Tonight’s Presidential debate is expected to produce more than the usual amount of fireworks. The format is going to be a bit different, with the candidates facing each other across a table. Just hope it is a big table. This is one debate that as many as possible should watch.

Each candidate needs to achieve something different.  Barack Obama needs to just keep on the way he is doing. This is not his last chance to get his point across.  He has purchased time on the major networks where he can address anything that comes up tonight or in the future.  John McCain, on the other hand, needs to score points, a lot of them.  He needs to stop with all the negative attacks and give a precise expatiation of  his plans if he were to be the next President.

This has not been a good week for the McCain campaign.  He has lost the support of many of those who supported him from the beginning. Even the Boston Globe withdrew its support. Each day shows him slipping further in the polls. Today’s polls will be out soon and we will compare the latest ones with the first ones after the debate.

Lets see who does the best at sticking to the issues and the questions asked.  No beating around the bush, vague answers.  We have been through too much recently to have to sit and listen to things that do not matter. What will they do for the economic crisis beyond the buyout?  What will they do to make sure this never happens again ?  And will actions be taken against any of the executives found to have done anything illegal ?

Over the past few days, I have been reading comments from foreign government, Iran for one, that basically say the capitalist system is dead.  That they will rule the world with their system.  If that works for them, fine, but don’t expect us to just fold up and go away.  The Capitalist system is flexible enough to survive even the worst crisis.  Just look at what we have done to turn things around already.  That is what the next President needs to be able to do.  Step in when necessary and step out again when things are back to normal. The candidate who best outlays his plan, will come out ahead.  At least as far as the debate goes.

Then there are the other domestic issues - health care for one, the record unemployment for another.  If they stick to what they are supposed to talk about, we will have answers.  At least as much as we can get out of just 90 minutes.

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