As in other weeks, the BBC has been closely following the election this week. And, also like other stations, I'm sure that the economy has been in the forefront. The issues this week, include the following:
1. The Debate
This in itself was an issue. This was a pretty big deal because of the other issues (economy, McCain, Palin), all fed into this. The economic crisis, the close second, could not be ignored. This became part of the debate, and was thus covered, and the fact that this was going to happen definitely making headlines. The economic crisis was a news story, and that related to the election was a news story... but the fact that this was going to be covered in the debate was the bigger story.
2. The economic bailout...
The US is facing the worst economic outlook on Wall Street since the Great Depression. This has an effect on the entire world market. The measures that the government is taking, and the candidates' response has made headlines, as well. Economic & Foreign policiy is what is going to decide this election, because every American is concerned. the BBC does a pretty good job at telling what the candidates think without bias.
3. McCain suspending campaign
This is a story, because it affects the debate and is directly related to the economic bailout. McCain, whose campaign slogan is "Country First," is fulfilling his duty as senator, putting his campaign second. Supporters look and say-- this kid mean business--- and Obama called him out saying that it is important that McCain be able to multi-task. The BBC said, "Republican John McCain said he was suspending his campaign to return to Washington to deal with the crisis.
But Democratic rival Barack Obama said it was "more important than ever" for US citizens to hear from the person who would soon be "dealing with this mess"."
4. Palin's talks with world leaders.
Palin will face Joe Biden in a debate this week. Palin meeting with world leaders is important because, until this year she didn't even have a passport. Her experience with foreign policy consisted of her proximity to other nations. The BBC wrote the story in such a way that made it appear that these meetings were mostly in preparation for the debate.
The BBC, like others, liked to look at past presidential debates to compare this debate to. They talked about debates such as the 1960 debate between Kennedy and Nixon, and even the Bentson-Quayle VP debate. The VP debate between Palin and Biden is expected to be a factor in the upcoming election, not something you see everyday in a American presidential elections. Also-- reminding everyone of the past election mess-ups, helps keep everyone looking for the current candidates mistakes.
This aligns pretty well with what my group of friends, and peers are talking about. I went home this weeknd, and not only was my aunt and uncle watching it (baby boomers), but so was my grandmother. I found it surprizing, though, that while my aunt and uncle decided a long time ago that they were voting for McCain, my grandmother hadn't decided yet. This debate, my family thought McCain won-- and the articles that the BBC wrote asking who won said that it was either a draw, McCain w/ a slight win, OR Obama winning by a landslide (those were few).
I feel like the BBC has done a great job with reporting this election, and I look forward to following it for the next 30 some days.
