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11/02/2024 11:38:45 am

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U.S. Election Could Come Down To National Security –Gallup Poll

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(Photo : Reuters / Alaa Al-Marjani) Shi'ite volunteers secure the area from predominantly Sunni militants from the Islamic State, previously called the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), in the desert region between Kerbala and Najaf, south of Baghdad, July 3, 2014.

A recent Gallup Poll of Republicans and Democrats reflect that the U.S. election could come down to the issue of national security, a finding that is contrary to economy being the usual top issue in any election.

For the first time in ten years, the U.S. election campaigns could be won by focusing on just national security, the poll said.

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Although Americans are also interested in employment, wages, economic improvement and other political issues, these concerns hardly translate directly to ballot results, according to Jake Novak of CNBC.

One of the reasons for this is that voters and candidates alike find it hard to analyze the economy. Most American citizens agree that the country's economy is not that strong, but the agreement starts and ends there.

Americans do not know exactly who is to blame for the sluggish economy and cannot pinpoint very well which political party would make the best leaders when it comes to the economy. Politicians usually like issues that divide the opinion of an electorate, but the economy is not one of those issues.

Back in 2012, experts said the economy was the top issue for candidates, but Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both flunked in that area. According to post-election studies, Obama won in the 2012 election not because of the economy, but because it all came down to popularity, Novak explained.

As of now, Democrats are trying to outdo their rivals on issues revolving around economic growth, jobs, minimum wage and taxes. Republicans, on the other hand, are hitting the Obama administration with scandals that would mess up its image.

Obama will not run in the 2016 election. But in order to grab a seat at the White House, Republicans will need to focus on one big issue: national security.

Concentrating their efforts on beefing up national and personal security will not give candidates a sure shot at winning the upcoming election, Novak said. However, it is bound to be a major deciding factor among voters.

If the next couple of years would be riddled with news about the Islamic State, refugee crises, security threats, military issues and cyber attacks from China and Russia, the candidate that vows to raise America's level of security would surely be on his way to victory, Novak concluded.

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