Those are two seats waiting Sen.Obama and Sen.McCain for their 3rd and final presidential debate tonight
Sen.Barack Obama and Sen.John McCain during their second presidential debateWASHINGTON (CNN) -- GOP Sen. John McCain must clearly differentiate his plan to fix the ailing economy from that of his rival Sen. Barack Obama at Wednesday night's presidential debate if he is to shake up the race, political analysts said.
Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain sparred about domestic policy during their second presidential debate.
"I think what he has 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 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.
As the nation has been going through a financial crisis over the last few weeks, McCain has slipped in the polls behind Obama, the Democratic nominee. Watch the candidates spar on the economy »
A CNN Poll of Polls calculated Wednesday has Obama leading McCain 50 percent to 42 percent. Obama is also leading McCain in battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida.
A CNN Poll of Polls calculated Wednesday has Obama leading McCain 50 percent to 42 percent. Obama is also leading McCain in battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida.
Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain sparred about domestic policy during their second presidential debate.
"I think what he has 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 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.
As the nation has been going through a financial crisis over the last few weeks, McCain has slipped in the polls behind Obama, the Democratic nominee. Watch the candidates spar on the economy »
A CNN Poll of Polls calculated Wednesday has Obama leading McCain 50 percent to 42 percent. Obama is also leading McCain in battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida.
A CNN Poll of Polls calculated Wednesday has Obama leading McCain 50 percent to 42 percent. Obama is also leading McCain in battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida.
As Obama has opened up his lead, the McCain campaign has responded by trying to raise doubts about Obama, particularly by tying Obama to William Ayers, a former 1960s radical who belonged to the Weather Underground, a group that bombed federal buildings to protest the Vietnam War.
A New York Times/CBS News poll released Tuesday night suggests that the McCain campaign's negative attack strategy may be backfiring on the Republican presidential candidate.
In the poll, 60 percent of the voters surveyed believed that McCain had spent more time attacking his rival than explaining what he would do as president. In contrast, nearly two-thirds of the voters surveyed, 63 percent, felt that Obama has spent more time explaining his policies than attacking McCain. CNN's Ed Henry previews the last debate »
In the poll, 60 percent of the voters surveyed believed that McCain had spent more time attacking his rival than explaining what he would do as president. In contrast, nearly two-thirds of the voters surveyed, 63 percent, felt that Obama has spent more time explaining his policies than attacking McCain. CNN's Ed Henry previews the last debate »
Ayers has been working for educational reform in Chicago. Obama's senior adviser Anita Dunn says: "What they are arguing is that somehow the fact that these two people, who both served as educational reformers in Chicago, both who did have their paths cross professionally as well as neighbors occasionally, that somehow this association is a problem because of Bill Ayers' past and things that happened in the 1960s when Barack Obama was 7 years old."
A CNN review of project records found nothing to suggest anything inappropriate in the volunteer projects in which the two men were involved.
A CNN review of project records found nothing to suggest anything inappropriate in the volunteer projects in which the two men were involved.
Ayers has strong defenders in Chicago -- including Mayor Richard Daley, and the city gave Ayers its Citizen of the Year award in 1997.
On Tuesday, McCain outlined a detailed economic plan, which included tax-cutting proposals and other measures.
CNN contributor Roland Martin suggested that McCain would be better served if he continued to focus on his economic agenda during the debate rather than bring up Ayers.
CNN contributor Roland Martin suggested that McCain would be better served if he continued to focus on his economic agenda during the debate rather than bring up Ayers.
"People are caring about pocketbook issues, and you can throw all kinds of extraneous stuff out," Martin said. "Bottom line... if McCain sticks to the economy and says how [he] can be a leader on these issues, he scores more points."
Alex Castellanos, a Republican consultant, agreed that McCain should focus on dollars-and-cents issues and make the differences between the two candidates' economic policies clear in the voters' minds.
Alex Castellanos, a Republican consultant, agreed that McCain should focus on dollars-and-cents issues and make the differences between the two candidates' economic policies clear in the voters' minds.
"I think Sen. McCain... will say not that you don't know Barack Obama but you do," Castellanos said. "He's going to tax. He's going to spend. What happens if Democrats in Washington and a Democratic president get together and spend and tax without restraint, with no one to stop them -- no adult supervision?
"Make the case that's relevant to voters," Castellanos added. "Talk about risk that way but don't talk about risk... 20 years ago."
But Kevin Madden, the former spokesman for former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said McCain should not stop trying to attack Obama, arguing it would be right to raise doubt about Obama's credibility during Wednesday's debate.
"Ultimately, these debates are about moments," Madden said, "and John McCain needs to find a moment when he can crystallize the differences between him and Barack Obama on these attributes: that he's the credible leader, he's the person with experience, that he's the candidate with judgment, and Barack Obama is not."
And McCain said he'll probably bring up the Obama-Ayers connection in the Hofstra debate.
And McCain said he'll probably bring up the Obama-Ayers connection in the Hofstra debate.
"I was astonished to hear him say that he was surprised I 'didn't have the guts' to do that, because the fact is, the question didn't come up in that fashion," McCain said of the last debate.
"I think he's probably ensured it will come up this time."
As the clock ticks down to the debate, both candidates are in full preparation mode.
Obama, according to spokeswoman Linda Douglass, is preparing for the debate at a resort in Toledo, Ohio, and staying in touch with his team of economic advisers.
As the clock ticks down to the debate, both candidates are in full preparation mode.
Obama, according to spokeswoman Linda Douglass, is preparing for the debate at a resort in Toledo, Ohio, and staying in touch with his team of economic advisers.
Advisers say that as the debate nears, Obama gets a sense of calm, turns off his cell phone three hours ahead of time and just focuses.
McCain, according to his campaign, will make final debate preparations on Wednesday in New York.[More] http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/debates/ge/
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