The final days of a campaign like this are so hectic and intense that the activities, not the issues, become everyone's focus.  Obama had enough money to produce a half-hour TV show and broadcast it on several national networks.  Bill Clinton and (separately) Al Gore are campaigning for Obama in Florida.  Meanwhile, McCain and Palin are fighting back with new “men in the street” supporters who become spokesmen for a day.  Yesterday, “Joe the Plumber” made an appearance with McCain in Ohio.  Today “Tito the Builder” made an appearance with Palin in Virginia.  Tomorrow, it’ll be some other novelty.

Until next Tuesday, each event or activity by the candidates is an effort to grab the headlines and cut down theiropponents.  One day soon we can all look back and decide whether the McCain-Palin alarms concerning Obama's tax proposals ever got traction with small business owners.  In the meantime, both candidates’ Web sites feature tax calculators where “Joe the Voter” can try to calculate how much he would pay in taxes under a McCain or Obama presidency.  You can try them out yourself and judge how credible they are.  But the promises by both candidates that most of us are headed for tax cuts sound like election eve bravado.  The candidates may believe what they say, but should we?

Once the pollsters have conducted their final poll, and the campaigns placed their last “robocall,” it will all be up to Joe and Jane the Voters.  However they cast their ballots, they deserve some sympathy.  The operations that dangled the prospect of tax cuts will soon disappear, to be replaced by one that appeals for sacrifice.