Like Hurricane Ian about to collide with Florida’s gulf coast, sometimes weather and politics collide during election season and produce some fascinating storylines.
Hurricane season in the Atlantic always arrives during the most intense run-up to Election Day, usually in September and October. The end result can sometimes be informative in terms of watching political rivals, often state and federal officials, put differences aside to focus on the task at hand in terms of storm preparation and disaster readiness.
In recent days, with Florida battening down for an impending category 5 hurricane landfall, the White House has been in touch with several officials from the state but, as of Tuesday afternoon, had decided to forgo a phone call between President Biden and Gov. DeSantis.
As of Tuesday evening, some were calling out the Biden administration wondering why DeSantis was handed off to the FEMA director instead of speaking to the man in charge. An article in National Review called Biden “petty” and “small” for such a move:
Now, with Florida under threat from Hurricane Ian, the director of FEMA has spoken with Florida governor Ron DeSantis but confirms that Joe Biden hasn’t — even though Biden has spoken to two Democratic mayors (as well as a Republican mayor who has done appearances with Charlie Crist, DeSantis’s Democratic opponent). Biden was planning to do an event of his own this week to help Crist’s campaign.
As Business Insider notes, the silence is unusual: “Presidents and governors typically hold a phone call at a time of natural disasters so presidents can offer federal support and bipartisanship,” and Biden last year was willing to meet with DeSantis following the Surfside building collapse. So, this makes Biden look petty and small. Then again, perhaps this is really just an implicit concession that Biden isn’t up to the call or is incapable of being of assistance.
Was Biden too busy to chat with DeSantis and open the lines of communication? Neither side seemed to make a big deal out of it since what mattered most was continuing to update the public with the latest information and coordinate any necessary evacuations.
Earlier on Tuesday, Biden had spoken with two Democratic Florida mayors and a Republican mayor who happens to be backing Democrat Charlie Crist in his challenge to unseat DeSantis in the governor’s race. The appearance of political bias was laid bare given that Biden did speak to several officials, but not DeSantis.
The outrage didn’t last long, however, as reports trickled in Wednesday morning that Biden and DeSantis finally connected late Tuesday night to further show bipartisanship when it comes to hurricane preparation and planning:
President Biden finally connected with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday night as Hurricane Ian barrels towards the Sunshine State — and the Republican later thanked Biden for the federal government’s help.
Biden and DeSantis both discussed “the steps the Federal government is taking to help Florida prepare for Hurricane Ian,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a tweet.
“The President and the Governor committed to continued close coordination.”
Storm-related politics can be tricky business. Some will remember back to 2012 when former President Obama visited New Jersey to survey and offer support for the state after Hurricane Sandy devastated the area. Obama was greeted by Gov. Chris Christie on the tarmac and the following image became the hallmark of the visit:
Some called it a “hug” while others labeled it an “embrace.” Whatever you call it, the political ramifications during the height of the 2012 presidential election made for some interesting stories.
Some loved it, some hated it, but it changed Christie’s career forever. It was the “toxic embrace” that ended Christie’s national political aspirations in one fell swoop:
But then Christie made a mistake that would haunt him the remainder of his political career. In the wake of a storm that battered the East Coast in 2012, Christie partnered with President Barack Obama in shoveling federal aid to New Jersey. And this episode ended with The Hug That Ended a Career.
In October of 2012, Obama was greeted on a New Jersey airport tarmac by Christie, who extended his hand while Obama put his arm on Christie’s shoulder. This was immediately deemed a “hug,” as if Christie had engulfed Obama in a passionate fleece tornado.
For Christie, his partnership with Obama ended up being a Faustian bargain. He was re-elected governor of New Jersey in 2013 in a landslide; but his standing with national conservatives — who were previously bummed out he didn’t seek the presidency in 2012 — was irreparably ruined.
During times of national or regional crisis, elected leaders usually find a way to put their politics aside and work toward a common goal of ensuring the safety of citizens. At the same time, it’s difficult to suddenly stop trashing your political opponent and join together without seeming awkward or forced.
The Christie/Obama embrace is a lesson in how the optics of weather and politics can sometimes alter the course of careers and change a candidate’s standing with their political base.
From all accounts, it appears that the Biden administration is giving DeSantis and Florida officials whatever they need in terms of federal support. Regardless, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see any Biden/DeSantis tarmac hugs before Election Day.
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