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Subscribe to RSSNew Jersey Governor Chris Christie and President Obama talk after flying over damaged communities and talking with residents, saying they are determined to rebuild as quickly as possible.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has adamantly insisted that presidential politics are the furthest thing from his thoughts during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, though that hasn’t stopped some from filtering his praise for President Barack Obama through a political prism.
The pugnacious New Jersey governor, who supports Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney over Obama this fall (and delivered the keynote address at Romney’s nominating convention), has heaped effusive praise on Obama’s handling of Hurricane Sandy, the massive superstorm to wreak havoc in the northeast, and especially the Jersey Shore.
Larry Downing / Reuters
President Barack Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie talk with survivors of Hurricane Sandy in a community center while touring damaged areas in Brigantine, New Jersey, October 31, 2012.
“I want to thank the president for coming here today. It's really important to have the president of the United States acknowledge all the suffering that's going on here in New Jersey and I appreciate it very much,” Christie said this afternoon as he and Obama toured the devastation. “We're going to work together to make sure we get ourselves through this crisis and get everything back to normal.”
Obama was similarly complimentary, telling people at the Brigantine community center that Christie, who is up for re-election next year in deep-blue New Jersey, “is working overtime to make sure that as soon as possible everybody can get back to normal.”
The two appeared together, along with the New Jersey congressional delegation, following their tours to give similar remarks on camera.
Mitt Romney has continued to push full-speed ahead with his campaign in the battleground state of Florida this morning. The president's campaign team is charting the political course ahead while he tours some of the worst damage in New Jersey. Jen Psaki, Obama traveling press secretary, discusses.
The mutual praise is an outgrowth of both leaders’ handling of a natural disaster, but it coincides with a crucial juncture in the presidential campaign, with just days to go until Election Day. Obama is trying to preserve an advantage in swing states as Romney barnstorms the country in an effort to subsume the incumbent president.
Christie rebuffed suggestions on Tuesday that there were political implications to his work with the administration.
"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,” he said on Fox News. “If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics then you don't know me."
And the Romney campaign gave Christie a pass for his work with Obama on Wednesday, dismissing a question about whether the GOP nominee was annoyed by the New Jersey governor’s praise for the president.
“Gov. Christie's doing his job. He's the governor of the state that's been hit by a very, very horrific storm,” Romney adviser Russ Schriefer said in a conference call with reporters. “He's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing as governor of New Jersey. And the president is doing what he needs to be doing as president.”
That won’t necessarily stop observers from searching for political implications in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, especially so close to Nov. 6.
“I am hesitant to kind of make political calculations about the impact of an event that resulted in the deaths of 50 people and the loss of $50 billion in property,” senior Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod said on a separate conference call this morning. “This was a disaster of huge proportions, and the president is doing what his responsibilities require -- and that includes going to New Jersey, as is what he's done in the case of every major disaster during the course of his presidency, to offer the support of the people of our country, to tour the scene himself, to speak firsthand with the first responder and the elected officials at the scene.”
Reuters, Getty Images
In the final push in the 2012 presidential election, candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama make their last appeals to voters.
Obama will return to the campaign trail on Thursday after canceling three days’ worth of political events. And Romney on Wednesday was mostly tentative in attacking Obama, opting instead for a softer tone and words of encouragement for recovery efforts in the northeast.
Axelrod suggested that the storm essentially washed out several days of campaigning, during which point there was no movement in the jockeying between Romney and the president.
“Wherever you think this race is, it tended to freeze the race because people are focused on the storm,” he said. “That's what's been in the news; normally the election would have been in the news. So I think it's fair to say that that is the case.”
But as a series of polls suggest Romney is trailing in some battleground states, those days might also be crucial opportunities lost.
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Chris Christie kicked off his re-election campaign early today with some outward praise for President Obama's handling of emergency relief for Hurricane Sandy.
Christie in praising the President is looking to appeal to voters in New Jersey which is a Democrat majority.
Film at 11.
For Halloween, Willard is going to dress up like a man who tells the truth.
It won't be nearly as scary as his current costume is though.
Barry should dress up as Dumbo he has the ears and the record to show for it.
So Christie is doing his JOB and so is Obama. You on the left want to bitch and moan that Romney is collecting goods that the Red Cross does not want... Did you see that Romney was also asking for CASH donations to be given to the Red Cross in lieu of giving to his campaign? The canned goods and non perishables can be loaded in a truck and delivered to a number of food pantries (who I am sure will be more than happy for the assistance) in any of the areas hit by the storm.
