Last weekend, McCain said he’s going to “whip Obama’s you-know-what,†and he needed to do just that if he has any hope of moving the campaign favorably in his direction in any meaningful way. The CW is that he’s at his best when he’s down and this week his mantra has been “Fight! Fight! Fight!†which indicates his awareness that he’s in the political fight of his life as he struggles to tighten his rival’s double-digit lead.
Moderator Bob Schieffer opened the debate by asking each candidate to explain why his economic plan is better than his opponent’s. As in previous debates, they repeated their campaign talking points. McCain charged that Obama’s plan would raise taxes on not only the rich but people like a plumber Obama recently encountered on the stump who hopes to buy the business he’s worked for over many years. The Democrat reiterated his stance of increasing taxes on only those who earn more than $250,000 per year.
Scheiffer then asked a question that went unanswered in the last debate about what policies each would have to postpone or even eliminate. Obama said he plans to implement a pay-go system and eliminate a host of programs that don’t work as well as make needed programs work better. McCain went back to his home mortgage rescue plan and also said he would cut subsidies for ethanol. “I know how to save billions,†he said. And when Obama attempted to link McCain with President Bush, the Republican retorted with, “Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush,” said McCain. “If you want to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago.” But when Obama said that McCain had not differentiated himself from Bush, McCain cited areas in which he has, such as torture, the Iraq war, and climate change — but not the economy.
Scheiffer also addressed the nasty tone the campaign has taken. McCain took advantage of the opportunity to once again express his dismay over Obama’s refusal to participate in a series of town hall meetings earlier in the campaign and point out recent comments by the civil rights icon, Georgia Rep. John Lewis, who likened McCain’s recent negative attacks to the infamous segregationist, Gov. George Wallace.
Obama said he thought Lewis’s comments were inappropriate and unprompted by his campaign but the American people want the ability to focus on the really big changes the nation is facing and that’s what he wants to do. While McCain appeared a bit testy, repeatedly interrupting his opponent, Obama chose to take an agree-to-disagree without being disagreeable approach. This prompted McCain to bring up Obama’s relationship with ACORN, which the Republican Party has charged is involved in voter fraud. And while criticizing Obama on his relationship with William Ayers, McCain at the same time said his campaign was focused on the economy.
Each candidate was also asked to defend his choice of running mate. Obama spoke of Sen. Joe Biden’s foreign policy credentials, Senate record and their shared core values, adding
that “He would make an outstanding president if, Heaven forbid, something should happen to me.†McCain spoke of Palin’s experience as a reformer who has faced down Big Oil. Palin is “a reformer through and through and it’s time we had that breath of fresh air coming into our nation’s capital,†said McCain, who also mentioned her understanding of special needs families. When asked what each thought of the other’s VP pick, Obama diplomatically avoided commenting on Palin’s qualifications, choosing instead to say that she’s a capable politician who has excited the Republican base. McCain said that Biden is qualified in many respects but has been wrong on many foreign policy and security issues.On healthcare, stayed true to campaign talking points. McCain said that Obama’s plan would mandate how people spend their money, while Obama countered that McCain’s plan will not help the majority of people seeking insurance and that many will lose their employer based healthcare plans, which McCain will tax.
Immediately following the debate, Obama-Biden campaign manager David Plouffe said, “Barack Obama showed the steady leadership that the American people need, and offered specific plans on the issues that matter to the middle class — creating jobs, cutting health care costs, building a new energy policy, and getting our economy moving. Senator McCain said that George Bush isn’t on the ballot, but he couldn’t name a single way that his economic policies will be any different. This was John McCain’s last chance for a game-changer, and he didn’t get it.â€
McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker issued a statement that read, “John McCain won tonight’s debate with strong, clear straight talk about setting a new direction for our country and fighting for working families. He outlined a specific, bold plan for creating jobs, helping those near retirement, keeping people in their homes, curbing spending, lowering health care costs and achieving energy independence. He vowed to fight for ‘Joe the Plumber’ every day he is President and he affirmed his belief that we shouldn’t raise taxes just to ‘spread the wealth’.”
Larry Berman, a University of California, Davis political scientist and Carnegie Mellon political scientist Kiron Skinner both felt that this final debate was the best of the three.
“McCain had a strategy of offense. Obama had a strategy of defense and to stay the course. They both succeeded in putting forth their strategy. In some ways McCain performed better because he glaringly made his point over and over and over again and it was clear what he was doing,†said Skinner. “For him this was a very successful effective debate. I don’t know if he convinced the independent voters he needed to get to tonight but he looked much more in command of the issues. This was a debate between a liberal and a conservative and we saw that more than in previous debates. They were much clearer about where they stand and how they differ.†Skinner added that while she’s unsure what the undecided voters are thinking, McCain did succeed in erasing some of the doubts about him that had begun to emerge among members of his party.
Unfortunately, those are not the people he needed to reach tonight. And according to flash surveys conducted by CNN and CBS, Obama once again won the night by 58% to 31% and 53% to 22%, respectively.
“McCain really did everything he needed to try to do but I don’t think that in the end it is enough because he seemed edgy, angry and impatient. His strategy from the very beginning was to paint Obama as this traditional taxing, liberal Democratic candidate,†said Berman. “Obama stayed on task, which was to say [McCain represents] four more years of Bush: I’m the future and McCain’s the past. I don’t think McCain did anything tonight to convince people that he’s an agent of change, and that’s his dilemma.â€
While Joe the plumber, who was mentioned more than 20 times, may be tonight’s true star, Sen. Hillary Clinton concurred in a statement issued after the debate that “Barack Obama is closing the deal in this election and America is closing the door on the last eight years of failed Republican policies. The American people have now seen what both tickets are offering four times, and the choice could not be more clear: Barack Obama offers the steady leadership we need. This was John McCain’s last chance to present clear, detailed solutions to address this economic crisis we’re in and we only saw more of the same.â€