Two down, one to go: US election rivals Barack Obama and John McCain sparred over the best ways to help struggling workers through the economic crisis in the second of three TV debates last night – highlighting their policy differences in a less-than-amicable exchange.
What people are saying:
Questioned by an audience of undecided voters, both acknowledged the economy’s impact on the electorate. “Americans are angry, they’re upset and they’re a little fearful. We don’t have trust and confidence in our institutions,” said McCain. Cue Obama: “We are in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and a lot of you, I think, are worried about your jobs, your pensions, your retirement accounts.” How would they fix it? McCain would buy mortgages from homeowners facing financial problems and replace them with new, fixed-rate mortgages; Obama said middle-class workers, not just Wall Street, needed a rescue package that would include tax cuts.
Why we should give a damn:
Last night was McCain’s chance to ‘change the game’ – a game Obama is currently winning on points. Did the Republican pull it off? Newsweek doesn’t think so and neither do voters, according to a CNN poll taken immediately after the event. The BBC, mixing its sporting metaphors, declares Obama the heavyweight/poker champion; the Guardian describes McCain’s performance – at one point he dismissively referred to Obama as “that one” – as “mean and dispirited.” The Times dismisses the entire event as “gnawingly dull.” So, which candidate won you over? Have the TV debates changed your view of either man? Or, like the Times, did you sleep through them? If the answer to the last question is yes, a) shame on you, and b) here's your chance to catch up:
Sorry, the comment you entered is too long. Please shorten it.
You didn't enter anything. Please try again.
Sorry, we can't add your comment right now. Please try again later.
To add a comment, you need permission from your parent. Ask for permission
Your parent has turned off comments.
Sorry, we can't delete your comment right now. Please try again later.
You've exceeded the maximum number of comments that can be left in one day. Please try again in 24 hours.
Your account has had the ability to leave comments disabled because our systems indicate that you may be spamming other users. If you believe that your account has been disabled in error please contact Windows Live support.
Complete the security check below to finish leaving your comment.
The characters you type in the security check must match the characters in the picture or audio.
To add a comment, sign in with your Windows Live ID (if you use Hotmail, Messenger, or Xbox LIVE, you have a Windows Live ID). Sign in
Tools 
