McCain escalates attacks in last debate
After the final debate, neither side could agree on a winner.
Oct. 17, 2008
MU College Republicans Chairman Jonathan Ratliff watches the third presidential debate with sophomore Eric Woods, junior Eric Hobbs and MU graduate Henry Atkinson on Wednesday at the Boone County Republican Headquarters. Local Democrats held a watch party at Boone Tavern.
With Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign numbers in the polls falling, he launched attacks against his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, on tax policy, health care and social issues at the final presidential debate of the general election.
Front and center in the debate was the global economic crisis, with both candidates emphasizing their plans to fix the struggling U.S. economy.
McCain explained his recent proposal for the government to buy bad mortgage loans in order to help stabilize the housing market. McCain also mocked Obama's tax policies, saying no taxes on any American should be raised.
"Why would you want to raise anybody's taxes right now?" McCain said. "We need to encourage businesses."
Meanwhile, Obama reiterated his tax policy that, he says, will lower taxes for 95 percent of working families, while hitting McCain on giving tax breaks to oil companies.
"We both want to cut taxes," Obama said. "The difference is who we want to cut taxes for."
In an attempt to personalize his tax policies, McCain repeatedly brought up "Joe the Plumber," someone who, according to McCain, would be hurt under Obama's tax policies. "Joe the Plumber" is actually Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, the owner of a plumbing and heating company in Toledo, Ohio. He confronted Obama at a rally about his tax policies.
Obama supporters who gathered at a watch party at Boone Tavern disliked McCain's allusions to Joe.
"I think we all see through these ploys, these Joe Average things they keep doing," MU student Stephanie Carpenter said. "We want real, thoughtful, documented answers."
Meanwhile, McCain supporters at a watch party at Boone County Republican Party headquarters in Columbia liked McCain's focus on cutting taxes and on reforming spending.
"He laid out distinct policies that he would cut or reform," Missouri College Republicans Chairman Jonathan Ratliff said.
Another contentious point of the debate involved abortion, which consumed a large portion of the second half of the debate. In the previous three debates, abortion and the Roe v. Wade decision were not major subjects.
cCain largely focused on Obama's record in the Illinois Senate, saying Obama "voted in the Judiciary Committee against a law that "would provide immediate medical attention to a child born in a failed abortion."
Obama said that accusation was simply false.
Some Republicans concluded the debate was a draw, which didn't help McCain.
"I think it was another draw, which probably means it went to Obama," said Don Waterman, a technical trainer specialist for the Division of Information Technology.
Ratliff said he wished McCain had used tougher rhetoric.
"I wish he would at times point out the lies Barack Obama continues to make," he said.
Democrats, on the other hand, were more positive about Obama's debate performance. Specifically, they liked Obama's economic policies and his ability to connect to voters.
"I'm a little biased, but Barack Obama has an extraordinary ability to speak to Americans," said Stephen Webber, the Democratic candidate for state representative in the 23rd district.
MU junior Danielle Geneux said she both candidates spent most of their time defending their policies.
"I think it was a good debate," Geneux said. "They were both very defensive of their policies, as they should be. I was already sure I was going to vote for Obama, but now I'm even more convinced."
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