Economic crisis helps Obama take the lead - Prepare for Debate Two

The Wall Street Journal always has pretty interesting graphs, and this new graph caught my attention. The corresponding article gives a good indication of the "whys" behind the numbers. If there was a line graph with "political moderate" is considered as the midpoint, it seems that Obama is closer to the center coming from the left than McCain is coming from the right. As independents decide upon a presidential candidate, it seems like they are voting (at least in the polls) with their gut reactions as well as their politics. John McCain's cold shoulder approach to Barack Obama during the last debate, and his economic stumble last week have hurt his poll numbers. Some Americans felt uncomfortable with McCain's lack of eye contact and aloof attitude.

When even FoxNews says that McCain needs a "knockout in the second debate," I am eagerly waiting to see what happens. Hopefully, there will be a good number of questions about the economy. I have no doubt that both candidates have thought extensively (and been prepped with the same fervor) about the current economic crisis, but recently, Obama has seemed more knowledgeable on the subject.

I'm going to be looking at McCain's eyes and body language. The town hall setting should be interesting to watch and hopefully it will help Americans gain more insight into the candidates.