Below The Beltway

Forget about Soccer Moms, Bruce McQuain QandO guest blogger Billy Hollis thinks maybe we ought to pay attention to the Jack Bauer Voter

The New York Times and assorted Democratic politicians would have us believe that our nation is gripped in angst over the NSA wiretapping program, the national phone database episode, secret foreign prisons, and even monitoring terrorists? financial transactions. The popularity of ?24? suggests that there is a fairly large portion of the citizenry that has no problem with any of those activities, as long as they result in catching terrorists.

Our major media is fond of typecasting voters to explain electoral dynamics. We had ?soccer moms? in the 90?s that were supposed to be the linchpin of Bill Clinton?s support. Then there were the ?NASCAR dads? that supposedly provided George W. Bush with his victory in 2004.

But I?m wondering if the concept of the ?Jack Bauer voter? isn?t more relevant than either of those. Millions of people every week are eagerly watching a show in which (1) the threat of terrorism is apparently ubiquitous, (2) our political leaders are wimps, and (3) a tough-minded terrorism fighter always saves the day. Wouldn?t viewers of such a show be pre-disposed towards tough prosecution of the War on Terror?

An interesting question. Obviously, most television viewers are smart enough to know that 24 is only a television show, that Jack Bauer is a fictional character, and that what we see unfold on the screen is more for dramatic effect than an accurate depiction of what life for federal counterterrorism agents is actually like.

At the same time, though, nearly every national election since 2001 has shown that the War on Terror resonates with a large segment of the American population. And, as the post at QandO points out, the Democrats need to remember this if they are going to have any chance come November:

For the Democrats to capture Congress in 2006, they?ve got to come up with something that resonates with voters. They seem to be putting a lot of their effort into casting doubt on Bush?s anti-terrorism efforts. I suspect this is a losing game for them. If Democratic candidates remind voters of the wimpy politicians on ?24?, I?d say that hurts their electoral prospects.

Which is why the continued effort by some Democrats to undermine Joe Lieberman, the one consistent anti-terror Democrat in Congress, is all the more puzzling.