Last chance saloon for McCain
Wednesday, 15 Oct 2008 10:32
John McCain and Barack Obama to go head-to-head in live television debate for third and final time
With time running out until the November 4th election, John McCain faces one of his last chances to erode an increasingly unassailable looking lead in the polls from Barack Obama when the two meet at the third and final presidential debate.
Ahead of the Long Island debate an opinion poll for the New York Times and CBS News became the fifth this to award Democratic nominee Mr Obama a double digit lead.
According to the poll, Mr Obama leads his Republican rival by 53 to 39 points.
The two men were neck-and-neck before the election season's first two presidential debates were held.
But Mr Obama's calm performances in front of a television audience of 60 million, contrasted to finger-jabbing from Mr McCain, 72, and references to his rival as "that one", as well as a focus on the economy has seen him generate a significant lead.
A separate poll on Wednesday showed that Mr Obama, senator for Illinois, was up to 50 per cent of support in four key battleground states.
Ahead of tonight's debate at Hofstra University at 21:00 local time (02:00 BST), Mr McCain unveiled a new economic plan which pledged $52 billion for pensions, a 100 per cent guarantee on savings until mid-2009 and a maximum tax rate for retirement plan withdrawals.
"As president, I will also act to protect investors, especially those relying on their investments for retirement," the Arizona senator told supporters.
But there were also signs Mr McCain was planning to return to a line of attack largely deemed to have failed.
Both he and running-mate Sarah Palin had accused Mr Obama of not being truthful to the American people over his relationship with 1960s radical turned university professor William Ayers.
The Obama campaign said the senator, 47, would retain his focus on the United States economy.
"Senator Obama is going to use the debate to discuss his plan for the economy. That's what he's been doing for weeks," spokeswoman Jen Psaki told the AFP news agency.
"And while [Mr] McCain has promised to bring up Bill Ayers to distract voters, every minute that he spends continuing to ignore the economy and the middle class is a minute wasted.
"This is John McCain's last chance to turn this race around and somehow convince the American people that his erratic response to this economic crisis doesn't disqualify him from being president."