McCain Gains No Ground After 2nd Debate

If the Republican Party is to win the Presidential race, John McCain must refocus on a strong economic message. Many Americans, concerned with the bailout legislation and the overall state of the economy, are leaning toward Barack Obama's policies of economic change for middle-class and low income citizens.

If McCain is to gain any headway in crucial battleground states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, ther candidate will need to alter his economic stance or risk losing these important votes.

Obama seems to be pulling away in the polls, especially in light of the current economic condition. After a lackluster, unconvincing showing at last evening's town hall debate, it will take a major political event or a substantial shift in policy for the McCain camp to make up lost ground.

Bailout Vote Reveals A Party Divided

The bailout has left the Nation's economic future uncertain and the Republican Party is bearing the blunt of the blame after nay vote on the bailout bill.

"The Republican Party is in a near state of complete collapse," remarks Marc Ambinder of Atlantic Online. Such a statement bears much weight in the aftermath of the bailout vote, as the GOP struggles to save face. Party leaders understand that something must be done to deal with the economic crisis, but aren't willing to vote for a solution if they believe that it's bad legislation. Why is it difficult for people to understand that that Republicans want to fix this economic mess we're in, but won't pass bad Law? 

Underlining the distress of the party, John Ibbitson of Globe and Mail said, "The schism reinforces doubts about the ability of Republican presidential candidate John McCain to unite his party, or to weather this storm politically."

The bill, having support from the President had opposition on both sides of the fence, it's defeat putting the Commander-In-Chief in a position of pleading to the Congress as well as the US citizens, but such pleas went largely unheard. "If there was any doubt that President George W. Bush had been left politically impotent by his travails over the past few years and his lame-duck status, it was erased Monday," said Jackie Calmes of the International Herald Tribune.