Post by FWS on Nov 4, 2012 23:27:15 GMT -6
Bromantic Interlude
Editorial: Christie, Obama cross party lines
Politicians, take note: Americans appreciate this focus on the public good in the aftermath of Sandy.
By The Denver Post
11/02/2012
The vitriol and backstabbing that characterizes party politics these days are among the reasons many Americans so profoundly disrespect politicians.
That's why images of President Obama working together with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to address the damage caused by superstorm Sandy have been so well-received.
Just days before the conclusion of a hotly contested presidential election, the Democratic president and the Republican governor visited devastated areas, spoke warmly of each other's efforts and pledged to work together to fix the damage and help beleaguered New Jersey residents.
We hope other politicians are taking notes.
More focus on the public good, rather than the party line, would go a long way with voters who've grown cynical of the political process.
To be sure, both Obama and Christie have their own motives for being so cooperative despite not having been so collegial previously.
Obama appears presidential and above party politics, and Christie shows he has the Garden State's interests foremost in his mind as he pivots for a 2013 gubernatorial election in a heavily Democratic state.
And it's also true that helping people come back from a natural disaster is hardly something that either of these guys could or would reasonably oppose.
It's not as divisive an issue as, say, entitlement reform.
Nevertheless, ordinary people are heartened by the way in which each of them has handled himself, as evidenced by a Washington Post-ABC tracking poll in which the president received big-time approval marks.
And anecdotal assessments from residents and political strategists have lauded Christie's conduct.
The fires that raged through Colorado this year brought a bit of that style of bipartisan cooperation to our state as well, with Republicans — including U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn and Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach — meeting with Obama about recovery efforts.
It was a breath of fresh air then, and remains so in retrospect.
It's unfortunate that such a crossing of party lines for the public good is a notable exception and not the norm.
Natural disasters should not be the only time when cease-fires are called, and compromise cannot be a synonym for selling out.
Editorial: Christie, Obama cross party lines
Politicians, take note: Americans appreciate this focus on the public good in the aftermath of Sandy.
By The Denver Post
11/02/2012
The vitriol and backstabbing that characterizes party politics these days are among the reasons many Americans so profoundly disrespect politicians.
That's why images of President Obama working together with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to address the damage caused by superstorm Sandy have been so well-received.
Just days before the conclusion of a hotly contested presidential election, the Democratic president and the Republican governor visited devastated areas, spoke warmly of each other's efforts and pledged to work together to fix the damage and help beleaguered New Jersey residents.
We hope other politicians are taking notes.
More focus on the public good, rather than the party line, would go a long way with voters who've grown cynical of the political process.
To be sure, both Obama and Christie have their own motives for being so cooperative despite not having been so collegial previously.
Obama appears presidential and above party politics, and Christie shows he has the Garden State's interests foremost in his mind as he pivots for a 2013 gubernatorial election in a heavily Democratic state.
And it's also true that helping people come back from a natural disaster is hardly something that either of these guys could or would reasonably oppose.
It's not as divisive an issue as, say, entitlement reform.
Nevertheless, ordinary people are heartened by the way in which each of them has handled himself, as evidenced by a Washington Post-ABC tracking poll in which the president received big-time approval marks.
And anecdotal assessments from residents and political strategists have lauded Christie's conduct.
The fires that raged through Colorado this year brought a bit of that style of bipartisan cooperation to our state as well, with Republicans — including U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn and Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach — meeting with Obama about recovery efforts.
It was a breath of fresh air then, and remains so in retrospect.
It's unfortunate that such a crossing of party lines for the public good is a notable exception and not the norm.
Natural disasters should not be the only time when cease-fires are called, and compromise cannot be a synonym for selling out.