THE FINAL STRETCH
On trail in Ohio, challengers talk of taxes and a new politics
October 28, 2008
On the stump
John McCain in Dayton, Ohio: "This is the fundamental difference between Senator Obama and me. We both disagree with President Bush on economic policy. The difference is that he thinks taxes have been too low, and I think that spending has been too high. Senator Obama's priority is not to get spending under control, it is to spend more, and if he has to tax you to do it, he's shown in the past that he doesn't have a problem with that."
Barack Obama in Canton, Ohio: "I won't stand here and pretend that any of this will be easy - especially now. The cost of this economic crisis, and the cost of the war in Iraq, means that Washington will have to tighten its belt and put off spending on things we can afford to do without. . . . But as I've said from the day we began this journey all those months ago, the change we need isn't just about new programs and policies. It's about a new politics - a politics that calls on our better angels instead of encouraging our worst instincts; one that reminds us of the obligations we have to ourselves and one another."
On the air
McCain: "Life savings," 30 seconds.
Script: "The last eight years haven't worked very well, have they? I'll make the next four better," McCain says. "I know your life savings have been hit hard, but we'll rebuild them. Barack Obama wants to increase taxes on your savings. You can't afford that. He's quite a talker, but that's just bad judgment."
"Experience, leadership, McCain," the announcer says.
Obama: "New subject," 30 seconds.
Script: "He's out of ideas, out of touch, and running out of time," the announcer says. "But with no plan to lift our economy up, John McCain wants to tear Barack Obama down with scare tactics and smears. Why? McCain's own campaign admits that if the election is about the economy, he's going to lose. But as Americans lose their jobs, homes, and savings, it's time for a president who will change the economy, not change the subject."
On tap today
McCain: Events with running mate Sarah Palin in Hershey and Quakertown, Pa.; solo event in Fayetteville, N.C.
Obama: Events in Chester, Pa., and Harrisonburg and Norfolk, Va.
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