I have a longstanding theory that every campaign has a secret message, a 1-sentence summary of its offer to voters, for good or ill. These messages lurk beneath the formal slogans. They constitute the reality of the campaign.
Thus John McCain in 2008: "More wars for a Spanish-speaking America."
Thus Barak Obama in 2008: "Vote for me, and you never have to discuss race again."
And in 2012?
The Democratic message is shaping up as: "The Republicans/the Fed/the Europeans wrecked the recovery, and we weren't smart enough or tough enough to stop them. Vote us."
The Republican message: "Obama could not fix the mess we made. Vote us."
