Hurricane Sandy aftermath: While Barack Obama campaigns New Yorkers starve
In an attempt to prove to Americans that he would not repeat President Bush’s mistakes after Hurricane Katrina Barack Obama suspended his campaign (and didn’t he mock John McCain in 2008 for suspending his campaign to deal with the economic collapse, stating that presidents needed to be able to multitask?) in order to take the lead on Hurricane Sandy to prove that he could “look presidential” for a couple of days when he wanted to–unlike when the situation in Benghazi was unfolding.
For a couple of days Barack Obama showed us all that he truly cared about the plight of Americans who were affected by this disaster, going so far as to fly over the devastated areas while promising to cut through all the red tape of the bloated federal government on this one occasion.
But for all of his blustering–and Chris Christie’s blubbering–once the photo ops were over and he thought there was nothing left for him to gain he decided it was mission accomplished. Despite his promise that he wouldn’t leave Americans behind (again, what about Benghazi?) Barack Obama quickly left New Jersey and New York behind to do what he truly feels is most important–campaign.
Yet nothing really was accomplished was it? As Barack Obama campaigns New Yorkers are now digging through dumpsters for food, there is no gas and no electricity, there are reports of armed skirmishes with the National Guard, and for many people the world has been turned upside down and there doesn’t appear to be any help on the horizon.
I ask you what is the difference between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy other than the fact Barack Obama articulated his sympathy much better than President Bush did? The results appear to be the same although you wouldn’t know it if you based your opinion on the reporting in the mainstream media.
Perhaps we now know why Mitt Romney feels disaster relief is best left to the states and to the localities…..they actually might care about the people a little bit more.
America's Watchtower 
FEMA was ineffective during Katrina and will be ineffective in the aftermath of Sandy. Romney has it right, these efforts should be turned over to the states with the funds coming from the feds. The Red Cross and other such organizations are providing more relief at this time. Sure the Feds will send out checks, and eventually get on the ground relief to those in need, but until that time state and private groups must carry the load. There is little any president can do when he must rely on those in FEMA—-its not their fault, but the awkwardness of a central governmental agency that is totally disconnected from those needing the help. I didn’t blame Bush for the early failures during the Katrina recovery as I had witnessed this many times before as hurricanes ravished the Gulf Coast. And quite frankly I place little blame on Obama for the misery that will come in the next few days in NY and NJ. The blame is with the bureaucrats in FEMA and the organizational guide lines installed by politicians who know nothing about disaster relief short of writing checks.
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Well said ROn! This is what happens when you rely on a bloated federal agency for relief and it doesn’t really matter what you promise as the president, government simply is inefficient and we are seeing it once again. This is what Mitt Romney was saying and Sandy is proving him to be right.
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As you said yesterday, he took center stage on Sandy so he gets to have the good and the bad that comes out of the aftermath. Actions have consequences.
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Exactly Jim, he now owns what is happening in New York even though he really can’t do anything about it because he promised to do something about it. We knew he couldn’t but there are many people out there who thought this would be different then Katrina when they saw Obama sitting in the situation room.
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@Ron FEMA’s original mission was to ONLY write checks. FEMA was probably the worse named agency in the Federal Government. They were there to manage the financial side of an emergency after the local agencies were overwhelmed financially, not to actually be involved emergency mitigation. That was always the responsibility of local agencies because they would be better in tune to what the problems are locally. And then the politicians got involved and the predictable result is what we have now. They couldn’t run a whorehouse in Nevada why would we think they can fix a disaster.
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Like all federal agencies and programs FEMA grew out from its original intent and now we are seeing another ineffective, bloated agency which might have been set up with good intentions being totally useless when they are most needed.
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Color me surprised, well put! Are people without shelter being offered places to stay, there are many people in CT and Long Island with homes & power.
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First of all, the heat President Bush took for the Katrina response was completely undeserved. No offense to the people in New Orleans, but they ignored all the warnings of the coming storm and their own response, which should have began before the first storm cloud appeared on the horizon, was terrible. That wasn’t Bush’s fault. They just needed a scapegoat for their inadequacies and the media chose Bush.
As for President Obama, I have no doubt the only reason he is acting Presidential is for political purposes. He has shown a callous disregard for our military by leaking classified information for political purposes. What makes us think he is acting any differently with his response to Sandy?
