Single Issue Voters

 Group speak fascinates me.  A couple years ago, receipts, meaning evidence, was solely a black term.  Now it permeates every political commentary.  Organically, post debate, journalists universally referred to Trump as taking the bait.  Indeed he did, with the resulting cat and dog story that has morphed into a million memes.

But the most important moment may have been the Ukraine discussion because it may have created another group of single issue voters.   Single issue voting is emotional.  For many on both sides, abortion is an emotional issue which subsumes all other considerations.  Gun regulation is another such issue.  Conversely, the economy/inflation is the most important issue, but not one that blocks out all other considerations.

As I covered in a prior blog, "Pole Dancing,"  Ukraine/Nato/Putin, can be an over powering topic.  Danger to the homeland is emotional.  As Kamala explained, weakening NATO, and conceding Ukraine to  Russia, is an imminent threat to Poland.  Polish Americans are a huge, up for grabs, voting block in Michigan, Wisconsin, and, most importantly, Pennsylvania.  

If Kamala can win upwards of 80% of the Polish American vote the blue wall will encapsulate her victory.

Why the Debate Mattered

Free media either acts as an echo chamber for paid media or as a mute button.  Obama wants this to be a choice election, while Romney's campaign wanted a referendum on the president.  Obama won.

The second part of the game plan was to portray Romney as an uncaring, right wing extremist plutocrat.  Obama enjoyed early success, but Romney's debate success muted that attack.  For that reason the Obama campaign is  attacking Romney as a flip flopper.  That is more consistent with the debate, which featured a "new" Romney.  It is some measure of success for Romney, that for the first time in the campaign, Obama is forced to change course.