Central election issue

There is little doubt that the domestic economy looms as the central issue in next year’s U.S. presidential election, and even prominent Democrats worry about the possibility that the economy will continue to sputter into 2012.

Former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell spoke on a conference call organized by the Democratic National Committee to rebut attacks by Republican Romney.

“It is going to be a tough fight and if the Republicans put together a ticket that reflects the views of independent voters, reflects the views of moderate Republican voters, conservative Democrat voters, if they do that then it is going to be a tough race.  There is no question about it and we can’t be complacent,” Rendell said.

The latest polls show President Obama running just ahead of Mitt Romney for the White House next year.  The president has somewhat larger leads over the rest of the Republican presidential field.

“He [Obama] is an extremely effective campaigner.  He shouldn’t be underestimated ever as the Republicans discovered to their dismay in 2008," noted David Aikman, a contributing editor with the American Spectator magazine and a regular guest on VOA’s Issues in the News program. "But he does have an economic sort of downturn, which is now weighing upon him.  He can’t continually say that was all President Bush’s fault."

Polls show Democrats largely remain united behind President Obama for 2012 while Republicans are eager to turn him out of office.

Independent voters

Political analyst Bill Schneider says both parties will fiercely compete for the support of independent voters next year, a group that supported Barack Obama over Republican John McCain in 2008.

“I think Obama has the right strategy.  He is trying to hold the center.  The strategy is good.  What is a big problem for him, of course, is the terrain.  The terrain for the next election is very treacherous with the unemployment rate that high and the spike in gas prices have created a serious wave of disillusionment that the recovery is taking hold around the country,” Schneider said.

Since World War II, only three U.S. presidents have been defeated at the polls - Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980 and George H.W. Bush in 1992.  Domestic economic problems were major factors in all three defeats.

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