With just seven days until Election Day, the presidential candidates’ camps are slowly beginning to wade back onto the campaign trail in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Former President Bill Clinton will pick up the slack for President Obama, as the commander-in-chief stays in Washington on Tuesday to monitor the federal response to the deadly storm. Clinton will stop in seven states this week, including Minnesota and Colorado on Tuesday.
Mitt Romney, who originally canceled all his events on Tuesday, will hold a “relief event” in Kettering, Ohio, with racecar driver Richard Petty and country music star Randy Owen. He had planned to hold a campaign event with those two supporters, also in Kettering.
Romney faces a stiff challenge: campaign without seeming overly petty or political as millions of Americans still grapple with the storm’s devastating aftermath. Obama, on the other hand, has a job to do, but could see his own re-election bid damaged if Americans affected by the storm see the White House’s disaster response as less than ideal. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who gave the keynote speech at the GOP convention this summer, has praised Obama’s response as “wonderful.”
President Obama has canceled his appearances in Ohio tomorrow. Romney has not announced his plans for Wednesday. Tune into Hardball at 5 p.m. for the latest on the election and all things Hurricane Sandy. Recommended
