It's the economy, stupid

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"The economy, stupid," was a phrase in American politics widely (often imprecisely) quoted after Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign against George H.W. Bush. It was coined by Democratic Party strategist James Carville.

The phrase takes the form of the KISS principle. In order to keep the campaign on message, Carville hung a sign in Bill Clinton's Little Rock campaign headquarters with the following three points, roughly in haiku form:

1. Change vs. more of the same
2. The economy, stupid
3. Don't forget health care.

The phrase is repeated often in American political culture, with commentators sometimes substituting a different word in place of "economy."