A Tale of Tragedy and Two Campaigns

As I am sure you have heard several states are in a state of emergency due to a sudden thunder-storm that was accompanied by high winds.  Millions were left without power during days of record heat.  I am among the powerless.

The people of Virginia have been struggling to find cool places to stay.  Hotel rooms are sold out and the few malls that are opened are jam-packed with people looking for some relief from the heat and some hot food.  In my area there is one gas station open.  One major mall had to close early Saturday evening due to no water.  The only thing open for miles was a McDonald's.

In response to this emergency the presidential campaigns handled it in this fashion:

First from the Romney Campaign through email:

Friend,
The severe storms that ripped through Virginia Friday claimed at least six lives across the commonwealth and left thousands without power.  It could be several days before power is restored to those affected.
If you'd like to make a donation to the relief effort, please bring supplies to the Romney for President Headquarters located at 3811 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750 in Arlington tomorrow between 10am and 7pm.
We will distribute donations to various relief centers in the area.
Here's what we need:

• Bottled Water
• Non-perishable food items, such as beef jerky, granola bars, peanut butter, etc.

Bring your supply donations to our headquarters tomorrow and we'll ensure it gets to your fellow Virginians who are in need on Tuesday.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Sincerely,
Sara Craig
Virginia State Manager
P.S. We know that everyone wanting to help cannot make it to Arlington.  If you would like to donate to the Red Cross, please call 1-800-Red-Cross, or visit this link to make a donation online:
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=46f51a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

From the Obama Campaign Via Twitter:

Keep cool while you’re canvassing this summer, Our Vote Obama Tank Top is a stylish and fun way to show your support

While some may say that the Romney campaign may just be pandering to people who are dealing with an emergency, there is plenty of stories of how Romney has handled emergencies in the past.  One such story being the story of a co-worker's daughter who was kidnapped while out partying in New York.  He shut down Bain, flew the employees up to New York City, set up a nerve center, and canvassed the city with flyers until the girl was found and returned home to her anxious parents.

This is who Romney is.

Obama wants you to buy a T-shirt.

I don't know about you, but this says a great deal about the character of these two men to me.  You can decide for yourselves.

As an aside, I want to say a huge thank you to Iain's wife who took mercy on my sorry unairconditioned and no water self.  I am currently sitting in her sitting room and enjoying some cool air.  So thanks to her for putting up with me.