By KYLE CAMPBELL
Hearst Washington Bureau
On the day after Hurricane Sandy smashed into the mid-Atlantic states, the presidential campaign was on hold.
Sort of.
Though official campaign efforts for both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were on hold because of the disaster that affected nearly 20 percent of nation’s population, the presidential rivals behaved in very different ways.
Obama acted presidential, visiting the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington.
“During the darkness of the storm I think we saw what is brightest about America,” Obama said at Red Cross headquarters.
The president drew praise from area governors and mayors, including Romney surrogate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who thanked the president for helping coordinate relief efforts with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Obama put his campaign efforts on hold yesterday, skipping a stop in Ohio, and Romney followed suit by clearing his campaign schedule as well. But the Republican nominee, during an impromptu storm-relief event in Ohio was dogged by his past support for de-funding FEMA.
During one of the Republican primary debates in 2011, Romney said he would favor cutting federal funding for FEMA and instead have individual states handle emergency relief. Thus far he has not made a comment on this issue following Hurricane Sandy.
Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said: ‘‘A Romney-Ryan administration will always ensure that disaster funding is there for those in need. Period,” according to the Associated Press.
While Romney was playing political defense, Obama was the model of bipartisanship. He complimented local officials of both parties, saying without the steps taken by state and local officials, the death toll could have been much higher. He also went on to praise first responders and promised “no bureaucracy, no red tape” by the federal government in responding to this disaster.
“The most important message I have for (those affected by the storm) is: American is with you,” he said. “We will stand behind you and do everything we can to get you back on your feet.”
Though he might be at a disadvantage without the stage of the presidency, Romney is doing his best to look presidential, helping organize a relief effort in Ohio — one of the most sought-after swing states for next week’s election.
At the rally-turned-relief-effort Romney addressed the crowd of several hundred people, asking for their support.
‘‘We have heavy hearts as you know with all the suffering going on in a major part of our country — a lot of people hurting this morning,’’ he said, according to the Associated Press. ‘‘We’re looking for all the help we can get for all the families that need.’’
While this disaster, which has caused more than 25 confirmed deaths thus far, also could prove to be treacherous for the candidates who could run the risk of politicizing the incident.
Obama got out ahead of the issue yesterday when he said the election was the last thing he was concerned about, but that doesn’t mean his campaign team has totally shut down. This morning, the Obama campaign sent out an email requesting donations — but unlike most of the emails this election season, this request was to give money to the American Red Cross.
“This is a serious storm, but we are going to do what it takes to keep people safe and secure, and make sure the communities affected get the assistance they need,” Obama said, via the email. “FEMA is working with state and local governments to respond effectively. We all owe a debt of thanks to the first responders who will be dealing with the immediate impact of the storm.”