Last Chance for McCain

Last chance for McCain in the second debate the two candidates will discuss live, with the voters.

The second, televised debate with Barack Obama is considered an ultimate opportunity for John McCain, since the debate is going to take place as a town-hall meeting–the type of discussions that made the Republican candidate shine so far.

John McCain continues to fall short on national polls compared to Barack Obama. Approximately 100 undecided voters, who were chosen by the Gallup polling company, will pose their questions to both presidential candidates; this process follows the American tradition of town-hall meetings, where all discussions pertaining to the election of local officers take place publicly, in the presence of the local people. Famous journalist Mr. Tom Brokaw, as moderator of the discussion, will also choose from some six million more questions posted by people through the Internet, mostly on the subject of the economy.

The preparation

John McCain spend much more time preparing now than he did on the last debate, since these type of public discussions seem to be his “strong feature”. Besides, he did publicly challenge Obama to join him in some 10 similar discussions in different parts of the USA during the pre-election period, instead of holding 3 televised debates. Some say that his victory in such discussions was his winning ticket for his election as a Republican candidate. “He’s done so many of those during the past few years; that’s why he’s so strong at it” a close colleague of his commented on his public speaking talent. “He’s always excellent; he enjoys such discussions and feels really comfortable talking with the people. John McCain is the Michael Phelps of public debates”, he concluded referring to the American swimmer who shined on this year’s Olympic Games.

This process, however, is much more unpredictable than a regular debate with a journalist as a moderator, since Americans are outraged with the status of the economy. The two contenders were scheduled to be sited on plain chairs and answer the questions either sited or standing up, walking up and down the stage. A big question, right before the town-hall meeting commences at Belmont University in Tennessee, was whether John McCain would look Obama in the eye even once, something he conspicuously avoided on the previous debate that took place 12 days ago in Mississippi; according to all the national polls Obama is ahead of McCain by at least 7 percentage points.

“Then, Barack Obama saved my memories…”

About 20 years ago, an American called Mary Mendeth Andersen was 31 years old and had just gotten married to a Norwegian citizen called Doug Andersen. She couldn’t wait to arrive to the Scandinavian country and start their lives together. But first, she had to travel with all her belongings. At the international airport of Miami, the lines were forming long and discouraging in front of the check-in desks. When her turn finally came and she placed her luggage on the scale, the employee asked her to pay 103 dollars for excess weight.

But Mary didn’t have the money and she couldn’t call her friends. The employee was strict. Unless she paid, her luggage would stay right were they were. “I started to cry”, said Mary. “The tears were running on my cheeks. Not only would I be losing my stuff, but also all my memories. I had no idea what should I do. It was only then that I heard a kind voice from behind me saying: “I’ll pay for the lady’s dues”.

The girl turned and saw a tall, well-dressed man. She was so thrilled with the turn things had taken and she promised the man to pay him back. The man wrote his name and his address on a piece of paper and gave it to the ever- grateful Mary. When she finally got to the gate, he was waiving goodbye at her. The paper said: Barack Obama. Some time late, Mary sent the money to the man, who at the time he worked as a community organizer in Chicago. A few years late they also exchanged correspondence.

Mary told her story at the Norwegian newspaper “VG”, the largest one in the country and posed for the cover picture holding Obama’s note to her.

Adoration for the black senator.

Kenyan officials arrested and deported an American writer who published a book that was about to be presented yesterday in Nairobi, containing scolding comments about Barack Obama. Jerome Corsi’s book is entitled “Obama’s Nation” and when he arrived yesterday at a hotel in the Kenyan capital, he was arrested by police officers who drove him straight back to the airport. The reason? Kenyans love Obama, whose father comes from the African country. Corsi’s book was considered to aim at hurting the democratic presidential candidate by implying he used drugs and that in reality he is Muslim and not a Christian. According to the polls, 89% of Kenyans support Obama, whereas a mere 3% is disposed positively to John McCain.

His brother

The Kenyan officials found nothing wrong or illegal with the writer’s passport or visa, however they wanted to avert the book’s first presentation from taking place in their country. The invitation accepted by the writer mention that he would “disclose the deep, secretive bonds of Obama with the Kenyan mafia”, while there was also a note that Corsi intended on meeting with his half-brother, George Hussein Obama, who lives on $12 a year in a shantytown and would bribe him with a $1000 check.