President George H. W. Bush was greatly harmed by his government’s poor response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and it certainly contributed to his defeat in the Presidential Election Of 1992.
George W. Bush’s lowest moment in his Presidency was his poor response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and had the second term election been in 2005, instead of 2004, he would have lost reelection.
This has to be in the mind of President Barack Obama, as a poor response to Hurricane Sandy could guarantee, in a close race, that his opponent, Mitt Romney, defeats him in the upcoming Presidential Election of 2012!