[worry]

Agreed. And anybody conducting the War on Terror -- whether they agree with it fully, in part, or not at all -- is walking a tightrope of strategic sense and political nonsense, because the "War" itself is inherently political, and terrorists are going to be the boogeymen (occasionally legitimately) for the foreseeable future. And while I don't know whether you're right or wrong, Gnaw, I do believe you're making an apolitical argument...which is why you're not connecting to HD's two-choices-only question.

[Vengeance]

I read this and smiled.

Christie and presidential politics

The presidential candidates have canceled all campaign events on Tuesday, but Republican New Jersey Chris Christie seemed to be stumping for President Barack Obama by appearing several networks to praise the federal response to Hurricane Sandy.

In an interview on NBC, Christie called Obama “outstanding” for expediting relief efforts. He also told MSNBC that Obama “deserves great credit.”

“He gave me his number at the White House and told me to call him if I needed anything,” Christie said.

The New Jersey governor even took his message to Fox News, saying that Obama had helped “tremendously.”

“I spoke to the president three times yesterday,” he explained. “He called me for the last time at midnight last night asking what he could do. I said, if you can expedite designating New Jersey as a major disaster area that that would help us to get federal money and resources in here as quickly as possible to help clean up the damage here.”

“The president was great last night,” Christie continued. “He said he would get it done. At 2 a.m., I got a call from FEMA to answer a couple of final questions and then he signed the declaration this morning. So I have to give the president great credit. He’s been on the phone with me three times in the last 24 hours. He’s been very attentive, and anything that I’ve asked for, he’s gotten to me. So, I thank the president publicly for that. He’s done — as far as I’m concerned — a great job for New Jersey.”

Fox News co-host Steve Doocy wondered when Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was going to get some of the same benefits from the hurricane with a photo op in disaster-stricken New Jersey towns.

“Over the last couple of months, you have appeared throughout the country, Governor, on behalf of Mitt Romney,” Doocy remarked to Christie. “[W]e hear that perhaps Mr. Romney may do some storm-related events. Is there any possibility that Gov. Romney may go to New Jersey to tour some of the damage with you?”

“I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested,” Christie replied, immediately shutting down the idea. “I’ve got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics and I could [sic] care less about any of that stuff.”

“I have a job to do,” he added. “I’ve got 2.4 million people out of power, I’ve got devastation on the shore, I’ve got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics then you don’t know me.

Raw Story (http://s.tt/1rm5A)

[Terez]

He's not stumping for Obama. He's stumping for Christie 2016.

[Vengeance]

Terez, on 30 October 2012 - 03:59 PM, said:

He's not stumping for Obama. He's stumping for Christie 2016.

He also isn't stumping for Romney.

[Gnaw]

I'm moving my replies ref: drone strikes et al to the America's relationship with the Islamic world thread.

[Terez]

Gnaw, on 30 October 2012 - 05:00 AM, said:

Damn. Flew into this thread to see if anyone had a comment on how/whether Sandy is going to have an effect on the elections.

It will be interesting to see if there is an effect. Romney is trying to hedge his FEMA comments by pushing the Red Cross and private contributions. It's a common Republican refrain, that government shouldn't step in to help in situations like this, that private charitable contributions should be sufficient because people feel better about helping when it's of their own free will. But while food and clothing etc. are helpful after disasters, they are far from sufficient. And while I have a lot of complaints about how disasters are handled both through government assistance and through distribution/application of charitable funds, they are the same sort of complaints I have about the military-industrial complex. There are serious infrastructure problems after a natural disaster; the Red Cross doesn't even come close to solving the problem. I think that massive rebuilding on the NJ barrier islands is probably a mistake, especially considering climate change and rising sea levels, but the luxury class will demand it. Optimally the middle class could sell their properties at a premium at times like these and get out of dodge—Chris Christie is in a position to make sure that happens—but I think there are fewer middle class property owners in the NJ Sandy equation than there were (and still are) in the MS Katrina equation. And of course NO was an entirely different situation, since more than coastal areas were affected.

