An Introduction

With election day less than a week away, the discussion of the factors affecting its outcome is becoming more intense. Many things can affect how American citizens make their voting decisions in an election year. This blog explores three different influences that carry weight in the minds of Americans as they decide which candidate will get their vote.

• One of the most important factors is how President Obama and Governor Romney differ on their views of how best to address the less-than-stellar economic situation. A flagging economy affects virtually everyone, and so a careful study of how the economy has changed and what can be done about it can assist in decision-making. Particularly relevant is a review of the last four years that comprise Barack Obama’s Presidency. What has he done to try to fix the economy, and has it been effective? These are important questions that deserve answers in an election year.

• Another influential factor is the current debate over the state of abortion. This blog post explores a couple prevalent perspectives on abortion held throughout America, and Obama's and Romney's opinions on the topic. It also speaks of what ideology most Americans seem to prefer, and which of the candidates seems to better represent the desires of the American people as a whole.

• The third topic addresses celebrities and their relationship to other people––particularly how celebrities possess the ability to impact many people significantly, not only fans. Fans will sometimes blindly accept the opinions and perspectives of their idol, a celebrity, because they feel that they identify with him or her. However, this can prevent them from taking a real look at the issues and what their opinions actually are. When candidates in the election are become celebrities, this can cause voting based on emotions rather than logical thought.