Obama's Rhetoric is the Real Catastrophe

[agzg]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

I would disagree with that argument, at least in part because I think a big boost to Bush's second term was the inability of the Democrats to field a viable candidate. Kerry was a complete disaster, and if the Democrats had found someone better I think it would have been a much closer and tougher race.

True. I don't buy it either. But my point is that perception is what rules the day. Yeah, democrats knew that Kerry wasn't a super strong candidate. But they weren't going to open themselves wider to criticism about choosing a weak candidate unless they opened republicans up with the "They cried wolf" argument. It seems that perhaps some of Obama's speech writers, and maybe Obama himself, believes that the fear mongering was what really won Bush his second term. If it worked then, why wouldn't it now?

Plus I don't think members of Congress are particularly invulnerable to fear mongering, either.

[UGAalum94]

Other than fear of complete catastrophe, what would have motivated people to favor this kind of spending, especially all at once?

I think selling it as fending off catastrophe is the only effective sell for the majority of Americans.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I think selling it as fending off catastrophe is the only effective sell for the majority of Americans.

Definitely and that's not just Americans. However, the socioeconomic breakdown of America and the undereducation of the working class is even more conducive to fear mongering.

Humans respond to extremes and fear. It is even worse when there is misinformation, withholding information, and a general refusal to inform yourself when you have access to the info.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by alphagamzetagam

But my point is that perception is what rules the day.

That's the message to get from every single page of this thread.