[worry]

Romney not only blasted FEMA, but he is campaigning like hell today -- or as he calls it, appearing at "storm relief" events in Ohio -- in yet another absolutely tone-deaf screw-up.

Meanwhile, Chris Christie is basically sick of him (though still satisfied with self no doubt): http://videocafe.cro...-give-damn-abou

[Terez]

Eh, the right wing is going crazy over MSNBC's reporting on the Romney Canpaign event. I just hope Obama has the sense to stay out of it.

[Destiny]

Terez, on 30 October 2012 - 03:59 PM, said:

He's not stumping for Obama. He's stumping for Christie 2016.

That may be the case, but he's also nationally praising Obama right before the presidential election.



Also, apparently Romney has been trying to help by collecting items and such:

Quote

"Romney campaign will load storm relief supplies into Romney bus in Arlington Va today and will collect supplies at all VA victory offices"

https://twitter.com/...604002984882177



Only, apparently that's against what the Red Cross advises people to do:

Quote

"Unfortunately, due to logistical constraints the Red Cross does not accept or solicit individual donations or collections of items. Items such as collected food, used clothing and shoes must be sorted, cleaned, repackaged and transported which impedes the valuable resources of money, time, and personnel."

So it seems like Mitt Romney is being an absolute idiot again. It seems to me that if he really cared about the people (and not just appearing like he cared) he would do the responsible thing and start collecting money. But I guess we know that's not likely to happen. He probably just sees Sandy as an opportunity to get some votes.

[Terez]

By the way, that's the Canpaign event I was referring to in my previous post.

[worry]

So "canpaign" was a pun all along! I now enjoy it retroactively. Anyway, who cares that the right wing machine is angry about Romney being criticized? This is the quality of their message, and this is the quality of their messengers: http://thinkprogress...ts-obama-sandy/

[Destiny]

Terez, on 30 October 2012 - 09:59 PM, said:

By the way, that's the Canpaign event I was referring to in my previous post.

oh whoops I didn't notice that.

[Terez]

It was inevitable:

http://www.boston.co...tYzM/story.html

Romney loves FEMA now.

[Sindriss]

I would love if the metagame in politics allowed politicians to say: Look, I was trying to cut cost by slashing FEMA earlier, but in the light of new events, I am really impressed by the efforts of the government in Sandy and would now keep it as it is.

[Terez]

I hate that these highly populated areas are getting a taste of what Katrina was like...but at the same time, I think it's really quite interesting. Of course, they already went through 9/11, but this is something altogether different. Less loss of life, but more loss of property...and average, everyday people's property, and infrastructure they depend on. I'm not trying to be callous; I'm still living with the effects of Katrina, financially and emotionally, and so are thousands of others around me. Sandy might not have been as bad as Katrina, but in a way it doesn't matter because so many people were affected. Hurricanes have always been mostly a southern thing; rarely does the east coast (or the west coast for that matter) have to deal with a major one. I hate that it's happening, but at the same time it's nice to know that now they understand it on a personal level. I hope this starts a real conversation about climate change and the vulnerability of our coastal areas.

[D'iversify]

Terez, on 31 October 2012 - 11:31 PM, said:

It was inevitable:

http://www.boston.co...tYzM/story.html

Romney loves FEMA now.

Because the sign of a quality political candidate is going back on what they've said before for expediency's sake...

[worry]

[HoosierDaddy]

There are idiotic Democrats too. The crazy old lady saying Obama's an "atheist, Muslim, communist" is nice though.

Fucking Buddhists man.

[MTS]

Man, I just knew Obama was shilling for the Buddhist agenda!

HoosierDaddy, on 02 November 2012 - 01:26 AM, said:

There are idiotic Democrats too.

Indeed.

http://www.thedailys...ty-of-inclusion

This post has been edited by MTS: 02 November 2012 - 01:30 AM

[worry]

Yah yah, Democrats Phlegmocrats, I just got excited because this is the first video he's done for this election cycle it seems. I don't know why, since the Tea Party ones came relatively fast and furious a few years back.