A more-aggressive McCain deals no lethal blows in debate
He and Obama clash sharply on taxes, negative campaigning, former radical Bill Ayers and a bald, bearded man nicknamed Joe the Plumber.
WASHINGTON -- When Sen. John McCain spoke to supporters at a campaign phone bank in Virginia earlier this week, he vowed to "whip" Sen. Barack Obama's "you know what" in the presidential debate tonight.
But a newly aggressive McCain failed to deliver a clear knockout blow in the candidates' third and final face-off, despite a series of sharp verbal clashes with Obama about higher taxes, negative campaigning, former radical Bill Ayers and a bald man nicknamed Joe the Plumber.
Although McCain's performance seemed more spirited than in the two previous debates, the Republican appeared unlikely to reverse his steady downhill slide in recent polls.
On a day when blue-chip stocks in the Dow Jones industrial average tumbled another 733 points, McCain and Obama sought to assure anxious voters that they were best suited to lead the nation away from economic disaster.
McCain insisted repeatedly that voters were angry about the economy, and then accused Obama of ignoring the pleas of a local plumber, identified as Joe Wurzelbacher, who complained to the candidate about higher taxes during a campaign swing last week in Holland, Ohio.
McCain claimed that Obama told the man, "We need to spread the wealth around." Turning to the camera, McCain added, "In other words, we're going to take Joe's money, give it to Sen. Obama, and let him spread the wealth around."
Obama, ignoring the charge, said he would provide tax cuts to any working American earning less than $250,000.
McCain, a four-term Arizona Republican, and Obama, a first-term Illinois Democrat, argued fiercely about the relative merits and shortcomings of the rescue plans and promises they have outlined on the stump in recent days. McCain repeatedly referred to Joe the Plumber, a populist pitch that seemed forced after the fourth iteration.
As the night wore on, it became clear that McCain faced the greater burden because many voters blame the Bush administration and GOP policies for their economic troubles. He also faced the challenge of attacking Obama without appearing angry and thus providing fuel for Democratic charges that he is erratic and hot-tempered.
Still, McCain repeatedly took the offensive, accusing Obama of engaging in "class warfare" and spending an unprecedented amount of money on negative advertisements. He said Obama "didn't tell the truth" when he initially said he would consult with McCain before he decided to reject federal financing, a decision that has allowed Obama to raise more money than any presidential nominee in history.
