ATLANTA — A trio of simultaneous crises sent the White House buzzing and threatened to reshape the presidential race this week, as President Joe Biden and the two candidates vying to replace him scrambled to recalibrate their schedules and strategies for a world that felt even more chaotic than usual.
Any one of the events could have counted as an October surprise: a devastating hurricane in the Southeast that left nearly 180 dead; a dockworker strike that could disrupt the economy, and an Iranian missile volley launched against Israel that ups tension in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
The two candidates’ approach underscored the contrast both are trying to draw.
Former President Donald Trump acted quickly and aggressively, descending into the hurricane zone on Monday, against the advice of local officials, where he delivered the first of many verbal attacks on his rival. Vice President Kamala Harris stayed in Washington, addressing the nation from FEMA headquarters and joining Biden for briefings in the situation room before traveling to Georgia on Wednesday, when officials said she could tour the area without being disruptive.
“We are here for the long haul,” Harris said at a news conference in Augusta, Ga., as she stood in front of a home covered by a fallen pine tree. “In these moments of hardship, one of the beauties about who we are as a country is people really rally together and show the best of who they are.”
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with community members as she surveys the damage from Hurricane Helene, in the Meadowbrook neighborhood of Augusta, Georgia, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday witnessed first-hand the catastrophic destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene, as several thousand responders joined all-out efforts to rescue residents and care for millions impacted by the storm. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)
As Harris touched down in Georgia, Biden flew to North Carolina to visit the emergency operations center in Raleigh and take an aerial tour of the state’s western mountains. Georgia and North Carolina are key battlegrounds on Nov. 5 and the storms could sway voters — affecting not just their thoughts on the role of government in an unstable world but their literal ability to cast ballots. Tens of thousands of residents have been displaced and scores of U.S. postal facilities and county election offices have suspended service.
On Wednesday, Biden said his heart went out to everyone who endured loss: “We are here for you — and we will stay here for as long as it takes.”
Biden promised boots on the ground, announcing he had directed the secretary of Defense to approve the deployment of a thousand active-duty soldiers to bolster the efforts of the North Carolina National Guard.
“These soldiers will speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies of food, water, and medicine to isolated communities in North Carolina,” Biden said in a statement. “They …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
