General Discussion

It swings back and forth. Mostly based on the current economic conditions locally. People vote from their pocket books. They do, the phrase 'all politics are local' is absolutely true. Consider world economic conditions in the late '70s and early '80s. In the USA unemployment in Johnstown PA and Lackawanna NY was close to 20 percent. 1 in 5 out of work. Reagan won. Around the same time, Thatcher came to power in the UK, and Mulroney in Canada. Cut to the late '90s, and Clinton won based on the economy. If things are good, incumbents thrive, if they are not incumbents lose. To the majority of the electorate, kitchen table issues matter. More then ideology.