The 538 Politics podcast mini-series “Campaign Throwback” is taking a deep dive into the political wisdom of past campaigns. The first episode explores the campaign trope “It’s the economy, stupid,” which originated during Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign. This phrase emphasized three main messages for the campaign staff: change vs. more of the same, the economy, and healthcare.
The second message, focusing on the economy, gained recognition in a 1993 documentary called “The War Room” and has since become a staple in election analysis. In this episode, we will examine the accuracy and effectiveness of this trope in light of changing political dynamics and voter priorities.
Throughout this series, we will delve into popular campaign tropes from past elections, such as “soccer moms” or the question about which candidate you’d rather have a beer with. We aim to explore where these tropes originated, whether they were true at the time, and if they still hold relevance in today’s political landscape.
Join us as we revisit timeless wisdom and insights from past campaigns that continue to influence the political landscape today on “Campaign Throwback.”
