garner him more votes than

being out campaigning. As well as being the right thing to do. For those of us who care about that thing.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

26. I agree. GOP will criticize him no matter what...

...he has to stay on top of the Sandy situation tho - as President that is his primary responsibility. Getting re-elected has to come second. If he stayed on the trail and Sandy is as bad as they're predicting, lots of damage, maybe even lives lost - GOP would be even MORE critical saying he was "too busy campaigning" to be bothered. Can't have that. Would be very bad.

[TroyD]

28. It really sucks how many storms there are in the U.S.

There were storms at the time of the Conventions this year too.

The outdoor speech had to be brought indoors in Charlotte because of weather.

Looks like Obama will be missing his Virginia appearance with Bill Clinton on Monday.

Is he still going to be appearing with Bill in Ohio & Florida?

[flamingdem]

30. moot point, we've got a tsunami, or 2 of them now as well

all on deck, or off deck if you're in the path!

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

31. He is the President

He has to make sure everyone in the country is ok. This is about more than a campaign. This is a serious situation that needs monitoring.

And oh yeah, if he DID screw up this situation, it could be really detrimental to his campaign. So there are political and practical considerations.

[NewsCenter28]

33. Its politically necessary-not to mention a huge boon to us

As a poster above stated, Mittens will look small and only concerned with obtaining his "holy grail" this week running from state-to-state like a chicken with his head cut off while President Obama directs the disaster prep and then the rescue and recovery operations not to mention visiting the disaster scene and comforting the victims. This will help to rally the nation to his side and then the unemployment report on Friday will send him surging to re-election on Tuesday.

[Hippo_Tron]

32. Seriously, were you asleep during Katrina?

As President you do not want to be video taped or photographed doing anything during a natural disaster that doesn't involve responding to the disaster. It doesn't matter if you can run disaster relief on Air Force One in between campaign stops. It still conveys to the country that your focus is elsewhere.

See W below...

[Jennicut]

34. Acting like an adult that has actual responsibilities while Mittens campaigns will be more favorable

to Obama then the rallies would. As someone in the storm's path, I appreciate him putting aside the appearances and concentrating on the storm. I was just reading a blog by Geoff Fox, a well known meteorologist in Connecticut for years. Been around since I was a kid in the 80's. Says this could be close to the 1938 Long Island Hurricane in terms of damage to the coast. Very scary stuff and making me more worried. I think a lot of us in the northeast will thank the President for staying on top of the storm.

[Maximumnegro]

37. R U F+cking kidding?

This is a contender for dumbest post of the week. Come on. This isn't Deep Impact, people. And he's not Morgan Freeman.

[octoberlib]

39. The President would be criticized if he didn't cancel.Rmoney has also cancelled campaign stops in VA

....SNIP..... For Romney, the upheaval of the coming storm means that rather than head to a state where most polls have shown a tight race with President Barack Obama – Virginia – he will now go to Ohio and appear with vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. The practical reality for both candidates is in dealing with the storm in a careful way. But Obama has the advantage of being able to visit storm-ravaged areas as president. Obama’s events Saturday were dotted with briefing calls related to the storm. .....SNIP......

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