It’s the Economy, Stupid

How well James Carville summed up the election strategy that propelled William Jefferson Clinton to victory over George H. Bush. Only a year before the election Bush had a 90% approval rating after the success of Desert Storm.

In several recent business meetings the casual conversations about the election generally centered around the frustrations with the current Republican candidates. These discussions with various businesses from around the counrty were among main street capitalists who run a variety of businesses far from the thinking of Wall Street and the beltway.

Their frustration can be summed or paraphrased as “ why do they waste time on social issues when the president is so weak on his economic policies?”

It’s the economy, stupid.

Primaries cater to special interests, but the election must address the independents, and they will unite with the Republicans on the economy, but they will not if the GOP focuses on the birth control and other issues that make for such great media play. As weak as this administration is on the economy, they must love the way that the election issue is distracted from their weakness to what is a weakness of the Republicans in the eyes of the independent voters.

There will be a time and place for the social issues, but this is not the time. When Bush was president voters cared less about the economy because in the face of 9/11 they were more concerned about security. When security was less of an issue the economy became the central issue, especially in light of the financial collapse on the eve of the election .

As the economy is showing some signs of improvement the Republicans may be likely to get even more distracted. But if they can focus on the energy policies, the Solyndras, the regulations that kill jobs, the gas prices, the health care bill, and the unsustainable deficit, they can win.

But this birth control mandate controversy and similar social issues, regardless of their merit will not win this election. The GOP needs to focus and focus on the area that will win. They should take a campaign tip from Clinton and Carville.

If the Democrats can regain the reigns of fiscal responsibility that Clinton displayed, they would be unbeatable. The GOPs only hope is to regain the fiscal trust that was lost under Bush. This administration has given them that opportunity; they should not squander it.

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