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BY AMY DOMINELLO
Media General News Service
WASHINGTON – With 20 days left until voters make their final decision, John McCain and Barack Obama will debate for the third and final time tonight.
Tonight's faceoff could be one of their last chances to sway undecided voters. Here’s what to expect from their 90-minute matchup, which begins at 9 p.m.
What to look for
Tonight’s debate will focus on domestic and economic policy. The previous two debates have centered on who represents the steadiest hand in tough economic times, yet also brings a change in leadership.
All roads lead back to the economy in this debate, said Alan Schroeder, author of “Presidential Debates: 50 Years of High-Risk TV” and a professor of journalism at Northeastern University.
Obama’s debate style has been very low-key and consistent, Schroeder said, while Republican McCain has been more unpredictable and allowed his emotions to get closer to the surface.
Polls after the debates have indicated Obama’s style is working and a majority of voters believe the Democrat won.
Obama’s debate style is unlikely to change, said Paul Freedman, an associate professor of politics at the University of Virginia. Conversely, he said, McCain might take the opportunity to “launch a grenade.”
“He needs to give [undecided voters] a reason to come back to him or abandon the Barack Obama ship,” Freedman said.
The stakes
With national polls showing Obama with a growing lead, analysts say the importance of tonight’s debate is clear.
“Any realistic chance of McCain coming from behind depends on scoring a knockout …,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “But given that he has been judged by the electorate to have lost both of the previous face-offs, that would seem to be a very tall order.”
Do final debates matter?
They can. One week before the 1980 election, Ronald Reagan delivered memorable lines as he and Jimmy Carter debated a final time.
To a Carter attack that he would cut Medicare, Reagan responded, “There you go again.” Reagan then asked Americans during his closing, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Ever since, presidential candidates have been wary of scheduling their last debates too close to Election Day, so they have time to recover from a misstep.
Who will be watching?
Traditionally, the last debate is not watched by as many people as earlier ones because the novelty of watching the two contenders spar has worn off.
Last week’s debate drew 63.2 million viewers, up 10.8 million from the first. Schroeder said he expects a large audience tonight, although he said many viewers have already made up their minds.
But for undecided voters, Freedman said, “the potential is absolutely there for this to make a difference.”
And this year’s election seems to hold enough suspense to keep voters tuning in.
“Part of the story of this election is that voters are unusually engaged,” he said.
Media General News Service reporter Billy House contributed to this story.
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com
Media General News Service
WASHINGTON – With 20 days left until voters make their final decision, John McCain and Barack Obama will debate for the third and final time tonight.
Tonight's faceoff could be one of their last chances to sway undecided voters. Here’s what to expect from their 90-minute matchup, which begins at 9 p.m.
What to look for
Tonight’s debate will focus on domestic and economic policy. The previous two debates have centered on who represents the steadiest hand in tough economic times, yet also brings a change in leadership.
All roads lead back to the economy in this debate, said Alan Schroeder, author of “Presidential Debates: 50 Years of High-Risk TV” and a professor of journalism at Northeastern University.
Obama’s debate style has been very low-key and consistent, Schroeder said, while Republican McCain has been more unpredictable and allowed his emotions to get closer to the surface.
Polls after the debates have indicated Obama’s style is working and a majority of voters believe the Democrat won.
Obama’s debate style is unlikely to change, said Paul Freedman, an associate professor of politics at the University of Virginia. Conversely, he said, McCain might take the opportunity to “launch a grenade.”
“He needs to give [undecided voters] a reason to come back to him or abandon the Barack Obama ship,” Freedman said.
The stakes
With national polls showing Obama with a growing lead, analysts say the importance of tonight’s debate is clear.
“Any realistic chance of McCain coming from behind depends on scoring a knockout …,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “But given that he has been judged by the electorate to have lost both of the previous face-offs, that would seem to be a very tall order.”
Do final debates matter?
They can. One week before the 1980 election, Ronald Reagan delivered memorable lines as he and Jimmy Carter debated a final time.
To a Carter attack that he would cut Medicare, Reagan responded, “There you go again.” Reagan then asked Americans during his closing, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Ever since, presidential candidates have been wary of scheduling their last debates too close to Election Day, so they have time to recover from a misstep.
Who will be watching?
Traditionally, the last debate is not watched by as many people as earlier ones because the novelty of watching the two contenders spar has worn off.
Last week’s debate drew 63.2 million viewers, up 10.8 million from the first. Schroeder said he expects a large audience tonight, although he said many viewers have already made up their minds.
But for undecided voters, Freedman said, “the potential is absolutely there for this to make a difference.”
And this year’s election seems to hold enough suspense to keep voters tuning in.
“Part of the story of this election is that voters are unusually engaged,” he said.
Media General News Service reporter Billy House contributed to this story.
Contact Amy Dominello at 202-662-7671 or adominello@mediageneral.com