"tough on crime" == "soft on justice" I think voters fall for that slogan because we hate crime and injustice (unfairness) in general. Even though we need to b

"tough on crime" == "soft on justice" I think voters fall for that slogan because we hate crime and injustice (unfairness) in general. Even though we need to be critical of both sides of the law ("we the people"), it's far easier to focus on/attack the unfairness we see rather than promote the everyday fairness that we take for granted. And we need closure in a lot of cases, so just pin it on that seedy looking character over there if there's hardly any evidence. A mob mentality is born out of our natural desire for "law & order".