President of the Good Guys

November 1, 2012 by Maureen Andrade

Our nation is reeling from a catastrophic storm on the East Coast that is of historic proportions. From Lower Manhattan to New Jersey and beyond, epic flooding has killed dozens and stranded countless others. In this population-dense area, the property damage is difficult to fathom- yet there is help. National, state, and local agencies are working gallantly to help those in need and restore what has been broken. We are watching our country do what it’s best at: step up and be a good guy.

It’s terribly easy to forget what’s important in a political climate like the one we’ve suffered in for over ten years. The divisions between the political parties are reflective of the rip in our nation’s heart. “Us against them” is what we’ve come back to- yet this is inaccurate to who we really are. In the face of the epic destruction of Sandy, we see once again who we really are.

President Obama is showing his true colors as the leader of the good guys. His handling of this crisis has been so skillful and helpful that one of his most bombastic critics, Gov. Christie of New Jersey, is singing his praises with humility. As a man who loves his community, Gov. Christie has had the wool pulled from his eyes, and he sees our president with a new accuracy.

At the end of this campaign season, those who’ve not yet turned in their ballots have a rare opportunity to cast their vote for a president who is doing an incredible job dealing with a crisis in real time. Regardless of what the histrionic, far right media banshees shriek at the wind, anyone can watch the news and see our government is doing an exceptional job with a terrible situation.

Good guys bother to show up out of a compelling sense of duty to help humanity. We can’t stop doing what we do- it is our nature. One cannot undo nature. President Obama is a heroic figure to me. When I see what he’s accomplished in his first term, I’m just amazed. The venom turned against him by the Racist Right never gave him a stutter-step. Never did he fail to do the right thing in whatever situation presented. This is not to say he’s been flawless- hardly. No one is always successful or correct in their judgment. But President Obama is closer to perfect than anyone else I’ve seen or studied.

This far into the campaign, I am exhausted with political coverage, even as I write blogs for our president’s reelection efforts. But Sandy gave me reason to tune back in, and be impressed all over again at the inherent goodness of our president. We are lucky to have him. Only a fool would turn away from the real thing- and I hope to God our nation has fewer fools than good guys going into November 6.