Hurricane Sandy proved to be one of the greatest, and unexpected, twists to the 2012 Presidential campaign. The unfortunate natural disaster posed the opportunity to illustrate how each presidential candidate reacts in times of trouble.
I’ve always believed that a person’s true character is shown not how they act when things are going well, but how they react in times of chaos and turmoil. A true leader does not crumble under adversity, but rather rises up and comes together. We are America: the greatest, strongest country in the world. In times of trouble, we need a leader who will bring our country together and remind us of this.
Each candidate’s response paralleled clearly with their political philosophies. Obama immediately turned to government as the solution by making calls to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), whereas Romney looked to more personal relief efforts by turning a rally in Ohio into a “storm relief event” and holding a canned-food drive.
But, here’s the big looming question: Who responded better?
Obama’s response to hurricane is a perfect example of why he shouldn’t be re-elected. His response displays everything that is wrong with our country and his administration. Whenever something goes wrong, Obama automatically turns to government as the solution. Government is not the solution, Obama, government is the problem.
Of course, as soon as Obama got word of the storm his first inclination is to make visits to the headquarters of FEMA and the Red Cross, which is fine. But, why not do something more personal? If he had time to make visits to these headquarters, don’t you think that is enough time to make visits to places in New York City and New Jersey, where homes were washed away, left without power and food. Neighborhoods in New York were left burned completely to the ground.
Images of these towns left my eyes filled with tears and stomach in knots.
President Ronald Reagan famously stated:
“We’ve gone astray from first principles. We’ve lost sight of the rule that individual freedom and ingenuity are at the very core of everything that we’ve accomplished. Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.”
Obama should really take these words to heart. Yes, programs like FEMA and the Red Cross are wonderful programs for protection and relief efforts, but that does not give him an automatic pass to do nothing else. He should still be privately working with the victims to help rebuild lives that were figuratively and literally washed away in the disaster of Hurricane Sandy.
Obama’s arrogant attitude is disgusting to me. Although he did make a visit to New Jersey a couple days after the storm, it’s all a show to me. All he cares about is doing a photo shoot with Chris Christie and getting printed in People magazine.
That’s Obama’s main problem. It’s impossible to teach an individual how to genuinely love and care about our country, its people, and what we are all about. Obama is on a mission to change our country by constantly spending money, reforming healthcare, and trying to make government greater, bigger, and stronger. We live in the greatest country in the world, founded on the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Why change that?
One of the media’s favorite pass times was to insult every little thing President George W. Bush did wrong. I’m not going to sit here and argue that Bush was the greatest president our country has ever had, but he is not the villain that the media portrays him to be. He is only human and we all make mistakes. One thing about Bush, however, that I want to make clear is his tremendous, passionate love of our country and its people. I bet you didn’t read much about bike rides that he would go on with the troops, or multiple visits to Afghanistan, one being a Thanksgiving feast, or how the media didn’t even report that President Bush visited victims of the Fort Hood massacre in 2009, and was there within 3 hours. Do you think Obama would ever give up a candlelit, gourmet Thanksgiving dinner in the White House for a Thanksgiving in the middle of the desert in Iraq eating turkey and stuffing off paper plates? Doubtable. That, ladies and gentlemen, is our problem.
In addition, after September 11, one of the most extreme disasters our country has ever seen, Bush responded immediately. Bush immediately brought generators down to ground zero to get power as quick as possible. Now, here we are, nearly a week later after Sandy, and people in New York and New Jersey are still left without food, water, and electricity.
The mayor of New York City at the time of the September 11 attack, Guiliani, was absolutely outraged and disgusted by Obama’s response to hurricane Sandy. Stating, “It’s disgraceful what he’s done. “What good is his FEMA if they can’t get the generators to the people who don’t have electricity? What good is FEMA if they can’t get water to people? What good is FEMA if they can’t get food to people?”
I don’t know what other proof you need to show how government and government programs are unsuccessful. Our country cannot handle another four years of this. I know the election is over now, and a majority probably voted for Barack Obama. But, maybe next time you’ll take a step back before placing your vote and look at the bigger picture: the future of our country. A future that might not have the opportunity to grow up with the privilege of liberty if our government keeps expanding.
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