Open Menu
November 6, 2012
Article by Semra Sevi, Political Science Undergraduate Student, University of Toronto
The 2012 American presidential election seems to be focused on the United States economy. But, historically, this has not always been the case. In the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, national security played a crucial role.
Obama entered office as a wartime president, inheriting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the threat of nuclear proliferation in Iran, but right now it is the economy that will likely determine who is elected as the next president. This is exemplified in the 2012 presidential debate that was devoted to foreign policy. Both Mitt Romney and Obama continuously tried to turn the debate into one over domestic affairs. In 1992, the campaign strategist for Bill Clinton, James Carville, famously said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” This aptly describes the 2012 elections. If the foreign affairs debate is any indication of what the outcome will be, the 2012 presidential elections will likely be determined by the candidate which is better able to convince the American population that he will be able to promote the American economy’s recovery after the 2008 crisis.