One reason U.S. politics is almost as popular as NASCAR among American sports is that it gives the little guy someone to root for. Dependably, in campaign after campaign, a character sneaks on to the stage who captivates and highlights issues that otherwise would go unnoticed or under-examined.
This year it took until the very end of the campaign to introduce 2012's biggest truth-teller. Like Beyonce and Cher, she is known by only one name. But few players in the current campaign are likely to have the same impact.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Sandy.
Sandy, like many in an America with changing demographics, has overseas roots, hailing from the tropics. But ultimately, like so many others, she hit the big time in the northeast, and her political impact will extend well into the heartland of America, where this election will be decided. Like Joe Biden and Chris Christie, Sandy is an uncontrollable, wind-powered force of nature. Like many politicians, the first impression she may give the average voter is that she is all wet. But there is more to Sandy than meets her eye.
To begin with, Sandy will do more to draw attention to issues of climate change than all the candidates running for every office in the United States during this election cycle have done. While it's impossible to attribute her size or impact to man-made origins, it is also impossible not to wonder whether the recent frequency of large storms is related to the growing oceans of data about the reality of global warming. Sandy looks like what climate scientists have been warning about for years.
Given the sad virtual silence about the issue from our presidential contenders -- which amounts to nothing less than a planet-wide risk of the first order -- Sandy's intervention in this regard is welcome, if hugely and tragically costly.
Next, Sandy will also remind Americans and the world of the foolishness of some recent U.S. fetishes. I live in Washington, D.C., ostensibly the nerve center of the U.S. national security apparatus and target No. 1 for anyone interested in attacking America. Yet this storm, like virtually all others of any size, will almost certainly knock out power for days to many of our nation's leaders and the infrastructure on which our government depends. Could burying power lines and strengthening critical infrastructure prevent all that? Of course. But is it as sexy as buying more drones, water boards and stealth helicopters? Nope.
So says Sandy, "Go ahead and protect yourself against low-risk threats. I want to remind you how vulnerable you are to the more predictable, commonplace variety."
