Alibi columnist and State Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino penned an article for us last week on the fear-inducing campaigns of Republican presidential candidates. OyP calls it “conjured fear.” Bill Maher seems to agree in his review of last night’s debate. He says the candidates yammer on about issues people don’t have time to worry about, such as immigration, abortion and how social services lead to tyranny. President George W. Bush came up a lot during the debate as Mitt Romney tried to chip away at Rick Santorum’s popularity. Bush was also heavily criticized for fueling his campaigns with fear and hot-button social issues, such as same-sex marriage. Primitive fright, writes Democrat Ortiz y Pino, is effective:
Only the dulling influence of repeated terror can explain why so many Americans consistently vote against their own economic interests.Santorum might be experiencing a bit of nerves today as he’s questioned about one particular statement during the debates. He said that though No Child Left Behind didn’t align with his fiscal conservatism, he voted for it because sometimes you have to “take one for the team.”
