President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden accepted the nomination for their second term in office at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC.
The convention began Sept. 4, and focused on the party’s emphasis on building a stable, long-lasting economy.
“Gov. Romney thinks that if we give a $250,000 tax cut to folks making over $3 million a year, that somehow jobs are going to appear and prosperity will rain down on everybody else,” Obama said in a national college reporter conference call on Aug. 28. “I don’t believe in top-down economic policies. That’s what got us into this mess in the first place. I believe in middle-out and bottom-up economics where everybody’s getting a fair shot and we’re opening up opportunity and investing in our young people and our future.”
Much like in the Romney campaign, these economic issues will be more important than the social issues, said Dr. Robert Preuhs, assistant professor of political science at MSU Denver.
“I think ultimately, the economy is the number one priority for a vast majority of Americans,” said Preuhs. “Certainly, that plays well for the Republicans, as usually the incumbent doesn’t do so well when the economy isn’t doing so well. However, the Obama administration has moved the debate away [from economic issues] and to the social issues. They have brought those up, but not to the forefront. The economy is still going to be the No. 1 issue.”
Obama’s biggest weakness will be the current high unemployment rates. But his strengths lie in optimizing target demographic groups, such as female and minority voters, Preuhs said.
“President Obama — the son of a single mother and the father of two daughters — understands that women aren’t a special interest group, they are more than half this country,” according to the Democratic Party Platform. “[They] believe that women have a right to control their reproductive choices. Democrats will continue to stand up to Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood health centers.”
On Aug. 8, Obama spoke at Auraria to promote his women’s health programs, and a year ago, Obama came to campus to speak about his student loan program.
“Democrats believe that getting an education is the surest path to the middle class, giving all students the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and contribute to our economy and democracy,” according to the platform. “We are committed to ensuring that every child in America has access to a world-class public education so we can out-educate the world and make sure that America has the world’s highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.”
The Obama campaign will reach out to younger voters, as it did in 2008.
“Regardless of who they support, I want to make sure as many students as possible are voting this year,” Obama said. “I hope once again young people take their futures into their own hands. If they do then I’m optimistic that we can rebuild the economy, protect the promise of this country, and remind the world why America’s the greatest nation on earth.”
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