Who Benefits From The Wall Street Crisis?
Posted Sep 16, 2008 at 9:13 AM by Maurice Berger
Will the Wall Street crisis, high gas prices, and the struggling economy automatically help the Democrats? Not necessarily. Public opinion on the campaigns' approach to economic issues is split, with Obama ahead when the question is more general (who would best handle the economy, who best understands your economic concerns), but sometimes breaks for McCain when questions are more specific (who would better handle the deficit, who do you trust to negotiate trade agreements, who do you trust to balance the federal budget). This pattern, of course, may change if events on the ground become dire or begin to have an immediate impact on voters. But consider this: a candidate's experience also matters when voters are feeling anxious. And in this regard, McCain has a considerable edge in public opinion surveys on the question of who has the adequate experience to be president. In times of war or economic crisis, voters often turn to the candidate who in their eyes best represents stability or measured change, rather than dynamic change.
