The presidential
candidates appear uncertain of how to respond to the turmoil caused by
Hurricane Sandy. Their reactions to this natural disaster will provide voters an
opportunity to judge the character and moral fibre of their candidates; an
important aspect of the election. As the
election date draws nearer, this unsuspected twist in the campaign has caused
both the incumbent and the challenger to modify their campaign agendas. At such a pivotal point in the election
process, both campaigns are treading carefully around the tragedy of the
hurricane, in an attempt to win over the electorate.
Indeed,
the public is anxious to know how the candidates will react. As party based notions of voting have been
declining since the 1950’s, the impact of direct actions of candidates becomes
more relevant (Barry et.
al 226). The current
candidate-centered ideology places increased value on character of a candidate rather
than their policies or partisanship (Barry et. al 223). This
shift in values, magnified by the last-minute nature of the event, leaves both
candidates in a precarious situation.
The campaign managers of both
candidates realize they are under much public scrutiny and pressure. This is evident in the expedient changes
implemented to the Obama and Romney campaigns.
While the Romney campaign is
continuing with its campaign in Ohio, it modified its rally to act as a
fundraiser for hurricane victims (Lemire). Although this may at first glance appear
innocent, the changes could be a ploy to attract sympathy from voters affected
by the hurricane. The rally starkly
contrasted hurricane aid with the usual republican videos and anti-Obama T-shirts
in the crowd (Barbaro, Shear). Perhaps
just the work of steadfast republicans, the intermingling of the two separate
causes detracted from solemnity of the issue, and made the hurricane aid seem a
rushed addition to a rehearsed act.
(Crowly)
Both Romney and Obama must be careful to avoid “playing politics with tragedy”(Lemire)
as such a moral taboo would reflect poorly on the candidate (Barry et.
al 223). If either candidate were
perceived by the public to be consciously using the hurricane to their
advantage, it would result in weaker support at the polls as suggested by the
notions of candidate-centered elections. This presents a delicate situation in
which candidates must gingerly support the victims of the hurricane without
appearing over-zealous.
President Obama’s campaign is taking a different approach in reaction to
Hurricane Sandy. Deferring to his role as president, the incumbent cancelled
his rally in the swing-state of Ohio, choosing instead to discuss the
government’s aid effort in the Situation Room (Dickerson). The president spoke to this campaign decision
this during a briefing, saying that he was “not worried at this point about the
impact on the election”, but rather the safety of Americans (qtd in Dickerson).
This admirable action of adhering to presidential duties during such a
pivotal time in the campaign has a dual purpose; it highlights his good-natured
and caring character while he is temporarily removed from the campaign, and advocates
the value of his character, which will increase his popularity (Barry et.
al 223). However, this tactic remains
a double-edged sword, which could prove fatal to the incumbent if the
electorate suspects he is stepping away from his planned schedule merely to
gain attention and public favor.
Although both presidential campaigns reacted differently to the hurricane,
both strategies revolved around promoting the candidates personal qualities.
Due to this candidate-centered approach, the importance of both parties’
platforms and proposed policies are being undermined. This is a reason both candidates will appear
to act virtuously and with seemingly selfless intent for hurricane victims for
the remainder of the campaign.
With little time remaining, it is responses of these politicians, not
their policies, which will have the greater impact. The strongest short-term force
that can affect an election is the candidates’ attributes (Barry et. al 223). The sudden hurricane forces both unprepared
candidates onto a public stage to try and out-perform one another, but they
must be careful to keep a somber undertone in all their undertakings in order
to appear earnest.
Barbaro, Michael, and
Michael D. Shear. "Storm Pushes Aside Presidential Politics,
Mostly." The New York Times. The New York Times, 30 Oct. 2012.
Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/us/politics/storm-pushes-presidential-race-from-spotlight.html?_r=0>.
Barry, Jeffrey M,
Jerry Goldman, Kevin W. Hula, and Kenneth Janda. The Challenge of
Democracy American
Government in Global Politics. United States: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.
Cooper, Michael.
"Hurricane Sandy Brings Obstacles Before Election." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 31 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/us/politics/hurricane-sandy-brings-obstacles-before-election.html>.
Crowley, Stephen. 2012. Photograph. The New York Times, n.p.
Dickerson,
John. "Today Hurricane Sandy Is the Most Important Woman in the Swing
States." Slate Magazine. Slate MAgazine, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 30
Oct. 2012.
<http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2012/10/hurricane_sandy_barack_obama_and_mitt_romney_are_trying_to_navigate_the.html>.
Lemire,
Jonathan. "Hurricane Sandy Plunges Presidential Race into
Uncertainty." NY Daily News. Daily News, 30 Oct. 2012. Web. 30
Oct. 2012.
<http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election-2012/election-uncertain-wake-sandy-article-1.1194976>.
