Four Divisive Ways Sandy Is About To Get Politicized

[American_Jihad]

Four Divisive Ways Sandy Is About To Get Politicized

11/2/12
James Poulos

Should Sandy be politicized?

I’ve got news for you: we’re already there.

And it’s no surprise, as Jonathan Chait points out: “Disasters are inherently political, because government is political, and preventing and responding to disasters is a primary role of the state.” Chait contends that Republicans can’t wall themselves off from “the consequences of their policies,” and that Democrats are “right” to politicize disaster response. I’d caution that Dems really don’t want to give the GOP a second look at elevating the federal emergency response bureaucracy to the top tier of the national security state pantheon.

More broadly, however, Chait follows convention in assuming that when we talk about the politicization of events and issues, what we’re talking about is how the two major parties will politicize them. Perhaps more interesting than how Obama and Romney will spin Sandy, however, are the ways in which American voters will make political sense of the storm. Here are five:

1. Run, Don’t Walk From Obama.
---
2. Rally ‘Round POTUS.
---
3. Cynicism Wins.
---
4. Waterlogged.
---

Put these four possibilities together, and what do you get? Weak Obama voters switching over to Romney. Weak Romney voters switching back to Obama. Strong voters in both parties more sure of themselves than ever. And weary, frustrated voters giving in to third-party escapes — or the ultimate escape of not voting altogether. Those are all the fixings for a close election, measured by percent of the popular vote. But they’re also the ingredients of a not-so-surprising-in-hindsight electoral college blowout. In that sense, Sandy’s political impact might be fittingly disastrous — a lopsided victory split right down the middle. Whoever wins in November will have the task of cleaning up that mess.

Four Divisive Ways Sandy Is About To Get Politicized - Forbes

 

[waltky]

Could the East Coast get hit by another punch Election Day?...

Round 2? Forecasters predict nor'easter may hit East Coast election day
November 01, 2012 WASHINGTON – Another messy -- and wintry -- storm may cause post-Election Day problems for an already weather-weary East Coast, forecasters say.

But meteorologists add that it's six days out, so that's rather early to get too worried. The forecast could change before it hits late next week. The National Weather Service's forecast center in College Park, Maryland, which watches winter storms, put out a long-range notice Thursday saying a nor'easter was possible for mid-Atlantic and New England states by Election Day through next Thursday.

Forecaster Bruce Sullivan said it wouldn't be as bad as Superstorm Sandy and isn't tropical. But it could include snow in interior New England and New York, beach erosion and high winds for areas hit by Sandy and moderate or heavier rainfall. Winds could be about 30 mph to 40 mph. "I wouldn't get too alarmed yet," Sullivan said. "But it's something we're going to be watching over the next few days and fine-tuning. Anything that could hamper clean-up efforts is something that could be watched."

The same European computer model that first noticed and correctly called Superstorm Sandy a week in advance has forecast this potential nor'easter to come along the East Coast and then hit, Sullivan said. Another computer model also said the same thing, but then lessened that chance, he said. Unlike Sandy, this doesn't have a tropical component. This would be a normal wet storm coming through land in the Southeast U.S. and going into the water, combining with cold air coming south from the Great Lakes and then curving back into the mid-Atlantic, Sullivan said.

The same high pressure system that blocked then-Hurricane Sandy from heading north and east out to sea like most tropical systems is likely to be part of the steering system that would take this storm inland to the same area Sandy struck, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director for the private service Weather Underground. The fact that it's six days out means "there's room for optimism," Masters said, but he added: "From what I'm Iooking at, there's a concern."

Read more: Round 2? Forecasters predict nor'easter may hit East Coast election day | Fox News

 

[American_Jihad]

Could the East Coast get hit by another punch Election Day?...

Round 2? Forecasters predict nor'easter may hit East Coast election day
November 01, 2012 WASHINGTON – Another messy -- and wintry -- storm may cause post-Election Day problems for an already weather-weary East Coast, forecasters say.

But meteorologists add that it's six days out, so that's rather early to get too worried. The forecast could change before it hits late next week. The National Weather Service's forecast center in College Park, Maryland, which watches winter storms, put out a long-range notice Thursday saying a nor'easter was possible for mid-Atlantic and New England states by Election Day through next Thursday.

Forecaster Bruce Sullivan said it wouldn't be as bad as Superstorm Sandy and isn't tropical. But it could include snow in interior New England and New York, beach erosion and high winds for areas hit by Sandy and moderate or heavier rainfall. Winds could be about 30 mph to 40 mph. "I wouldn't get too alarmed yet," Sullivan said. "But it's something we're going to be watching over the next few days and fine-tuning. Anything that could hamper clean-up efforts is something that could be watched."

The same European computer model that first noticed and correctly called Superstorm Sandy a week in advance has forecast this potential nor'easter to come along the East Coast and then hit, Sullivan said. Another computer model also said the same thing, but then lessened that chance, he said. Unlike Sandy, this doesn't have a tropical component. This would be a normal wet storm coming through land in the Southeast U.S. and going into the water, combining with cold air coming south from the Great Lakes and then curving back into the mid-Atlantic, Sullivan said.

The same high pressure system that blocked then-Hurricane Sandy from heading north and east out to sea like most tropical systems is likely to be part of the steering system that would take this storm inland to the same area Sandy struck, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director for the private service Weather Underground. The fact that it's six days out means "there's room for optimism," Masters said, but he added: "From what I'm Iooking at, there's a concern."

Read more: Round 2? Forecasters predict nor'easter may hit East Coast election day | Fox News

Could be waltky...