Just like with Libya the Mittster jumps in BEFORE enough facts are known. He so wants to be seen as helping but it is better he stand back and let those who are in touch with reality handle the problems.
Fig -
The military swears allegiance to the United States, not to a president. So does the President for that matter.
Obama has failed in his duty to protect Americans to the best of his ability as have his underlings. He then lied - along with his administration - to try to cover up his incompetence (at the minimum, it may actually be much worse than mere incompetence).
Wish the parties could work together like this when the only crisis is the normal running of the country. Great job to both Obama and Christy..working together for the good of the citizens...wonderful.
It shouldn't take a natural disaster or crisis to bring our nation's leaders together.
Classified cable warned consulate couldn't withstand 'coordinated attack' REQUEST WAS MADE A MONTH BEFORE THE ATTACK IN LYBIA TO THE STATE DEPT FOR MORE SECURITY....NONE WAS GIVEN.
Governor Christy is acting more Presidential than Mitt Romney with regard to Sandy.
Great observation,Adler.....
Adler....it wouldn't matter to you what Mitt Romney did...you would find fault. You don't believe in the man's heart.....but that's your right. Many Americans however.....do believe in his heart. He didn't "jump in to early before the facts were known" as you put it in your earlier post.....he asked for donations and non-perishables to be collected. He canceled rally's and toned down the rhetoric while the storm and recovery where underway.
Yet....not good enough for you.....but that's OK....because he had absolutely NO CHANCE to get your vote anyways....but he still did what he felt was right to try and help the victims of this storm.
Oh.....and BTW.....he stayed the hell out of the way as well. He could have gone in to make it a photo op.....but he didn't, because he didn't want his entourage taking away from the resources assisting in the recovery, so he stayed the hell out of there.
Christie is sitting his stage up for 2016...
HONESTLY depending on his message and how he delivers it I'd at least look at Christie for the office because I know in a crisis he wouldn't waffle and he'd get the job done Mittens HA. Mittens is a loser whose never faced any kind of adversity he's a lightweight with no real morals or convictions he also comes across as supremley fake and arrogant. That and the entire retardican party has gone to the looney bin. I can see Christie actually standing up to Trump and some of the other birthers unlike Rommney I also don't see Christie as letting someone in an audience get away with calling the president a traitor and just standing there. Rommney went so far to the right it's insane.
It must drive Mitt [I don't believe a word of what I say myself] Romney crazy seeing Chris Christie praise President Obama so profusely. Gotta love it!
Updated as of 8:30pm EST on Wednesday, October 31 (Happy Halloween!):
With less than 124 hours left in the 2012 presidential campaign, Real Clear Politics has Obama leading in eight of their eleven toss-up states with Romney leading in three.
In descending order of 'percentage of lead' in favor of Obama, followed in ascending order of 'percentage of lead' in favor of Romney, here are the published averaged numbers from RCP as of 8:30pm EST together with the most recent FiveThirtyEight election night probabilities of victory for either candidate:
In PENNSYLVANIA, with 20 electoral votes, Obama's lead has fallen to 4.6%, down slightly from yesterday's 4.7%. Nonetheless, FiveThirtyEight currently gives Obama a 95.4% chance of winning here, up from yesterday's 94.2%.
In WISCONSIN, with 10 electoral votes, Obama's lead has risen to 4.0%, up substantially from yesterday's 2.3%. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Obama an 88.1% chance of winning here, up significantly from yesterday's 85.7%.
In MICHIGAN, with 16 electoral votes, Obama's lead has fallen to 3.0%, down from yesterday's 4.0%. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Obama a 97.9% chance of winning here, down slightly from yesterday's 98.1%.
In NEVADA, with 6 electoral votes, Obama's lead is holding at 2.4%. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Obama an 82.8% chance of winning here, up significantly from yesterday's 79.7%.
In OHIO, with 18 electoral votes, Obama's lead has risen to 2.3%, up slightly from yesterday's 2.1%. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Obama a 77.6% chance of winning here, up significantly from yesterday's 73.3%.
In IOWA, with 6 electoral votes, Obama's lead has fallen to 1.3%, down from yesterday's 2.3%. However, FiveThirtyEight gives Obama a 74.4% chance of winning here, up from yesterday's 73.9%.
