The fear factor in the 2012 presidential race

If the election were held tomorrow, Mitt Romney would be the next president of the United States.

Why? Because many voters are afraid – that’s why. And fearful people usually try to change their circumstances.

If you listen to talk radio or watch cable news, you’d think everyone was an ideologue, obsessed with party politics. But many, perhaps most, American voters are not wedged into a voting pattern.

The same country that elected the conservative George W. Bush voted for the very liberal Barack Obama the next time around.

It is perception that wins national elections.

Bush was perceived to be a terror warrior, and that’s why he won a second term. Voters wanted payback for 9/11, and Bush, along with the fierce Dick Cheney, simply had more tough guy cred than Al Gore or John Kerry.

At least that was the perception.

Obama isn’t nearly as tough as Sen. John McCain, but by 2008, the faltering economy had overridden the terror threat, and the slick senator from Illinois promised hope and change, a return to prosperity and fairness.

McCain promised “Country First.” Nobody quite knew what that meant, and voters did want a change from the vicious recessionary economy, so Obama won.

Now, voters are scared that their jobs may disappear. They already see their retirement and educational funds evaporating, and most of us know folks who are desperate for money.

So the economic fear is real, not perceived, and President Obama has done little to soothe the angst. He’s still hoping his Big Government policies will stimulate the economy even as the TV flashes pictures of Greeks rioting in the streets.

Romney is not exactly John Kennedy, so Obama still has a chance to squeak out a victory in November.

Romney must perform well in the debates and convince Americans that the president simply does not understand economics – and that he has the magic capitalistic touch that will rebuild the empire.

If the governor can stay out of foolish controversies and dodge the land mines the pro-Obama media will lay for him, he will be living larger than

You can read the rest of this article at:: http://www.silive.com/opinion/columns/index.ssf/2012/06/the_fear_factor_in_the_2012_pr.html

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Posted by RobertButler on Jun 9 2012. Filed under 2012 Presidential Campaign. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry