Click to play videoIt was strike three and a winning stroke, well almost! The third and final presidential debate between Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his Republican rival candidate Senator John McCain at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York revolved around the American economy.
The two presidential nominees sparred on tax policies, healthcare proposals and women’s rights issues throughout the night.
The third presidential debate suddenly turned feistier than the previous two. Obama showed calculated grace under fire as McCain came out with one charge after another against his rival. Though McCain was on the offensive, Obama seemed to be winning, hands down.
CNN-IBN special show Race to the White House debated the question: Has Obama already won?
On the panel to debate the question were CNN Correspondent in New Delhi, Sara Sidner and Member of the US India Political Action Committee (IMPACT), Sanjay Puri, who joined in from Washington. The debate was moderated by Suhasini Haider.
In the presidential debate between Obama and McCain, the latter started by saying that the economy was facing a slowdown and Americans were hurt and angry. “They are innocent victims of the greed and excesses on the Wall Street and in Washington DC,” said McCain.
Obama claimed he had plans to stop jobs from going abroad and promised tax cuts for any company that creates jobs in America.
Until September, the two candidates seemed to be running neck and neck and now suddenly Obama has the advantage of over 14 per cent.
Sara Sidner agreed that the Obama campaign has pushed the idea that McCain is the same as current President George W Bush. Obama’s campaign made McCain seem like a terrible thing, and then Obama’s slogan for “Change” made people say: ‘I want change’.
“With the economy going down, if you have a candidate who says I am going for change, what are people going to say? Yes, I also want change!” said Sidner.
Sidner felt that with the American economy in doldrums, it is going to require more than one person to fix it. It will take the Congress, the Senate and all the President’s men to do it right.
“With Obama, people feel that this man has a world view and I like this about him. But there is also McCain who has a lot of worldly experience around him,” Sidner said.
So is the race already won, or isn’t it?
Sara felt that the media likes to predict things, call for polls and speculate.
“The race is not over until November 4 when every single one of those votes is counted. The next day, we know who is the president,” said Sidner with a finality.
Cool demeanour versus feisty attacks
Obama had maintained a cool demeanor during the debate. McCain had to invoke a Toledo and Ohio plumber named Joe over many times during the debate.
Joe, actually an American tradesman named Joe Wurzelbacher seems to be something like the American counterpart of the aam aadmi in India.
Joe the plumber has been projected by both campaigns to an unexpected 15 minutes of fame. He has suddenly become the symbol of the working classes who needed tax protection and encouragement to hold businesses.
McCain has quoted Joe saying to Obama once, “I want to buy my business,” to which Obama has known to have countered, “I want to spread the wealth around.”
McCain ridiculed that by saying "America didn't become the greatest nation on earth by spreading the wealth; we became the greatest nation by creating new wealth.”
McCain had said Obama's tax policies and health care plan would steal the opportunity from Joe, of ever hoping to buy the plumbing company where he works.
Addressing Senator Obama, McCain said, “What you want to do to Joe the plumber and millions more like him is having their taxes increased and not be able to realize the American dream of owning their own business."
To that charge Obama countered, “If you make less than a quarter million dollars a year, then you will not see your income tax go up, your capital gains tax go up. Your payroll tax…not one dime!”
Obama, outsourcing jobs and the Indian Americans
With Obama going all out against shipping of jobs out of America, surely must have the Indian Americans worried.
Sanjay Puri admitted that there is some reason to worry as most Indians who came to America were in the technology business that benefits India in outsourcing.
“But there is no reason to worry because a lot of things that candidates say during campaigns is not what they really do,” Puri said, allaying fears.
And what about the worry in Pakistan about Obama’s stand on the activities in Pakistan.
Puri said that Obama’s remarks on non-tolerance to terrorist activities brought him criticism during the primaries but Obama has been clear in his stand nevertheless.
I am not President Bush
McCain is really hurting from Bush’s shadow. His line during the debate, looking Obama in the eye won huge attention.
“Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you want to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago,” thundered McCain.
That was the highlight of the evening, when with one stroke, McCain negated all efforts by the Obama camps to equate him with Bush in terms of policies.
Confession box
“Are each of you tonight willing to sit at this table and say to each other about what people in your campaigns have said about each other?” asked Bob Schieffer of CBS News, who moderated the Obama-McCain debate.
“I regret some of the negative aspects of both campaigns,” conceded McCain. “But the fact is that it has taken many turns which I think are unacceptable. Every time that an out of bounds remarks has been made by any Republican, I have repudiated them. Senator Obama has spent more money on negative ads than any political campaign,” rallied McCain.
Obama mentioned a CBS poll that has declared that two thirds of voters felt that McCain ran a negative campaign and only a third thought so of Obama. “A 100 per cent of your ads are negative,” countered Obama.
“I think the American people are less interested in our hurt feelings during the campaign than the issues that matter to them so deeply,” Obama made a point.
“When people say that I pally around with terrorists, we are not talking about issues,” he concluded on the issue.
“A lot of things have been said at your rallies Senator Obama that I am not happy about,” said McCain.
The gloves were off but Obama just smiled.
Allies and running mates
What America also talked about was how Obama’s running mate Joe Biden outshone McCain’s running mate Sarah Palin. Many feel that since she entered the picture, it has virtually been guaranteed that he should not win, especially in these difficult times.
“I do not know if getting Sarah Palin as running mate is a mistake,” said Sara.
“McCain has the experience and Sarah Palin brings something to the race,” she added.
Who is better for Indo-US relations
Puri reflected on the India US relations before dwelling on who will be a better person for the US-India relations.
“The relationship between India and the US is on a trajectory that I think will not be affected by who is the president. It is in the interests of the United States to economically, geo-politically and on a cultural basis have strong ties with India,” said Puri.
So the relations between the two countries are unstoppable.
Final results of the SMS/Web poll:
Yes: 74 per cent
No: 26 per cent
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
