Stressed Elections

Will my family eat tomorrow?  Will I still have my house tomorrow?  Who will lead our country?  Who will be the voice of America?  Will my opinion affect the outcome of the election and thus answer my questions?  These questions are pushing people to their limit and Romney and Obama are playing on their fears while attempting to ease their stress.  People are stressed and nothing is going to change until after the election, but to be frank, it will be a while until people feel comfortable again, which will only occur as a result of the economy regaining momentum.  Even the prospect of a growing economy is not a certainty, yet two men feel they have the answer.

From the perspective of the American people, their lives rest with these two men and their ability to improve the economy.  The foremost thought on people’s minds is how this election will affect them and their family.  Thus, the focus is not on foreign policy, but rather domestic policy.  Eight out of ten people are stressed by today’s economy. (http://articles.cnn.com/2009-03-20/health/economic.stress_1_economy-and-finances-survey-personal-finances?_s=PM:HEALTH)  The economy is in essence, the lives of Americans.  Domestic issues (the economy mainly) covers the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  Food, water, and shelter are the basic needs to survive and all are tied to the economy.  Thus, this is what is most important to people.  Foreign policy falls under the second step of safety; to feel safe in America from foreign threat.

Especially for already decided voters, this is a time of high anxiety.  They want their favorite to win and they feel that if the other guy wins then their economic future will darken.  When they feel that their opinion is expressed in a candidate, then the thought of having their opinion silenced for four years is disheartening.  Freedom of speech is a right in the US, but for your speech to actually hold true power, it must be expressed through a person who actually holds a position of power.