In NEW HAMPSHIRE, with 4 electoral votes, Obama's lead has fallen to 1.0%, down from yesterday's 2.0%. However, FiveThirtyEight gives Obama a 75.4% chance of winning here, up significantly from yesterday's 70.3%.
In COLORADO, with 9 electoral votes, Obama's lead has risen to 0.5%, up from yesterday's tie. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Obama a 60.7% chance of winning here, up significantly from yesterday's 5.4%.
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In VIRGINIA, with 13 electoral votes, Romney's lead has risen to 0.5%, up from yesterday's tie. Interestingly, FiveThirtyEight currently gives Obama a 61.8% chance of winning here, up significantly from yesterday's 57.8%.
In FLORIDA, with 29 electoral votes, Romney's lead has fallen to 1.2%, down from yesterday's 1.3%. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Romney a 59.3% chance of winning here, down significantly from yesterday's 64.7%.
In NORTH CAROLINA, with 15 electoral votes, Romney's lead has risen to 3.8%, up from yesterday's 3.0%. FiveThirtyEight gives Romney an 82.0% chance of winning here, up from yesterday's 81.4%.
All in all, while Romney's position in six of the eleven toss-ups has improved over the past 48 hours, his chances of winning in four of these six (Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Virginia) has actually declined. This curious development is a function of Romney losing his race against the clock where his gains are simply not occurring quickly enough to make a difference.
In any case, in order for Obama to win re-election the least complex route appears to be through maintaining his current lead in the five toss-up states where his existing margins are widest (Pennsylvania at 4.6%, Wisconsin at 4.0%, Michigan at 3.0%, Nevada at 2.4%, and Ohio at 2.3%). Doing so would bring his electoral vote total on Election Day to 271. In this scenario, Obama could still surpass 270 while failing to hold Iowa, New Hampshire, and Colorado.
However, should Obama fail to hold Ohio, the loss could effectively be neutralized by any of the following combination of wins from states where FiveThirtyEight is currently predicting Obama victories:
Path #1: Obama loses Ohio but wins Iowa, New Hampshire, and Colorado resulting in 272 electoral votes.
Path #2: Obama loses Ohio but steals Virginia while also taking New Hampshire, Iowa, or Colorado resulting in 270, 272, or 275 electoral votes, respectively.
Interestingly, with Romney's lead having diminished significantly in Florida over the past two weeks and with Hurricane Sandy forcefully highlighting the stark contrast between the candidates regarding the value and necessity if not the mere existence of FEMA in a state which has perhaps the greatest dependence on federal storm relief efforts in the country, a 3rd path has now emerged which could provide for some interesting election night television:
Path #3: Obama comes from behind to win Florida. This scenario would require only that Obama win the three states in which his present leads are widest (Pennsylvania at 4.6%, Wisconsin at 4.0%, and Michigan at 3.0%), resulting in 276 electoral votes.
For Romney to unseat Obama, he not only would have to hold the three states in which he presently leads, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia bringing his electoral vote total to 248, but also steal a victory in Colorado where Obama's lead today rose to 0.5% and in Ohio where Obama's lead today settled at 2.3%. By so doing, Romney's electoral vote total would reach 275.
Should Romney fail to steal Ohio he could overcome this shortfall by capturing the four other states in which Obama's current leads are smallest (Colorado at 0.5%, New Hampshire at 1.0%, Iowa at 1.3%, and Nevada at 2.4%) resulting in an electoral vote total of 273.
In either scenario, however, Romney must hold Florida at all costs.
FiveThirtyEight, at present, estimates the chance of Election Day victory for each candidate as follows: Obama 77.4% - Romney 22.6%. FiveThirtyEight also projects that on Election Day the final electoral tally will be as follows: Obama 299 - Romney 239. Lastly, although it makes no difference in terms of the final result which can only be determined by the Electoral College, FiveThirtyEight currently predicts a national popular vote distribution on Election Day as follows: Obama 50.4% - Romney 48.5%.
With less than 124 hours of campaigning left, this one still appears to be going down to the wire.
If Romney was president today he would be telling all those who believe they are 'Victims' of this Hurricane that help will be coming as soon as some billionaire can figure out how to make a profit out of their misfortune. Eliminate FEMA and Privatize Disaster Relief.
