America had just suffered through one of the hottest summers in history when a heat wave of another kind gripped the nation—a divisive presidential campaign.

The incumbent president, a Democrat seeking his second term, inherited an economy that had imploded under his Republican predecessor. In his first term, the country experienced some growth in GDP and slightly improved job numbers, but nowhere near what they had been before the collapse. The country had also experienced deficit spending on a massive scale and a new federal program was instituted to provide a social safety net.

The president’s plans for jumpstarting the economy have drawn harsh criticism from the ranks of the GOP, with "Save America from Socialism" as the party’s rallying cry. Meanwhile, the president’s opponent, a successful businessman turned governor, is seen by some as an unenthusiastic campaigner. Those in the right wing of his own party are also concerned by the candidate’s ...