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President Obama comforts a storm victim while touring damage in New Jersey. (AP image)

Should the hurricane pictures affect your vote?

BY Dave Ross  on November 1, 2012 @ 8:23 am (Updated: 10:04 am - 11/1/12 )

No question, President Obama's video has been more compelling than Mitt Romney's lately - Marine One flying over devastated beaches versus a political rally in Florida? No contest.

But is an undecided voter going to look at this and say "I'm so moved by Marine One, he's got my vote!"

There's a commentary on CNN today by former correspondent Frida Ghitis, who's covered disasters all over the world, and now works on her own as a consultant, and she lists a bunch of examples of leaders who looked great during disasters until they became disasters themselves.

She writes that in Thailand, the same prime minister who led the recovery after the massive Tsunami in 2004 and boldly rejected outside aid, won his election in a landslide, but then tanked and now lives in exile.

The Japanese prime minister who led the earthquake response there, and even dressed like a relief worker ended up resigning.

And she has similar stories about disasters in Peru and Chile.

Of course America is not Thailand or Japan or Peru or Chile. The President isn't jumping onto bulldozers. In fact, I heard him actually lowering expectations:

"I don't want anybody to feel that somehow this is all going to get cleaned up over night. We want to make sure that people have realistic expectations," Obama said after touring storm damage.

Photos from the tour

But her point is the election ought to be about the direction of the country for the next four years, not about who's best at commiserating with victims.

And she's right. But what's encouraging to me about the last few days and especially this mutual embrace between the President and Chris Christie is that at least it actually does seem like an authentic outbreak of bipartisanship. It's just too bad it took four years and a Superstorm to make it happen.

Dave Ross, KIRO Radio Talk Show Host
Dave Ross is co-host of The Ross & Burbank Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 9-Noon) and never too far from the spotlight.
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Comments (25)


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  • Roark wrote...
    Political photo op
    November 1, 2012 11:21 am
    This is just a photo op by a presidential candidate. Where's Andrea Mitchell to criticize him for an obvious political stunt? Oh, that's right it's Obama...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    Don't you just
    November 1, 2012 11:47 am
    Love that photo of the POTUS!!!1 I do. Way to act like a human being.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • roomtemp wrote...
    No, hurricane pictures don't affect my vote...
    November 1, 2012 11:47 am
    Writing executive orders, while people are distracted during a hurricane, that grant governmental security authority to private parties run by 'steering committees' affects my vote. Combine this order with language in the NDAA and you can send in the brownshirts.

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/10/26/executive-order-establishing-white-house-homeland-security-partnership-c

    Always pay attention to what the left hand is doing. Not that it matters much anymore. This stuff is enough to make the KGB blush. I guess I shouldn't expect any different from a president whose first signed EO was to restrict access to presidential records.

    Thanks for bringing us the hard news Dave. Carry on with your photo story of the fascist in chief.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zoeller wrote...
    sportsguru- You left out the mile long list of-
    November 1, 2012 3:07 pm
    Americas enemies that Obama also hugs, bows down to as he kisses their back sides.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    Zoeller
    November 1, 2012 3:27 pm
    And who might they be Zoeller, and try to be specific. Who are these enemies that he has hugged and kissed. Only enemy that I know he has kissed is Osama Bin Lama, he kissed him with hot lead to the head. Any other examples?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }