I don't think one person or institutions (media, education, or entertainment) has that much influence over the American electorate.
I think Obama's election to the presidency was similar to Ronald Reagan‘s election to the presidency. First, Obama was a better politician than his opponents were. As much as people loathe politicians, they sure seem to vote for the better one each time. The other reason is it was a reaction to the previous presidency. People judged Jimmy Carter as a disappointment and gave the car keys to Reagan. They did the same from Bush to Obama. I believe the voters that don’t pay attention tend to vote with that methodology.
Now the reason Mitt Romney isn’t President today is the Republican Party has yet to fully recover from this era. In addition, their social politics -- like the southern strategy -- has gone from a great strength to a major weakness. So while the Republicans positions on taxes, spending, and regulation, may very well appeal to most voters, it’s their other policies that don't as much. The voters simply weigh the level of importance, and I think now more than ever, younger voters are particularly more willing to vote on social and scientific issues than pocketbook issues.
On the other hand, perhaps it's as simple as Jesse Jackson and Modern Family. [cheers]
Originally Posted by: porky88