B e
A boveboard
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N othing
I bet you had to think real hard to come up with that nonsense - or did someone else put that in your playbook?
So... Mr RomneyVoter... How much of a profit do you think some billionaire should make off of this disaster? I know you think like Mitt Romney and believe that disaster relief should be privatized. So would you object to some billionaire making $200 trillion off of this disaster? Lets make that tax free. We know you want that too. Right?
I sure bet those who believe that they are 'Victims' of this Hurricane sure are glad Obama is president and not Mitt Romney. If you just lost everything would you want the president to allow some billionaire to be in charge of price gouging for disaster relief? Privatize FEMA is the Romney method of disaster relief.
Wouldn't it be great if we could let Romney and the Koch Brothers have a huge tax cut by allowing Donald Trump to price gouge for disaster relief? Romney would get to keep so much more of his money if those who just lost everything had to pay a 2000% overhead for disaster relief.
There is an email going around, asking you to sign a petition to windbag crazy hair Trump, asking him to donate those 5 million he promised Obama if the President presents some papers, already in the public domain, to the victims of Sandy.
How about it Donald, let's see those 5 millions bucks going to the victims instead of posturing and asking the President to show God knows what, just to satisfy your giant ego.
How about Romney bringing some of his millions in foreign accounts to the U.S. and donating them to the victims?
I have a couple of bridges for sale.
Romney and Trump are not looking to donate their wealth to disaster relief... They want to privatize disaster relief so they can make money off of natural disasters and suffering masses who just lost everything.
Precisely, that's why they are Repugnicans!
As an independent both Obama and Christie should be admired on both sides of the party lines and both sides should learn from these 2 men what working together is all about. Should both parties work together like this in Congress in comprising to make the United States a smoother and more prosperous country for all of the population the national debt would come down and employment would go up.
Based on all the newspaper articles and listening to Romney over a period of time I do not trust him and or his word. Were Christy running in this election my vote would go to him over Obama for his more straight shooting talking but he is not and my trust in Obama is far greater than Romney and therefore he gets my vote.
Obama has not been perfect in the past 4 years however his successes outweigh his mistakes. When voting, there is no one who is "God" and have to appreciate whoever gets in will not be able to keep all their pledges for whatever reason but the question is who will do their best to keep and fulfill as many as their promises that they made..for me Obama. Romney has flip flopped so many times during the campaigne and his desire to keep the taxes for the rich the same just does not make sense in these economic time no matter how he explains it. The rich should not be getting richer and the poor getting poorer that is how I hear Romney and his running mate.
It's a sad state of affairs when a failed and incompetent president gains momentum in the election merely doing what his job calls for.
With this mentality, folks are saying...see Mr. President, we knew you could do it, I'm gonna give you 4 more years regardless of your failure the first 4.
Disgusting and unbelievable.
What would Romney be doing right now other than telling those who just lost everything... I feel your pain and if you didn't just lose everything some billionaire would be selling you a rescue package. Too bad you don't have any cash on hand to pay for your rescue right now!
Kkwilson, do you mean that when Bush went to Ground Zero, when he went to the "Mission Accomplished" aircraft carrier, when he went (as late as he could) to Katrina, he was NOT doing it to GAIN MOMENTUM?
That war criminal couldn't care less about suffering or tragedies, otherwise he would have hanged himself from a tree for the thousands of deaths he caused.
You are right: DISGUSTING AND UNBELIEVABLE.
kkwilson -- The TPers in Congress have been collecting their paychecks for the last two years for doing absolutely nothing except obstructing every idea and every piece of legislation that could help this country, in an effort to defeat Obama. Contrast that with Obama and Christie's cooperation in helping hurricane victims and that's what people are noticing. Everyone is surprised that a Republican can put politics aside and work with a Democrat. The contrast with the Republican congress is blinding. I haven't heard Obama and Christie patting themselves on the back and suggesting they're doing anything above and beyond what their jobs call for. Your comments are trying to stir up a phony, nonexistent controversy. Are you repeating what you heard on Limbaugh?
In -
The Tea Partiers have been doing exactly what they were sent to Congress to do - try to put the brakes on some of the runaway spending by this administration.
