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15 years after Bill Clinton won the White House on an economic message, the 2008 campaign has returned to a familiar theme. When Mitt Romney decisively won the Michigan Primary-- running on his record as a successful businessman who could rescue the state from record unemployment-- it served notice that the slowdown in the U.S. economy has become a major issue in the 2008 campaign. One candidate who clearly got the message-- John McCain-- who has begun emphasizing his credentials as a fiscal conservative. SOUNDBITE: John McCain, presidential candidate, saying (English): "Stop the spending first! Stop the spending first. If you don't stop the spending, then it's all going to go out the door no matter what it is." Some analysts say this renewed focus on the possibility of an economic downturn may benefit the campaign of Mitt Romney. John Geer is an expert in presidential campaigns at Vanderbilt University. SOUNDBITE: John Geer, political science professor, Vanderbilt University saying (English): "I think Mitt Romney can take advantage of the problems that are confronting the country. You have the Congress talking about it. The Fed Chairman is talking about it. There's a lot of foreclosures. There's a lot of data out there that spells problems for Americans. So I think Mitt Romney can tap into that." On the Democratic side, the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards have each introduced economic stimulus plans-- to jump start the U.S. economy. Barack Obama touted his plan in San Francisco. SOUNDBITE: Barack Obama, presidential candidate, saying (English): "We know that the economy is worsening. The most important step is a short term stimulus that gets money..into the pockets of Americans. So that you don't see consumer spending drastically stop." But of the three leading Democrats, the economy as an issue could be a strong suit for Hillary Clinton. SOUNDBITE: John Geer, political science professor, Vanderbilt University saying (English): "Well, the conventional wisdom is that the focus on the economy benefits Hillary Clinton because she can reach back and talk about the economic growth that was seen under the Clinton-Gore Administration. And certainly, that's true." It's also true that just six months ago, the war in Iraq was the dominant issue for both parties. Now, with the U.S. economy heading for a slowdown, each of the White House hopefuls has re-focused their message to the same one that helped Bill Clinton win the White House....it's economy, stupid." Jon Decker, Reuters Television, Washington.