Senators' John McCain and Barack Obama and Bob Scheiffer of CBS took to the stage Wednesday for the last presidential debate at Hofstra University on Long Island, New York.
McCain and Obama quickly got into the debate on taxes. McCain was determined to demonstrate that Obama's plan would forget about the small business owner in America. He gave an example of Joe the Plumber, someone who Obama met. McCain would mention Joe's name 9 times during the debate in an effort to make Obama seem distant from the average Americans' dreams. Obama talked about how taxes for the top rich companies and individuals in America are justified to help middle class Americans.
McCain made bold statements that, for example, he could balance the budget in 4 years. McCain boasted that Obama had the highest spending on negative campaigning than any other candidate in America, ever. This seems hard to measure or prove from the table both candidates were debating from. Nonetheless, McCain pulled all his cards, including Hillary Clinton's support of his economic policies, to make his point. The New York Times released a picture of Clinton sitting in the audience of the debate not looking very amused. This was a dirty tactic, probably hatched in the mind of Hillary's former campaign manager Mark Penn. The head of Burson-Marsteller, Penn's people have quietly sat in powerful positions in both Clinton and McCain's campaigns this year. They clearly have traded notes.
Obama demonstrated an ability to look beyond the petty divisive politics that have defined this 2008 race. These were the same dirty politics used in the 2004 and 2000 elections. These sorts of tactics, defined by stirring anger and frustration among voters, turns the race into a personal battle of political associations (individual or organization-wise).
One of Obama's best moves was avoiding getting into this tit-for-tat over the "terrorist" question. Obama also refused to attack McCain's choice for vice president, Sarah Palin. The Alaskan Governor has made headlines for a number of negative reasons, but Obama did not list any of them.
Pennsylvania Democratic Representative Murtha has stepped forward, bringing up the pink elephant in the room, race. "It has taken time for many Pennsylvania voters to come around to embracing a black presidential candidate, but that Obama should still win the state, though not in a runaway," Murtha said Wednesday.
Pennsylvania is the best example of what is at stake for McCain in the race. The Keystone state is up for grabs in the 2008 election, but the national economic issues are still the main focus, even in the predominately white neighborhoods of Western Pennsylvania. The region is primarily working class elderly and war veterans who have a blue-collar background. These folks are the former workers who were laid off when Bethlehem Steel was shutdown.
The lack of jobs, breakdown of union power and poor economy are on the minds of these voters, perhaps more than ethnicity. While their first choice may not be a multi-racial president, the alternative maybe worse, an armageddon of sorts. This is the last battle; a final conflict for what America is essentially, and these Pennsylvanian people sense it.
The New York Times/CBS News poll Tuesday had Obama leading McCain by 14 points. Obama strategist Dave Axelrod remained resolute as he spoke to reporters en route to New York. "We're not seduced by polls now. We think this is going to be a battle every day until the end."
For his part, McCain pushed his economic proposals including an early tax withdraw from IRA/401k plans and a capital gains tax cut. As the Dow Jones Industrial dropped 773 points on Wednesday, McCain also needs to present new solutions that distance himself from those negative views associated with the Bush Administration.
The split screen format was a good tool that moved the discussion along with some visuals that the other debates did not provide. With three weeks to go, McCain will have to provide the American people more reasons to believe his campaign will move the country way from the past eight years and the economic consequences of today.
