Oct 14, 2008 10:46 pm US/Central
Economy Is Top Issue For Presidential Debate
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain greet each other prior to their second presidential debate at Belmont University's Curb Event Center on Oct. 7, 2008, in Nashville, Tenn.
Paul J. Richards/Getty Images
New poll numbers Tuesday show Democratic nominee Barack Obama with a 14-point lead with just three weeks to go. The CBS News/ New York Times poll shows Senator Barack Obama with 53 percent as the choice for president, while Senator John McCain trails with just 39 percent.
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports if the latest polls are accurate, it may be an uphill trek for Senator John McCain on the last three weeks of the campaign trail. And as voters continue to ride the country's economic rollercoaster, they are also sending a clear message. The economy is their number one concern.
Senators John McCain and Barack Obama take one more break from the campaign trail Wednesday night to face off in their third and final debate. One topic likely at the top of the list? The economy. The latest CBS News/New York Times poll shows 57 percent of voters say that will be the single most important issue when they cast their vote on November 4th.
When asked which of the candidates would best handle the nation's economy, Obama comes out ahead in the poll: 22 percent of those asked say they're very confident Obama would make the best decisions compared to 12 percent for McCain. In addition, 23 percent of folks say they're very confident Obama would make the right decisions about the current economic crisis versus 14 percent for McCain.
"Retirees have suffered enough and need relief," McCain said.
That lack of confidence may be one reason McCain laid out some new economic proposals today aimed at helping seniors, people over 60 who've lost their jobs and spur investment by cutting the capital gains tax by 7.5 percent. But North Central College Professor Stephen Caliendo says yet another late McCain proposal may actually backfire.
"I'm surprised that he keeps making new proposals because what's happening is that he's getting criticized, and I think in some ways fairly so, for being all over the place on this," Caliendo said. "Every morning, every day, there's a new proposal from McCain."
As for Wednesday's debate, Caliendo says McCain needs to appear more even-toned and clear on what his plans are for the country, while Obama has to do what he's been doing without making any major mistakes.
We want to hear your thoughts.
Who's economic plan do you prefer and why?
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