Week 3 wrap-up

Week 3 of my Elections class has seen some interesting changes in the campaign issues. The focus has shifted away from hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the national conventions, the smearing season, and even Palin's popularity. This past week was a major turning point, and here's why.

Here are the top five current issues:

1. The economy.
   Big businesses are going bankrupt with increasing frequency, while others are being combined. The Lehman Brothers bank went under, Bank of America plans to buy out Countrywide and Merrill Lynch, and the government recently used taxpayers' money to rescue insurance giant AIG. What does this have to do with the election? McCain and Obama have the chance to step up and talk about the problems. So far, neither has shown much skill in the area.
2. Palin's popularity losing momentum.
   Ever since John McCain unveiled Sarah Palin as his running mate at the Republican National Convention, Palin has dominated the media. Everyone wanted to know who she is, and there has been much speculation about whether or not she is qualified to be Vice President. Lately, due to a number of variables, Palin's prominence in the media has been greatly reduced. With the problems on Wall Street, Democrats are stepping up to the plate. Palin's favorable ratings have dropped, and Barack Obama has pulled ahead in national polls.
3. McCain and Obama are tied in a few swing states.
   CNN reports that the two candidates are tied in five battleground states: Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin. This tie makes it appear the election could be just as tooth-grinding as the last two.
4. McCain and Obama are fighting for Latino votes.
   Both candidates are making efforts to reach out to Latinos by producing political ads in Spanish. These ads usually bash the opponent rather than promote the advertiser. McCain is saying that Obama and the Democrats blocked immigration reforms. Obama is saying that McCain has been taking the stance of Rush Limbaugh, a radio talk show host who made some comments about Mexicans last week that many people took the wrong way.
5. Palin's trooper investigation.
   Palin and others are being investigated for an incident back in Alaska when Palin fired the state's public safety commissioner, who is accusing her of pressuring him to fire her former brother-in-law. Witnesses, including Palin's husband, failed to show up at the hearing, which stalled proceedings.