The day that President Barack Obama gave his statement to the nation about the death of Osama Bin Laden, riots, marches and such ensued across the United States. Is it possible that this made the citizens who have lost their jobs to outsourcing or paid $60 to fill their tank recently forget about all of this? Sure, it definitely is possible. The timing was very strategic, I must admit, but there will no doubt be more consideration when it comes time for us to make our decisions at the polls, more pros and cons lists made, and a shift in focus for the GOP candidates in their campaigns.
We all know that Democrats are most well known for being safe, more focused on social welfare than national security and Obama has been criticized for being “too safe” in many of his decisions. Republicans are more notorious for national security and military action than the focus on the public welfare and internal reforms. It came as a surprise to many that Obama would direct such an action or that he had even found Osama after President Bush, a Republican, had not discovered his hiding place for the six years he had attempted. As there was an 80% chance that Osama Bin Laden was hiding in that compound, it was an even bigger surprise that Obama went ahead with the operation. What effect could this have on the polls? Republicans are claiming that there is no need to change their political strategy, but they plan to focus on the economy in the upcoming election. They predict that if the economy does not improve in the next 18 months, then they will have a stronger chance (www.kansascity.com).
Obama’s approval ratings were somewhat low before May 1, 2011, at 46% (close to the low of 41% in the past year) and afterwards, raised to 52% (www.gallup.com). Could this potentially keep rising as more and more details come out about Bin Laden? This strategy of releasing information day by day after the death is no coincidence. As Obama’s ratings were low, the intent is to slowly get them to increase as the government ensures that Obama’s achievement does not leave the minds of Americans. This PR strategy is instilled in order to slowly feed our appetites for the long-awaited death of our nation’s most feared terrorist. With all of this in mind, how do you think it will affect your decision at the polls? The strategic campaigns on both sides will make it extremely difficult to choose, especially after the recent government activity. Democrat or Republican, pay attention to both sides and see what they focus on and what they veer away from. Uncovering the PR strategies will be key to making that important decision in the voting booth.
Written by Chelsey Rodowicz
