And now the last debate

My phone service and internet have been down most of the day, so I'm just now trying to catch up on the day's news, blogs, stock market, and polls.

Electoral tracking polls still give it to Obama 361.4 to McCain 176.6. Obama is leading in all the battleground states, and West Virginia is essentially tied.

Polling in half a dozen states with heavy early voting shows this being dominated by Obama voters. That doesn't translate into final totals, but it suggests the Obama ground game, getting out the vote, will be a formidable force.

My thoughts about the debate tonight: What can McCain do to turn it around? Probably nothing. If McCain attacks, it backfires.

Both have unveiled economic plans that are predictable: McCain wants to invest at the top (tax cuts for the wealthy, for big business, lower estate tax); Obama wants to help middle and lower income people (with mortgages, jobs; help small business owners, eliminate Bush tax cuts for wealthy, stimulate jobs and economy by investing in infrastructure.)

I suspect it will come down, as before, not so much to issues as to the two men, themselves.

Simply by appearing on the same stage with Obama, McCain loses. He looks old, cranky, unfocused, mean, petty. Obama looks cool, collected, focused, on issue and on message.

He will win.

Ralph