SF Chronicle: 'Politics of fear' losing its punch

I'm not ready to write off the effectiveness of the GOP's scare tactics in drumming up votes, but there's no denying that they've been crying wolf in every election cycle since the 9/11 attack-- and there's a point at which it will no longer work. The economy, the deficit, energy prices, healthcare and education costs-- these are all important issues that are very troubling right now, but nobody's talking about them on a national level. Maybe these bread and butter issues will play a larger role in local elections than they have in the past few years, but the entire GOP strategy is still to make it all about fear.

Although terrorism thrusts itself into nearly every campaign for federal office, there are signs that the issue is losing its power to move voters as it has in the two national elections since 2001.

Last month's frenzy over the foiled plot to blow up U.S.- bound airplanes illustrates how blase Americans have become about political posturing over terror. (. . .)

"It hardly created a ripple," said Charlie Cook, a political analyst who publishes a nonpartisan election newsletter.

When the Pew Foundation asked 1,506 adults in August which single issue they would most want to hear a candidate talk about, only 1 in 50 responded "terror." (. . .)

"They've seen this movie before, and more of them know they are getting their chain yanked," said Garry South, a Democratic consultant in California, who pointed to the White House as the worst offender.

"If Karl Rove believes all he has to do is dust off the old game plan and accuse Democrats of being soft on terror, of coddling terrorists, I don't think that's going to work this year," South said.

Yet both parties appear intent on using terrorism as an election issue.