Capitol times. (Middletown, Pa.) 1982-2013, October 22, 2008, Image 8

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    The final face-off: McCain vs. Obama
BY Curets VARMECKY
STAFF WRITER
CJVSO43@PSU.EDU
Thursday night's presidential
face-off was what many thought
to be the coup de grace of the
decrepit John McCain, the
comically surreal Sarah Palin,
and the supposed irrelevant
ideals of conservatism. Driving
a final spike into the coffin that
is a nation built on tradition,
capitalism, and a well articulated
defense policy, Barrack Obama's
evasiveness of any negative
i• I.pe . •i. .1.. ' 1 • si 1164 5 . - es: I •I. •
stigma in Thursday night's
performance may prove to be the
last hurdle in his race for Sixteen
Hundred Pennsylvania Avenue.
With approximately two weeks
left until disenchanted voters flood
polling booths throughout the
country, the chances of an "Obama
Nation" are becoming more and
more likely. McCain's failure to
capitalize on the seemingly endless
shortcomings, contradictions,
miscues, and policy faux pas that
have been peppered throughout
Obama's run for the White
House will undoubtedly lead to
the Arizona senator's undoing.
Sure, in an election cycle when
the word Republican was almost
blasphemous, McCain seemed
like the best choice to rally
independent, moderate, and ardent,
conservative voters under one
tent. However, this all too perfect
strategy failed to metastasize
into anything comparable to
the Obama political machine
The conservative base failed to
get excited (aside from the Palin
running mate announcement).
The biased media who once hailed
John McCain as their favorite
Republican pointed moderates
in the opposite direction. And
independents, usually inattentive
to the aggravation that is politics
during much of the year, are now
swaying towards the lure ofObama.
The final presidential debate
at Hofstra University was an
opportunistic chance for McCain
to turn his jabs into a long-awaited
knockout blow. Unfortunately,
much to the dismay of many,
the newcomer in the presidential
boxing match fended off many
of McCain's attacks with a
smooth resolve, leaving the
judges (or in this case the voters)
to ultimately decide the victor.
Bob Schieffer, the moderator ofthe
final debate, immediately fired offa
question about the public's utmost
concern these days: the economy.
Each candidate was asked to
convey why their particular
plan of action to address the
ailing condition of the United
States economy would be in
the best interest of our nation.
McCain premised his answer
around the now infamously
known "Joe the plumber." He
went on to illustrate the harmful
implications of Obama's tax plan
on the lowly entrepreneur that is
Joe. The maverick, using "joe
sixpack" as a symbol of any town
USA, conveyed to the voters that
not only rich tycoons and greedy
oil barons will be punished by
Obama's tax policies, but every
day small business owners will
also be unfairly scrutinized.
His attempt to connect to the
average voter (something McCain
failed to do up until then in these
debates) was a smart move.
However, he failed to close the
deal on not only this issue, but
the seasoned political veteran
allowed Obama to hang around,
the debate, resulting in a draw.
Obama erroneously contended
that 98% of small
businesses make
under $250,000 and
therefore would not
be subjected to any
additional tax burden.
He even promised tax
cuts to the supposedly
majority of small
businesses that do
drive the workforce.
However, this
simply isn't the case.
According to the
National Federation of
Independent Business,
"at least three out of
four small businesses
that employ ten or
more people would
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be subject to a tax increase under
Senator Obama'splan." Inaddition
these small businesses are the
nation's primary job creators. For
example, small business created
1.86 million jobs in 2004, 100%
of all new jobs created that year.
McCain could have foiled
Obama's deceiving argument that
only an elite few will be hurt by
increased tax rates. He could
have fomented his outrage at
Biden's suggestion that paying
taxes is patriotic, citing that the
revolutionary idea ofAmerica was
founded in opposition to tyrannical
taxation and an appreciation for
personal responsibility. When
asked how the American people
would have to sacrifice due to the
current financial situation, McCain
could have stuck his finger in
Washington's face and proclaimed,
"How dare you ask the American
people to sacrifice! It's time
that the government sacrifices!"
Unfortunately, he did not.
Another vital issue in which
McCain failed to capitalize on
was on energy independence.
It was imperative that McCain
seized the heart strings of
this issue in order to win the
presidency. He failed to do
so throughout the campaign
and in the final debate as well.
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U.Ed. MED 09.9277 RES
Missing the opportunity to
emphasize on the pain at the
pump that every day Americans
are experiencing in their wallets,
McCain could have mandated a
lift on the moratorium of drilling
off the continental shelf, drilling
in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge,
and extraction of oil shale from
the Rocky Mountains. Increasing
petroleum production is the only
surefire way to immediately lower
the burden to the consumer who
faces staggering fuel prices on a
daily basis. McCain should have
pounded Obama's misguided
notion that alternative fuels will
solve all our problems within
the coming decade, as not only
impossible, but stupid as well.
Granted, Obama does have a
history of being unable to close
the deal. His drawn out primary
duel with Senator Hillary Clinton
should have been over months
before it actually was. Maybe, the
same voters who failed to carry
Obama over the finish line in the
primaries will remember just why
they were hesitant to name the
Messiah their party's nominee in
the first place. McCain failed to
finish the debate. Maybe Obama
will fail to finish his campaign.
IRB 28803 (09/18A8)