Economy, financial crisis crowd out other issues
Terrorism and the Iraq war are expected to be important.
By Agencies |
WASHINGTON: It wasn't long ago that illegal immigration was supposed to be a top issue in the 2008 presidential campaign. Terrorism and the Iraq war, which drove the 2004 contest between President George W. Bush and Democrat John Kerry, were expected to be important again this time.
Social issues like gay marriage and abortion also were going to claim a role in the dialogue, particularly with ballot initiatives barring gay unions predicted to drive up conservative voter turnout in several states.
No more. With the historic collapse of U.S. financial markets overwhelming the presidential contest, a host of otherwise top-tier issues have been pushed aside. That's forced frustrated advocacy groups to seek new ways to press their agendas, even as they acknowledge the unprecedented scope of the financial crisis has relegated nearly everything else to the sidelines.
``The economic crisis is so worrisome, voters are pretty panicked and have a singular focus on what our system is supposed to do about it,'' said Jeffrey Bosworth, a political science professor at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. ``It comes down to which one of these guys do we think will do a better job navigating economic policy. And it puts absolutely everything else on the back burner.''
The meltdown has unmistakably hurt Republican presidential nominee John McCain. Polls show voters now overwhelmingly trust Democrats to be better stewards of the economy. Democratic candidate Barack Obama has opened up a clear lead in many national and battleground state polls since the financial shock began to take hole.
Social issues like gay marriage and abortion also were going to claim a role in the dialogue, particularly with ballot initiatives barring gay unions predicted to drive up conservative voter turnout in several states.
No more. With the historic collapse of U.S. financial markets overwhelming the presidential contest, a host of otherwise top-tier issues have been pushed aside. That's forced frustrated advocacy groups to seek new ways to press their agendas, even as they acknowledge the unprecedented scope of the financial crisis has relegated nearly everything else to the sidelines.
``The economic crisis is so worrisome, voters are pretty panicked and have a singular focus on what our system is supposed to do about it,'' said Jeffrey Bosworth, a political science professor at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. ``It comes down to which one of these guys do we think will do a better job navigating economic policy. And it puts absolutely everything else on the back burner.''
The meltdown has unmistakably hurt Republican presidential nominee John McCain. Polls show voters now overwhelmingly trust Democrats to be better stewards of the economy. Democratic candidate Barack Obama has opened up a clear lead in many national and battleground state polls since the financial shock began to take hole.
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