Both Barack Obama and John McCain kicked off the final week of campaigning in a state that they’ve both spent a lot of time in over the past two months — Ohio.
Up north in Cleveland, John McCain signaled that he’ll spend the final week of the campaign focusing on the economy and the spectre of Democratic control of Congress and the White House:
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sen. John McCain gave a surprise economic speech this morning, delivering a forceful restatement of his economic proposals and hammering Sen. Barack Obama as a tax-raising liberal.
In a hastily-arranged event that was added to his public schedule at midnight the night before, McCain pledged to do three things if he is elected president: protect investments, rescue the housing market and lower taxes to spur new job creation.
“I have been through tough times like this before and the American people can trust me — based on my record and results — to take strong action to end this crisis, restore jobs and bring security to Americans,” McCain told a crowd of about 100 people after meeting with
his economic advisers. “I will never be the one who sits on the sidelines waiting for things to get better.”In the speech, he condemned talk by congressional Democrats of another economic stimulus package, calling it a “spending spree” by the “dangerous threesome” of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Leader Harry Reid and Obama.
“They believe that $1 trillion of rescue financing is not enough and have already proposed another $300 billion spending spree they are calling a stimulus plan,” he said. “I would rather give the great American middle class additional tax cuts and let you keep that money and invest it in your future.”
Here’s the video:
Meanwhile, Barack Obama was in just a little south of McCain in Canton offering his own closing argument:
CANTON, Ohio — Barack Obama made a “closing argument” to the American people that sounded a lot like the opening argument he offered nearly two years ago, putting forth a broad and optimistic message that emphasized the economy, downplayed partisan politics and promised this election can “change the world.”
“In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo,” Obama told a roused, capacity audience at the Canton Civic Center.
“In one week, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.”
(…)
Obama’s speech amounted to a 30-minute compilation of the themes he has accentuated throughout what has been the longest presidential campaign in American history. It is a message meant to inspire those who have not always participated in the electoral process, and one that calls for personal responsibility and awareness that government should not try to solve “all our problems.”
Obama’s remarks were studiously nonpartisan — he mentioned Democrats and Republicans four times, and then only to dismiss their importance. By contrast, he mentioned “change” 18 times and “hope” half as many times as that.
“Hope! That’s what kept some of our parents and grandparents going when times were tough,” Obama said to cheers and applause. “What led them to say, ‘Maybe I can’t go to college, but if I save a little bit each week my child can go to college. Maybe I can’t have my own business — but if I work really hard my child can open one of her own.’”
Here’s the video of the meat of Obama’s speech:
One can assume that Obama will hit on similar themes during his thirty-minute prime-time television spot that will air later this week. More importantly, these are the themes we can presumably expect both candidates to be hitting on as the campaign comes to a climax.
Which one will be most effective ?
