The Sandy effect

globecartoon.com

The media has been whipping up a storm over the potential impact of Hurricane Sandy on the presidential contest.

Last Thursday New York City’s popular mayor Michael Bloomberg gave Obama his endorsement, saying Sandy had made the stakes of the election even clearer. He also praised Obama for having made some progress towards tackling climate change.

However, David Sylvan, an American political scientist at the Geneva-based Graduate Institute, is very doubtful either candidate will be able to gain any tangible last-minute political advantages from the superstorm. 

Click here to hear from Sylvan and read more.

Below, Swiss editorial cartoonist Patrick Chappatte offers his take on Sandy’s aftermath

Many analysts say Obama was able to benefit from his presidential position as he handled the storm – several nationwide polls said he had made slight gains in the aftermath. And, statistician Nate Silver of the New York Times entertains the theory that the storm gave Obama a bump.

However, Sylvan is unconvinced the effects will last. Click below to hear his thoughts.

David Sylvan on the Sandy effectExternal link by swissinfo_englishExternal link

Whether or not it will amount to significant boosts come election day, Obama got a somewhat unexpected nod of praise from New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christiefor his handling of Sandy. “The president has been all over this, and he deserves great credit,” he said in a TV interview with the conservatively oriented Fox News Channel. In the past, Christie has been among Obama’s harshest critics.

For his part, Romney hosted events and collected supplies for hurricane victims as he made his way across Ohio, calling on Ohioans to band together in support of those suffering in the storm’s wake.

– Simon Bradley, swissinfo.ch