The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Episode: Hendrik Hertzberg and John Cassidy on Sandy and the Election

Date: November 2, 2012
Host: Dorothy Wickenden
Guests: Hendrik (Rick) Hertzberg and John Cassidy

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded just days before the 2012 presidential election and shortly after Hurricane Sandy, delves into how the disaster reshaped the political landscape. Dorothy Wickenden leads a conversation with New Yorker writers Hendrik Hertzberg and John Cassidy about President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's bipartisan response, Mitt Romney’s awkward position, and the storm’s implications on campaign momentum—especially concerning leadership, government competence, and issues like climate change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chris Christie's Dramatic Turn & Bipartisanship

• Christie’s Shift in Rhetoric:

  • Just days before, Christie harshly criticized Obama’s leadership (see [01:31]). After Hurricane Sandy, he publicly praised the President for federal disaster aid and toured the devastated areas alongside Obama ([01:43]–[02:12]).
  • Notable Quote, Christie:

    "I think this is our sixth conversation since the weekend, and it's been a great working relationship to make sure that we're doing the jobs that people elected us to do." ([02:00])

• Impact on Political Optics:

  • John Cassidy describes the Obama-Christie tour as “one of the most riveting national and political events of the year” ([02:31]).
  • Cassidy observes the “astonishing” proximity and cooperation between two recent political foes.

2. Romney’s Campaign Hampered by Sandy

• Romney’s Dilemma:

  • Romney’s campaign finds itself sidelined. Cassidy likens Romney to "a man at sea... it's such a big boost for the president," as Obama visually embodies leadership (03:00–03:25).

  • Romney’s previous comments on FEMA and disaster relief (“send it back to the states and privatize where possible”) resurface, creating a stark contrast with Obama’s active federal response ([03:29]).

  • Notable Quote, Cassidy:

    "Romney very explicitly said that emergency relief should be sent back to the states and we should also explore privatization. He didn't qualify it in any way and it just sort of hung out there for a year and then has now come back to bite him." ([03:29])

• Ineffective Optics:

  • The Romney campaign’s canned goods photo op is criticized as performative and ineffectual, especially since the Red Cross doesn’t welcome such donations ([05:30]).

3. Disaster Response, Competence, and Political Advantage

• Historic Parallels:

  • Wickenden brings in the story of Herbert Hoover’s political ascendance following his management of the 1927 Mississippi flood ([04:10]–[05:30]), drawing a parallel to Obama’s current moment.
  • Rick comments:

    “Competence is a factor sometimes hidden, sometimes open in pretty much every presidential election… Competence is something that the president is showing right now, and Christie is showing it, too.” ([05:30])

• Internal GOP Divisions:

  • The storm casts light on ideological fractures within the Republican Party between “old school” proponents of federal power and modern advocates for state/local or privatized solutions ([06:38]).

4. Media Perception and Broader Impact

• National vs. Local Relevance:
  • Hertzberg cautions that while Sandy’s impact looms large in media and particularly in New York (where many journalists reside), for much of the country “this is a fairly distant television show” ([07:50]).
  • Obama’s favorable handling of the crisis is a net plus, but its ultimate electoral benefit is difficult to quantify.

5. The Untouched Issue: Climate Change

• Campaign Silence:

  • Despite Sandy’s severity, both candidates avoid directly addressing climate change.
  • Bill Clinton, campaigning for Obama, is the main political figure to invoke global warming in light of the storm ([09:04]).
    • Notable Quote, Clinton:

      “He [Romney] ridiculed the president for his efforts to fight global warming... In my part of America, we would like it if someone could have done that yesterday.” ([09:04])

• Obama’s Record & Rhetoric:

  • Rick notes that Obama attempted action with a cap-and-trade bill, which failed in the Senate, leading to a softening of climate change rhetoric (09:35).
  • Cassidy and Wickenden both argue Obama could and should have done more on the issue ([10:26]–[10:28]).

6. Congressional Gridlock and the Path Forward

• Speculation on Election Outcomes:
  • It’s likely Democrats retain the Senate and Republicans hold the House, risking continued gridlock ([11:02]–[11:15]).
  • Obama’s hope for more bipartisan cooperation “because there isn't another election on the horizon” is labeled potentially “wishful thinking.”

7. Final Election Predictions

• Electoral College vs. Popular Vote:
  • Despite the closeness of the race, all agree Obama has an electoral advantage ([12:07]).
  • Cassidy acknowledges Republican arguments about potential polling errors stemming from 2008 turnout models but still expresses confidence in an Obama win—with a caution that a late swing could shift several states ([12:24]).
    • Notable Quote, Cassidy:

      “I'd bet on Obama, but he only needs a 2 or 3% swing from where the polls are now in places like Ohio and Iowa to do it... it's not a foregone conclusion.” ([13:20])

Memorable Quotes

• Chris Christie on working with Obama:

  "It's been a great working relationship to make sure that we're doing the jobs that people elected us to do." ([02:00])

• John Cassidy on Obama’s advantage:

  "He gets to act presidential in a terrible national emergency a week before the polls that surely can only help him." ([03:00])

• Rick Hertzberg on competence:

  "Competence is something that the president is showing right now, and Christie is showing it, too." ([05:30])

• Bill Clinton on climate change:

  "In my part of America, we would like it if someone could have done that yesterday." ([09:04])

• John Cassidy’s prediction:

  "I'd bet on Obama, but it's not a foregone conclusion." ([13:20])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:31] Chris Christie’s previous criticism and sudden praise of Obama
• [02:12] Obama-Christie tour discussed and media response
• [03:00] Impact of Sandy on Romney’s campaign
• [03:29] Romney’s position on FEMA resurfaces
• [04:10] Historical parallels: Hoover and the 1927 flood
• [05:30] Importance of perceived competence; Romney’s food drive
• [06:38] GOP divisions on federal disaster response
• [07:50] National vs. local relevance of Sandy’s impact
• [09:04] Bill Clinton’s climate change remarks post-Sandy
• [09:35] Obama’s shifting climate change policies
• [11:02] Congress and gridlock in a second Obama term
• [12:07] Likelihood of Obama’s electoral college advantage
• [13:20] Final pre-election predictions

Tone

The conversation is candid, analytical, and subtly laced with the wry, sophisticated humor characteristic of New Yorker writers. The tone is thoughtful and appropriately skeptical, with an undercurrent of urgency stemming from both the political stakes and the havoc wrought by Sandy.