Washington, D.C. — Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) has edged ahead of Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) in the presidential campaign polls, making for a very high-stakes third presidential debate tonight.  By being ahead in the polls and by being promoted as the presumptive winner, Senator Obama can coast through the debate.  Senator McCain, however, has to win solidly if he is to have a chance at reversing the current trends to win the presidency.

Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, political commentator for Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, said, “The stakes could not be higher for the values that are central to our mission.  Numerous conservative analysts are concerned that this election could mean a dramatic turn toward policies that would profoundly alter American democracy and usher in an era of radical socialism.”

Dr. Crouse, who coached a top-ten ranked college debate team (Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana) and wrote her doctoral dissertation on presidential debates, says, “Senator McCain must have a single focus in tonight’s debate.  He must argue that this is not the time to elect extremist, liberal candidates to the highest office of the land.  He should ask if Americans want to entrust the presidency to far left ideologues, especially during this dangerous era of financial crisis and international instability.”

Equally important, according to Crouse, are the social issues confronting the nation.  She says, “The liberal candidate for president holds positions on social issues that are far outside the mainstream — endorsing partial-birth abortion and opposing parental notification when an adolescent seeks an abortion.  These are concerns that must be raised, yet these issues have received little attention throughout the campaign.”

According to Crouse, “Tonight is the final opportunity to inform the American public about the implications of radical socialism’s impact on the nation.  If the United States is governed by a radically liberal White House and a far left Congress, it will fundamentally reshape the nation and undermine the basic principles undergirding our freedom.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Valerie Mosher

(202) 488-7000, ext. 126