Obama and Christie Are No Odd Couple
There are times when governing is as governing does, when the blood-sport of politics receives a jolting transfusion of reality.
When dozens of people are dead, power is gone, clean water is scarce and roads are impassable, there are no optics. Pictures of politicians are tertiary to the actions of those in charge. In such times, Republicans and Democrats don't play bit parts in a media-contrived Neil Simon play.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and President Obama are not, in the context of the brutal indifference of Hurricane Sandy's fury, an odd couple. The Republican Christie is not Oscar Madison and the Democrat Obama is not Felix Unger, despite Christie's evident tendencies toward indulgence and Obama's toward fastidiousness.
Christie and Obama are chief executives beleaguered by a national crisis. It should surprise no one that they talked frequently before Sandy made landfall. It was one of the biggest storms ever seen on radar.
Christie didn't develop newfound respect for Obama or vice versa. They are governing actors in a federal system wherein states and the federal government coordinate disaster response.
Yes, there is a presidential campaign heading into a fateful final week. Sandy has intensified focus on Obama's temperament and demeanor in a crisis. That was happening before the Christie meeting and it will happen afterward.
To the degree the imagery of the two will last matters in the sense that Obama commanded the day as a president in action and owned the media space in a way he will not again until Election Day.
But it would be folly to think voters would view Obama and Christie's actions as ushering in a new wave of bipartisanship. Voters know better. They know the difference between a crisis and a two-act play. Read more
—Major Garrett
NATIONAL JOURNAL’S PRESIDENTIAL RACE REPORT
After Sandy, Candidates to Go Back on the Attack
[CBS News, 11/1/12] What has been a remarkable run of storm-related civility is now coming to an end. Obama is returning to the campaign trail Thursday with stops in Wisconsin, Nevada and Colorado, while Romney holds a trio of campaign events in Virginia.
Poll: Obama Getting High Marks For Sandy Response
[Washington Post, 10/31/12] Nearly eight in 10 likely voters say the president has done an “excellent” or “good” job dealing with Hurricane Sandy, according to the latest Washington Post/ABC News tracking poll.
The Economist Endorses Obama NEW!
[The Economist, 11/1/12] After the magazine enthusiastically endorsed Obama in 2008, the editorial board seems less thrilled this time around, writing they want to “stick with the devil it knows, and re-elect him.”
The Voting ‘Shame Game’ Goes Online NEW!
[National Journal, 11/1/12] The group behind this year’s wildly successful online protest of SOPA and PIPA has launched a Facebook app that will use public information to tell users which of their friends have voted. The app, designed to increase voter turnout, is “about public shaming.”
Polls: Obama Leads Romney in Mich., Iowa; Close Race in N.H., Wis.
[National Journal, 11/1/12] Obama holds 6-point leads over Romney in Michigan and Iowa, but only narrowly edges the GOP nominee in New Hampshire and Wisconsin, according to new polls. The Michigan poll shows the president gaining momentum, with Obama’s lead up from a narrow 3-point edge after the first presidential debate.
Opinion: What a Narrow Win Would Mean For Obama’s Second Term
[The New Republic, 11/1/12] William Galston writes that the election campaign has done nothing to prepare the American people for the choices on the “fiscal iceberg” that lies ahead. And while Obama isn’t solely to blame for this, he writes, the way he chose to run for reelection has made a bad situation worse.
What Your Favorite TV Shows Say About Your Politics
[BuzzFeed, 11/1/12] In an analysis of “likes” from thousands of Facebook users, a firm determined that The Weather Channel leans right, Game of Thrones leans left, while Seinfeld and CSI land smack-dab in the middle.
In Presidential Campaign Ads, Political Science Meets Excess
[Reuters, 11/1/12] The most expensive campaign in U.S. history (the presidential race has cost nearly $2 billion, out of a total $5.8 billion spent on elections this campaign cycle) has given analysts a high-profile chance to examine some simmering questions about campaign advertising.
7 Prognosticators With Good News for Nervous Obama Fans NEW!
[Mother Jones, 11/1/12] If you’re a Democrat who is freaking out about the election, the liberal magazine has rounded up several prognosticators – including, yes, Nate Silver – who are bullish on Obama's chances. At the conservative Washington Examiner, Timothy P. Carney predicts an Obama win.
Christie Dominates Post-Sandy Limelight Via TV, Twitter, and Obama
[National Journal, 10/31/12] New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Obama made quite the unlikely pair on Wednesday afternoon, boarding Marine One as fellow chief executives for a survey of the devastated New Jersey coast. In typical Christie fashion, he did not mute his personality or stick to a script.
Glitch Held Up Absentee Ballots
[Columbus Dispatch, 11/1/12] Thousands of absentee-ballot requests in Ohio may have been erroneously rejected statewide because county boards did not have up-to-date information on registrants’ addresses.
Voters in Philadelphia and its Suburbs Have an Extra Day to Seek Absentee Ballots
[Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/1/12] Election offices in Philadelphia, the suburban counties and most of the rest of the state will be open for an extra day so that Pennsylvania voters can seek last-minute absentee ballots if they are unable to get to the polls on Election Day.
Delaying Election Because of Sandy Would Face Legal, Logistical Hurdles
[Associated Press, 11/1/12] It could take days to restore electricity to millions of homes and businesses that lost power during the storm – potentially a major problem for precincts that rely on electronic voting. The AP offers some questions and answers about what’s possible when it comes to reworking Election Day.
Polls Point to a Racially Polarized Electorate
[Los Angeles Times, 11/1/12] More than three-quarters of blacks and Latinos support Obama, while a growing majority of whites are expected to vote for Romney. These widening margins could have repercussions beyond 2012, prompting both parties to recalibrate their messages.
In Dwindling Days of the Race, Romney Takes a Softer Tack
[New York Times, 10/31/12] There are no traces of Romney’s usual barbs in the dwindling days of the race. Instead, the GOP candidates promises to make frequent and personal outreach to the rival party a signature of a Romney presidency.
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