&quot;tough on crime&quot; == &quot;soft on justice&quot;<p>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 (&quot;we the people&quot;), it&#x27;s far easier to focus on&#x2F;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&#x27;s hardly any evidence. A mob mentality is born out of our natural desire for &quot;law &amp; order&quot;.