I read today that Fox News reported that there have been more tornadoes under President Obama than under President Bush. I didn’t see that report, but if they really reported that, well, I guess that’s one way to produce levity under the circumstances. Because that’s pretty unintentionally funny, trying to accuse the president of being responsible for tornadoes. Maybe it’s all the left-wing media spin? Is that their reasoning? (I don’t much care for spin in either direction, but I’m pretty sure it’s not affecting the weather.)
But you know, as upset as I’ve been with some of these government scandals lately, and the excuse that nobody in positions of responsibility ever seem to know what’s going on in their own departments, when a natural disaster strikes, I’m really glad that President Obama is the president. Because one of the things he does best is make heartfelt speeches that reassure everyone that we’re all in this together. In the partisan bickering and one-upmanship that is Washington politics, it may not always feel like that, but nevertheless, President Obama never feels forced or fake when he makes a speech about our unity in the wake of the devastation of a community through a natural disaster.
Oh, but speeches are one thing, and actions are another. And in this area President Obama really talks the talk and walks the walk. He makes the time to fly to these communities, not for a photo op (although there are always plenty of those anyway), but to be there for the people. And even when it’s a community of far-right Republicans, just like with any other, the president shows up, he lets them know the government is there for them, he commiserates with them, he promises support, he talks to everyone he encounters, etc. (And the far right Republicans really appreciate it: you can see it in their faces.) And when he gets back to Washington, he makes it a priority to make the disaster relief available. That’s why Chris Christie was making nice with him after Hurricane Sandy. Some cried politics, and that Christie had to kiss his ass to get aid, and it was all about the election, but that’s just not so. President Obama may be a hardball politician, and I can get turned off by that, but he really cares about people in need. And he shines when stuff like these natural disasters occur. Because people need someone to care, and they need to feel like there’s a support network for them, and he makes them feel it, and he makes sure it’s there.
I may not always agree with President Obama on everything (How can anyone agree with a public figure on everything anyway?), and I may be pretty cynical about politics and politicians in general (and with good reason…), but I can’t fault him here. When disaster strikes, and people lose everything, he just has a way of knowing when to show up, what to say, and how to get the ball rolling to provide disaster relief. He’s aces when the chips are down. And he raises everyone’s spirits in such situations. And that’s a very important role for government to play. So while the Washington scandals may be a case for smaller government, since nobody seems to know what’s going on in such a big government, there’s at least a few areas where I think we can all agree we need a healthy government to help the people. (But I could use less of the oppressive stuff like the IRS partisanship scandal and the news spying and whistleblower prosecutions I’ve been reading about lately…)
