that, and incumbents usually win.
True. It's remarkable how LITTLE things have changed. Just like Reagan and Bush II, Obama lost the first debate as an incumbent, was on the ropes and then rebounded. Likewise Mondale and Kerry lost on the charisma factor (as Gore, Dukakis, Dole, Bush Sr. against Clinton, etc. did). Romney had a little bit more likability, so the election was pretty close.
Not during an economic depression, they don’t.