Hurricane Sandy forces Obama to juggle storm response with campaign

WASHINGTON President Obama has spent months trying to balance his re-election bid with running the government.

Now, just when his campaign needs him the most, with little more than a week before the election, his official job is beckoning.

Republican challenger Mitt Romney, too, faces questions about how to conduct his campaign as a superstorm charges toward the East Coast. But as president, it's Mr. Obama who oversees the federal government's preparations for the looming storm and it's Mr. Obama who will bear the responsibility for any missteps.

With that in mind, Mr. Obama scrapped some campaign events for Monday, as well as Tuesday morning. He planned to return to the White House Monday afternoon to monitor the storm and the government's response.

"My first priority has to be making sure that everything is in place" to help those affected by the storm, Mr. Obama told campaign workers in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday night. He said the storm meant he would "not be able to campaign quite as much over the next few days."

Still, ripping up Mr. Obama's strategically planned travel schedule was something his Chicago-based campaign was loath to do unless absolutely necessary.

In the tight race, the candidates have few opportunities left to blitz through the most competitive states, trying to build momentum and make a final pitch to undecided voters.

The president's handling of the storm could sway those late-breaking voters. If Mr. Obama is perceived as a strong leader who shows command in a crisis, some undecided voters may be compelled to back the president. But a botched response or a sense that he's putting politics over public safety could weaken his support at a point in the race where there's little chance to reverse course.

"I think that the president of the United States is the commander in chief. The American people look to him, and I'm sure he will conduct himself and play his leadership role in a fine fashion. So I would imagine that might help him a little bit," said Arizona Sen. John McCain, who lost to Mr. Obama in 2008.

"But I'm not sure it will affect votes. People have been exposed to this very long campaign," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Mr. Obama advisers say they've learned the lessons from President George W. Bush's widely criticized response to Hurricane Katrina. Bush was seen as ineffective and out of touch, and his presidency never recovered.

That's why Mr. Obama's team has moved quickly throughout the year to avoid the impression that the president was shirking his responsibilities, even as the campaign ramped up.

When separate crises struck Colorado this summer — destructive wildfires and a mass shooting at a movie theater — Mr. Obama hastily arranged trips to meet with victims and their families. When a hurricane barreled through the Gulf Coast ahead of the Democratic Convention, the president added a stop in New Orleans to his preconvention itinerary.

But those decisions were far easier than what's facing Mr. Obama's team. Back then, there was time to add or reschedule trips. Now, with just nine days until Election Day, time is a precious commodity and canceling trips may mean never having the chance to make them up.

Hurricane Sandy was expected to hit the East Coast late Monday, then combine with two winter weather systems as it moves inland, creating a hybrid superstorm. At least four battleground states are likely to be hit: New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.

Mr. Obama plans to spend every day between now and Nov. 6 on the road in most of those states and others, though his schedule does call for him to be back in Washington some nights.

In canceling Mr. Obama's event Monday in Virginia, aides also considered the optics of urging thousands of people to venture out to a political rally in the midst of a raging storm.

Still, it was clear Mr. Obama's team was working hard to ensure that the president could keep campaigning as long as possible before he was needed back in Washington.

His departure for Florida, where he'll hold an event with President Clinton, was moved up from Monday morning to Sunday night to ensure Mr. Obama made it to the Orlando area. But the campaign canceled appearances at two other events, in Virginia and Ohio. Vice President Joe Biden will join Mr. Clinton at the Ohio rally.

Mr. Obama was scheduled to campaign Tuesday evening in Wisconsin, though that too was in flux.

Romney canceled three events in Virginia on Sunday and planned to spend the day campaigning with running mate Paul Ryan in Ohio.

If bad weather keeps people in hard-hit battleground states from going to the polls, it could mess up the campaigns' carefully crafted get-out-the-vote efforts.

Jennifer Psaki, Mr. Obama's campaign spokeswoman, said the Democratic ticket was urging people to vote early when they can, especially if it helps them get to the polls before the storm.

"Safety comes first," she said. "And that's the case with early voting as well."