Ever since the Tiananmen Square military crackdown of 1989, China has become an issue in domestic American politics, usually with the party in power — either Republican or Democratic — being attacked by the opposition party for not being tough enough toward Beijing.
In 1992, the first presidential election after Tiananmen Square, incumbent President George H.W. Bush was accused by candidate Bill Clinton of "coddling the butchers of Beijing." However, when the junior Bush ran for the White House in 2000, he ostentatiously distanced himself from the Clinton policy toward China by saying that Beijing was a strategic competitor, not a strategic partner.
Now, with the U.S. presidential campaign heating up, China is again becoming an increasingly prominent campaign issue, with both Democratic candidates being openly critical of Beijing. China's crackdown on Tibetan protesters plus the highly publicized demonstrations accompanying the journey of the Olympic torch around the world have come on top of other issues, such as human rights, China's trade surplus and the loss of American jobs.