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I couldn’t agree more Larry, Bush took heat when most of the blame should have fallen on the governors, but if we are to hold Obama to the same standards he has failed also except in his attempt to look presidential for a couple of days before the election.
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Excellent & well put!
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Anyone want to bet that we will hear very little about the suffering until after the election? Few understand how government works and FEMA is a great example.
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B, you think this might be one of the reasons that Romney said he wants to get rid of FEMA? The outcry was pretty good on that one, and now look what a great job they are doing, again. As for Obama, it was a day or two of photo-ops in the command center and out with the Gov. on the beach walk for more photo-ops and then back to his usual campaigning. I am hoping with the tempers and the anger that is starting out there, it will be well placed this time. He is all talk and no action, he has proven that.
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I’ve always wanted to know why FEMA has been militerized and given police powers?
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Inquiring minds want to know, Jim?
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This is getting very interesting. The timing is perfect. Now a Marathon run in NYC with generators powering the media. We must just have won the election.
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Yes proven over and over, let’s get Romney in — hope you all can still vote with all this mess! God bless you, and may God bless America! Stay safe & hopefully people will reach out to help!
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So far it doesn’t seem to be getting much press, does it? These people are not going to get the coverage they deserve because the MSM is too worried about getting Barack Obama reelected.
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If I remember correctly, the majority of the problem with Katrina was that New Orleans just didn’t have enough transportation to get the people out with. Partly local gov fault, the rest you can blame on idiocy I guess, many people didn’t want to go….
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Sonny, didn’t they have buses that were under water that could have been used? I hold Ray Nagin responsible for that, he was ALOT to blame for what happened there.
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I still remember that picture very well.
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The transportation was there but it wasn’t utilized, I still remember the picture of all the unused buses underwater because they weren’t put into action.
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I remember that now too. Maybe they were claiming not enough drivers? I know they had some excuse for this….
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I don’t remember what the excuse was, but I am sure they had some lame reason but I chalk it up to ineptitude.
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I am at ground zero, day five, here in Bergen County, NJ. No electricity, nearly no gasoline- what is available is rationed to $10 per gas can only, no automobiles, lines 1-3 miles long at most locations. Food stores are empty. Is this being reported out there? let me know.
That tub of shit known as Chris Christie, fawning over Obama, seems to be setting up the 2016 campaign. If he believes he can defeat the Clinton machine he would have a better chance of banging Jenny Craig.
The only plans to deal with this catastrophe we’ve heard of so far are portable voting booths mounted on military trucks to accommodate voters in NY & NJ- git er’ done.
My neighborhood has been luckier than most if you call eight hours a day on a generator (.just enough to keep the refrigerator cold and the sump pump on the ready lucky).
Obama andChristie should name there two man act “The Bluster and Bullshit Tour.”
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Well if Chris is going to run in 2016, it may be against obama if he wins this round. I’m starting to find articles speaking of obama covertly taking apart the 22nd amendment.
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That will be step one right before he dissolves both houses of congress.
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Somehow I don’t find this to be surprising, he really does love the power he has and he isn’t going to want to give it up.
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It is being reported on Drudge and Fox but that is about it, the others are only worried about making Obama look good. I hope and pray that your life is returned to normal and appreciate the fact that you still manage to make it to my little corner of the internet. I think Christie must be positioning himself for 2016 but I don’t see how this helps him with Republican voters.
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I didn’t have power and when I heard on the radio from Christie that “Obama is all over it” I was very glad, even though I knew it was for “campaign” purposes, was still glad for NJ! Then I saw a bit too much of praise for Obama from Christie, then I got my power back on & now see what a disaster NYC & NJ are in!!! How can people who have shelter & power help???????????
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“what is the difference between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy”
The La. governor didn’t ask for help right off and so Bush COULD NOT respond until he did! THAT is the law!
NOMObama grabbed at the chance to get a free photo op. Other than that, the only thing he can do is declare the state of emergency. The rest is up to FEMA, and we ALL know how great they are at their job. Ya, RIGHT!
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You are so right about Bush, he couldn’t step in until he was asked to and if he did then the media and the Dems would have accused him of overstepping his authority. He couldn’t win no matter what he did.
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I’m here in NJ, driving for the first time in five days. The gas lines are beyond belief. Roget about electricity and gasoline, there is no help forthcoming thus far for the displaced miserable a in NY & NJ; no food, no water, no shelter, no help. Photoopobama and his friend Porky are useless as a prick on a priest. Pretty much all available police are acting as security at gas stations to stop and prevent motorists from killing each other. And let’s not forget Obama-Christie-Cuomo allowing the unions to turn back non-union out of state repairmen and technicians. That’s enough for now , gotta’ go start up the generator.
