Analysis: McCain more cutting; Obama low-key
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- It was all about Joe the Plumber.
In the final presidential debate Wednesday night, John McCain and Barack Obama seemed to be vying for the affections not only of the average Joe generally, but of a particular Joe — Joe Wurzelbacher, a plumber from Holland, Ohio.
Wurzelbacher had expressed concerns to Obama on Sunday that if Obama were elected, his taxes would go up when he buys his own small business.
"Joe, I want to tell you, I'll not only help you buy that business … I'll keep your taxes low," McCain said. Early in the debate, he cited Wurzelbacher as a sort of middle-class Everyman, then laced the "Joe the Plumber" moniker through discussions of improving the economy, providing health care coverage and pursuing the American dream.
Obama said Joe's concerns about his tax policies were misplaced. "He's been watching some ads of Sen. McCain," he said, wryly.
The third and final debate of the general election was McCain's last chance to curb the momentum that has helped Obama open a lead in nationwide polls and in a series of battleground states. The debate wasn't the only event that could change the campaign's course — a national security surprise or personal scandal still could shake things up — but it presumably was the final one under McCain's control.
So the Republican's tone was crisper, sharper and more cutting than it had been in the first two debates. He kept Obama on the defensive for much of the 90-minute forum, attacking him for everything from his association with '60s radical Bill Ayers to his decision not to take public financing for his campaign.
"You didn't keep your word," he said, noting Obama's promise during the primaries to accept public funds, and their limits, if his opponent did.
Obama was cooler and lower-key, chuckling aloud at several of McCain's ripostes as though to dismiss them as laughable. He looked at McCain when the Arizona senator was talking but, when his turn came, often looked directly into the camera as he spoke — suggestive, perhaps, of the way presidents speak to the nation.
Related Stories
ABC News Live