McCain the Economic Easter Bunny

The Nation: McCain clung to the fading vision of Reaganomics as seen through the lens of George Bush, defaulting again and again to a lexicon of tax cuts for the richest, empty promises of trickle-down prosperity, fantasies of spending freezes and the certainty of deeper deficits and greater dysfunction in a federal government.
For McCain, ultimately, it was all about those tax cuts -- for plumber Joe Wurzelbacher in Ohio who wants to start a small business and, though he did not mention it, for corporations that earn more in a quarter than the GDPs of more than a few sovereign nations.
"The whole premise behind Sen. Obama's plans are class warfare, let's spread the wealth around. I want small businesses -- and by the way, the small businesses that we're talking about would receive an increase in their taxes right now," growled McCain. "Who -- why would you want to increase anybody's taxes right now?"
Obama chose to respond as an adult. More. 

Meanwhile, Karl Rove finds his own data to conclude Obama hasn't closed the deal.

In the campaign's final two weeks, voters will take a last serious look at both presidential candidates. The outcome of the race isn't cast in stone yet.

Barack Obama holds a 7.3% lead in the Real Clear Politics average of all polls, but the latest Gallup tracking poll reveals that there are nearly twice as many undecided voters this year than there were in the last presidential election. The Investor's Business Daily/TIPP poll (which was closest to the mark in predicting the 2004 outcome -- 0.4% off the actual result) now says this is a three-point race.

This week also brought a reminder that Sen. Obama hasn't closed the sale. The Washington Post/ABC poll found 45% of voters still don't think he's qualified to be president, about the same number who doubted his qualifications in March. You can read more if you want. The rest says Obama is bad. McCain is good.

Here's the even more distorted take on the debate from right wing mag Town Hall. It seems this columnist saw a different debate.

Town Hall: McCain scored big with the Joe the plumber exchanges, and with the campaign tactics exchange. Obama looked angry and stumbled repeatedly as he tried to cope with what he really told Joe the plumber --guaranteeing the replay of the clip again and again and underscoring Senator Obama's flexibility when it comes to facts-- and with what John Lewis said. Obama's answer on ACORN was a jaw dropper and opens the door to the MSM, as does the Ayers exchange. McCain drove this home without going overboard. Repeatedly returning to Joe the Plumber was key for McCain, and by the last half hour Obama was petulantly telling Joe what the "right thing to do by his employees" was. John McCain then spoke directly to Joe and put a bright line around Obama's "spread the wealth" line, and the "fundamental difference" between the campaigns. When Senator McCain slipped and called Senator Obama "Senator Government," he scored when he didn't even intend to. That's the sort of thing that marks a great debate for McCain, when even his verbal flub advances the key message.
McCain accomplished more in just the first half of the debate than he did in the first two debates total, and the second half was just as good for him. "Spread the wealth" is now the Obama brand, and that can move the polls. So too can the drilling exchange ("I so admire Senator Obama's eloquence.") Senator McCain was animated and informed through-out, and Sebator Obama on the defensive on many occasions, including the "Born Alive Infant Protection Act." Catholic voters watching this exchange could not be comfortable with the Obama dodges. "Another example of the eloquence of Senator Obama," countered McCain. "That's the extreme pro-abortion position in America," McCain replied to Obama's winding explanation.

There are polls out that say no one really cares about Ayers. I think even fewer people know about Acorn. I can't even follow the wingnut line of logic on Acorn.
Salon:

John McCain promised to kick Barack Obama's "you know what" on Wednesday night. He hinted that he'd bring up former Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers and worse. Instead McCain bludgeoned Obama with Joe the Plumber, and the effect was more farce than fierce.

McCain mentioned the now-famous plumber, Joe Wurzelbacher, an apparently wealthy Toledo businessman who complained he'd pay more taxes under Obama's plan, more than he talked about Sarah Palin or Osama bin Laden, by far. Midway through the 90-minute conversation, Obama was addressing Joe the Plumber, too. And it was clear by then that McCain had lost three straight debates.

Debate transcript
Debate fact check

Obama Wins Hofstra Debate

I'm so biased but Obama seemed to be on top of all the issues. McCain seemed to answer every question: I'm republican. No new ideas.

Obama has answers because he has a plan.

Bob Schieffer asked great questions.

Obama alas answered to 50 million people, who were willing to listen, the partial birth abortion question. That has really gnawed at me, that people would think Obama would want to kill live babies. I mean really.

Here is the video of Obama explaining his tax cut plat to Joe the plumber, who must be feeling very important right about now.

McCain's best moment, if I had to name one, is when he said he wasn't president Bush. But he is.

Vote for the winner.

Why do undecided voters get so much attention? They aren't undecided. How could anyone be undecided. If there are undecided voters, they number in the hundreds.

Pre Debate Thoughts

McCain looks perky. He's raring to go.
I believe he'll try and stir it up tonight. Maybe we'll see some of his anger. There really isn't much he can say because he doesn't have an economic platform. He believes in extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, and drill baby drill, end of story.
McCain doesn't care enough about health care, education or energy to truly do anything about them. He's a republican and the republicans are in disarray at this point. He's a republican and republicans don't think government can be part of the solution. 
I'm predicting either another debate like the last one -- am I the only one who enjoyed that debate? -- or a knock out by Obama. 

This debate will probably have fewer viewers. It sort of feels like we've seen all we need to see. But maybe I'm too immersed.
In the meantime, enjoy this funny site.
There is live blogging here and here. 

Entertain yourself with rumors courtesy from Fox News that Colin Powell is endorsing Obama because Powell danced at the Africa Rising festival.

McCain's Debate Dilemma

McCain's supporters want McCain to go get em! Obama that is. They've practically been on bended knees at rallies, begging McCain to bring up Obama's "terrorist" ties. They want the "truth" to be told. What they believe to be the truth and reality are two separate things.

McCain Palin supporters don't care much about the economy. They care about abortion and gay marriage and opposing Obama. They care about asserting their moral superiority, which ironically isn't so moral or superior. McCain has promised that he would attack Obama at the debate.

I think McCain will bring up Ayers at the debate. But he won't bring it up the way his supporters want him to -- that Obama has terrorist instincts. Instead McCain is likely to use Ayers to say that Obama has questionable judgment. He'll use it to try and cast doubt on Obama's character.

But polls and analysts say McCain needs to talk about the economy.

CNN: "I think what he has to to do is talk about the issues. ... He's got to talk about his economic plan," CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger said. "Yes, he's got to convince voters that he's got the judgment to be president, but he's also got to convince voters to like him."

The third and final debate, taking place at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, at 9 p.m. ET, may be the last time the Republican presidential candidate may be able turn the race to his favor before Election Day, now less than three weeks away.

The 90-minute face-off, which will air on CNN and CNN.com, will undoubtedly focus on the economic crisis plaguing the country.

CNN political editor Mark Preston said the debate is will likely be McCain's "last chance to reach tens of millions of people with his vision for America."

"He needs a game-changer," Preston said.