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But I thought Obama said he would leave no Americans behind? I guess his actions don’t mirror his rhetoric. Hang in there!
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What else is new?????!!!!!! If people vote for Obama they are blind, wake up America! Open your eyes! What can people do to help??? That is the American way, let’s help! I’m calling the Red Cross to find out!
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I have experienced an outage with ice and sever cold and winds for days, different, but the same, as well. We could not even get out on the roads if the power lines had not been on the ground, because of the ice. Luckily we prepared the best we could and had the generator running to keep certain things going at the house and had food and the well. I guess we just did not expect any help from the state or the government and as expected, we didn’t get it. We had the power company and cable company doing what they do best in bad weather and some from out of state came in to help. We relied on helping each other out, as I am sure you are doing right now. To think that FEMA or the president is going to come in and make things all better is at best a pipe dream, they make a good show of it, but then the media moves on and you are forgotten. So, best to make your preparations for these times and take care of it yourself, because in the end you are the ones dealing with it. I hope things get better in the very near future, we all want “normal” in our lives and can only take so many days of stress. Take care of you, Pmc3.
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And that is the difference between you and many people Lou; you were prepared to make it on your own where so many of these people are dependent on the government to pull them through.
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The peanut sized billionaire lefty liberal. elitist mayor of NYC called off the marathon. I can’t wait to hear his non-apologetic convoluted reason for doing so…. Um um um
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He underestimated the backlash because, after all, liberals are never supposed to be questioned so he wasn’t used to it.
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I also heard that the sponsors and people running the marathon were donating all they were going to use to help the people there in the damaged areas. There are people that have common sense, not all are like the Mayor. All he could see is that he had the marathon and it would be a money maker, guess he has a one track mind. Even the runners could see that it would be WRONG to take supplies away from the ones that needed it the most. I commend them for calling it off, the Mayor, guess he was forced into doing it, so no thanks to him.
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It is a relief to know their is a sense of right and wrong circulating amongst the marathon crowd excepting of course that piece of human oafle Bloomberg and ex- Mayor for life Ed Koch. That old bastard of a Jew for Obama typical self hating ultra liberal New Yorker yesterday pontificated on Bloomberg’s courageous decision to proceed with the race as it would start in the obliterated borough of Staten Island. The race would gladden and uplift the half million + on the island while they scrounge for food, water, clothing and shelter.
Sadly after dumpster diving for their breakfast on November 6th the majority of Manhattanites and New Yorkers everywhere will cast their ballot for the nowhere to be found president, the leader of the government, the man who could have directed aid via FEMA but thus far hasn’t to help his hoards of suffering liberal acolytes. Ignorance is as blissful as self hatred I guess.
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Well, no one said they were smart. It doesn’t take much intelligence to know if someone drops the ball on a major situation, maybe you better remove that person from authority. I am thinking if it were ME, that might stick in my mind, the lack of help, when I went to the polls, but that is me. I can see there is absolutely no love lost for Bloomberg on your part, and it is rightly deserved. Some people need to use their brain once in awhile, appears he rarely does, only think with his wallet. You are on the right track with your thinking, hope others follow suit. Take care.
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Instead of focusing on getting help for the people, he is on tv stating he still thinks it would have been a good idea to have the marathon; what are these leaders doing? He should be asking everyone to help that possibly can and advocating for the suffering people — oh & by the way, where is our fearless leader and fake promiser Obama? ?????
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It’s almost mystical, the difference in the NYC air from when Rudy Giuliani was mayor and the last 12 years of this saw-offed opportunist Bloomberg. As crime increases incrementally and the size of soft drinks decreases NYC is visibly and spiritually changed. The liberal rhetoric solves nothing but most NYers go through a rite of passage as they reach voting age which they cannot seem to shake over the course of their lifetime. The exception was in 1993 when even the liberals were overwhelmed by the negative effects of the first black mayor, the guy who hung out at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens, NY, while the city figuratively burned, David Dinkins.
Wait till 2013 when the next cavalcade if impotent democrats fight for the office…the only thing missing will be the clown car.
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Bloomberg definitely seems to have his priorities in the wrong order and I hope and pray that someday New Yorkers will see the error of their ways.
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