Preview: Final Presidential Debate

Joe Biden and Sarah Palin take a back seat in the headlines tonight as the clock ticks down the hours until the start of the third Presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain live from New York. Could this be the straw that breaks the back of the McCain / Palin campaign? Or the final farewell for Obama's fairy tale rise to fame? Or will the status quo be maintained a little longer? Viewers worldwide will no doubt tune in for this final debate between the republican and democratic presidential candidates.

McCain will have his work cut out for him against Obama tonight, as this event will be a little more formalized than his preferred modus operandi of town hall get togethers. Will Obama's well known eloquence as a speaker allow him to steal the show, or will McCain's grit bring his campaign through yet another stage in his up and down campaign?

One thing is sure, while security matters are McCain's baby, the topic of tonight's debate will no doubt be focused on the economy. Today the Dow has been as meteoric as McCain's campaign, and the hoped for rise seems to be faltering. A gain of over nine hundred, was followed by a loss in Tuesdays early hours of six hundred plus. With the main concerns directed at America's financial future each of the candidates will be eager to share their new ideas. Or maybe not so new in the case of John McCain's call to do away with taxes on unemployment compensation which comes a day after Barak Obama's proposal calling for the elimination of that very same tax.

Both candidates will be trying to sell Americans on their plans for financial stability, and widen their voter base by drawing in new supporters. Obama's plan to allow access to retirement savings plans without tax or penalties is bound to be well received by a wide population. McCain has a watered down similar proposal to counter with.

While John McCain should be reaching out to younger and middle class voters, his most original plan that will likely be discussed targets senior citizen homeowners, which are already his main support. Obama has pertinent changes and proposals for small business and a disaster loan plan to talk about, and we may see Senator McCain forced into a somewhat petulant defense mode that will no doubt mention terrorist friendships and campaign expenses. Obama will most likely point out McCain's support for the plan to buy out the big banks bad mortgage debts.

This in turn may lead to John McCain again finding it necessary to distance himself from the Bush economic policies, as the proposed plan seems be more the same old song and dance that has favored big corporations for too long. It will be a night of finger pointing and comparisons that will hopefully be a bit more lively and centered on issues that concern America than the last debate between these two candidates.