Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M., Brook Stockberger column: COMMENTARY Who do you think will be better for the economy, McCain or Obama?

Brook Stockberger

Sep. 27, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- I remember the 1988 election when an elderly gentleman told a television reporter that he did not think either Michael Dukakis or George H.W. Bush was, "worth a hill of beans." My dad got a good chuckle out of the comment, but I remember thinking, "Isn't that the way a lot of people think in most elections?"

Sure, some people actually like the candidates, but there is often a healthy dose of cynicism or unease.

Late in November of last year, when primary campaigning was already in full bloom, I ran a poll with a list of the leading presidential candidates from both parties and asked: "Who do you think would be best for business?"

Interestingly enough, out of 98 votes, John McCain and Barack Obama tied for last place with just one vote each. Rudy Guiliani pulled in the most votes with 38 followed by Fred Thompson's 22.

So maybe we don't have the candidates of our choice.

Last week I asked readers who you thought would be better for the economy: Obama or McCain. While the economy has been down for a while and has been a major campaign issue, the topsy-turvy scene on Wall Street the past two weeks has thrust the economy to the forefront of every political discussion.

Six people weighed in with e-mails, five of whom

actually made a choice. Compare that with two years ago when I asked the question, "What new restaurants would you like to see come into Las Cruces?" That query brought 104 responses, with Olive Garden (NYSE:DRI) garnering the most votes.

I'm sure it is easier for some people to fire off a response in support of their favorite eatery than to do so to express a political opinion.

Still, I get the feeling that a lot of minds are not made up. Sure, there are some Republicans who will always vote Republican and Democrats who will always vote for the Democrat in any race. In between, though, is where the margin of victory tends to come in close races.

In fact, one e-mailer addressed the issue of the unknown.

"You are asking the public to answer a question, when 95 percent of them don't even understand what economics is all about, let alone how it impacts and works regarding the financial health of the nation. You will probably get the most useless piece of information ever collected," wrote the respondent. "When your experts can't agree, I wouldn't spend two seconds reading about what the average person thinks."

Of the other five, three endorse Obama while two said they think McCain will be best.

"We have had enough of the incompetent Republicans giving away the treasury to their rich friends and the greedy," wrote one.

Another expressed horror at the thought of Phil Gramm as a potential Treasury Secretary and a third said they pick Obama based on his, "intellect, temperament and his willingness to surround himself with a stellar group of economic advisors."

On the McCain side, one supporter wrote, "His opponent plans on taxing corporations or giving them more regulations; he will be sending more jobs out of the USA. Corporations and small businesses are the ones who create jobs and keep the economy moving; too many regulations and they close up and find a friendly place to do business."

Another reported that McCain will be better, based on the fact that New Mexico has been controlled by Democrats for more than 70 years and that has not been "good for our economy."

Whether either candidate is "worth a hill of beans" is up to each of you. I think they are both intelligent men who truly care about the country, and I'm not sure if that is always the case in elections. But meaning well and being intelligent alone will not make a person a good president. Normal touchstones like social issues, education and even the war of terror have, for now, taken a back seat to economic concerns. I have a feeling many people who have not made up their minds will watch the news closely in the upcoming five weeks as they look for a gentle push or pull one way.

Brook Stockberger can be reached at bstockberger@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5457

Newstex ID: KRTB-0108-28409909