Tammy -- They were given orders to make Obama a one-term president. McConnell came out and admitted it -- have you forgotten? Just one example of many: If the Repubs were serious about getting rid of debt, why won't they pass a jobs bill, which would put people to work, give them more money to spend and put back into the economy and bring in more tax revenue? The roots of the runaway spending started with GWB, who inherited a surplus and quickly squandered it on his and Cheney's pet projects such as tax breaks for the wealthy and an unnecessary war.
Do gay Mormons get to marry multiple gay partners?
Ohio Legitimate Rapists for Romney / Ryan.
It's OK when it's God's will................ Thanks Mitt!
So... If Romney gets elected and privatizes disaster relief... How are those who just lost everything going to pay for their rescue? I can see a family about to lose everything in a crisis... Forget about the kids... save the checkbook... Romney is president.
Under a president Romney, after he privatizes disaster relief... Will a banker be riding in every rescue helicopter to make sure victims that have their credit cards get rescued first?
Or you could just move to one of your other houses like Mitt.
How is that car elevator?
How is that car elevator?
Fine. It goes down to the family submarine. What? You don't have one of those!? 47%'er!
After Mitt Privatizes disaster relief... College Students who get stuck in a natural disaster can ask their parents for the money it takes to purchase a rescue.
Hey can'taffordnomore We can't afford Romney in the White House. As much as I don't like Obama, he is much better for the veterans of this country. I know Obama didn't serve in the military, but I don't think old Willard did either. All Willard is trying to do is please his backers in the Military Industrial Complex. And that is at the expense of the tax payers.
Tom -
Obama claims he is helping veterans when his actions are pulling the rug out from under them. Do you realize that he wants to increase the fees for Tricare as much as 3 times? He is also cutting back the manning to about half of where we currently are. Our military is nowhere near where it should be - from a strategic point - since Clinton cut the military. Why else do you think we had to rely on 'contractors' so heavily in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Unlike Romney's photo-op, this isn't the first time president Obama has had to react to a natural disaster crisis. You people on the right take notice. Last year we dealt with republicans trying to politicize disaster relief by wanting to go through a process to offset cost before helping people. Before helping the Americans they want to vote for them. Romney said that he wanted to do away with FEMA during the primary debates, and even said that it would be better if the private sector handled everything. Where would that leave those unable to pay private contractor charging inflated prices for there services? How would state government contend with not just the enormous cost of clean-up, but also rebuilding if it were left not just on their shoulders alone, but also at the highest cost model imaginable? What is it you people on the right believe makes for a strong nation? A leader like Romney with his fake food drive where all the food will probably end up in dumpsters after his campaign event? Or a leader who not only takes a proactive roll in providing help and relief, but also takes the time to allocate the resources actually asked for and needed?
Get off the embassy attack you trolls unless you want to criticize the multiple embassy attacks during the Bush administration. Nothing works out 100% like you would like, but the attacks on the president on which republicans record is much much worse is just another sign of desperation and not real talking points. It's fodder to rile up the ranks, but holds little weight except with those who hate Obama for who he is, not because of what he has or hasn't accomplished. Mad about Gitmo? Look to congress, not the president. Obama made attempts to close Gitmo. It was republicans who scoffed at that and fought against any legislation to do so. Mad about the lack of a comprehensive jobs bill? Blame republicans who's only input on the matter is lower taxes still on the top earners and a pipeline from Canada to the gulf carrying not only the most toxic form of oil imaginable, but oil that will never touch American soil except in spills. Romney started his campaign with the McCain quote that was taken out of context and framed as if Obama said those words (well he did when quoting McCain), and Romney not only defended his dishonesty, but said the crazy line about sauce for gooses and ganders. If that doesn't clarify the level of dishonesty with this man, the rest of his campaign that has been just as dishonest, so dishonest in fact that his most prominent republican advocates have had to repeatedly call him out on, than you people can't have Americas best interest at heart. There is no perfect candidate, but there are for sure a lot of really bad ones. And the one that everyone on the right loathed just a year ago is in the home stretch doing all of the same things that turned off so many on the right before and during the primaries.
One last point that has to be mentioned is military spending. With all of the talk about how much we've spent and continue to spend on the wars over in the middle-east, how can you logically make a case for continuing the same level of war spending when one war is ended and the other is winding down? If you don't want all the extra spending to continue on the wars, what's the rationale for spending on the military at the same level or more after the wars are ended? Do you people have a scrap of logic to your reasoning at all?