The economy has pushed the election off the news. E. J. Dionne does write that the election comes down to Michigan. He believes that this year Michigan will play the role that Ohio did in 2004 and Florida did in 2000 -- the closer.

Michigan has the highest unemployment in the country, the most foreclosures, the highest one-way U-Haul rentals, and Dionne describes it as being in economic meltdown. To make matters worse for Obama, the Democrats, unwisely I believe, penalized Michigan for holding an early primary. While that decision may have been ethically correct, it was a potential loser for them in November.

Dionne writes in the Washington Post, "'What's challenging about Michigan is that they've suffered this economy in its worst form,' said Stan Greenberg, a Democratic pollster who has studied the state for years. 'They blame the Democratic governor and the Democratic Party, and the Republican president and the Republican Party, and an elite they believe sold out their state.'"

He thinks that Palin helps in western Michigan, which has a large group of conservative Christians and a penchant for snowmobiling. Obama counts on a huge African American vote in Detroit. On the other hand, the controversy over the black mayor of Detroit has hurt Obama with some whites. Racism could play an ugly role here. The economy in the end could be what turns the tide for Obama.

Also in the Washington Post, Eugene Robinson notes that McCain is Flunking Economics. "John McCain was telling the truth when he said that economics wasn't his strong suit. In response to what many economists have called the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, the Republican nominee has sounded -- and let's be honest here -- totally, embarrassingly and dangerously clueless."

While Obama has not found a good solution, McCain is running against his own record this time. His economic ideas are so similar to the discredited one of the Bush administration that they scare me and should scare you. Robinson notes:

Here's something that really ought to grab everyone's attention: McCain supports George W. Bush's idea of channeling at least some Social Security funds into "personal accounts" that individuals would invest on Wall Street. Some of that money would have been entrusted to firms such as Bear Stearns (failed), Lehman Brothers (failed) and Merrill Lynch (sold at a fire sale). Imagine what this crisis would be like if Americans' Social Security benefits were evaporating along with their housing values and their 401(k) accounts.

Fact Check notes that McCain/Palin have once again misrepresented Obama's tax plan. If you tell a lie often enough, even a bold face one that gets called out, some people will believe you. McCain's campaign say they stand behind their claims. Well, they don't give all the facts and the ads are terribly misleading. Fact Check says that:

• Obama will raise taxes on electricity. He has made no such proposal. They note that "Obama does support a cap-and-trade policy that would raise the costs of electricity, but so does McCain."
• They claim Obama would tax home heating oil when he in fact proposed a rebate of up to $1,000 per family funded by a windfall tax on oil company excess profits. (Ah, I guess he he would tax the companies and give it to the consumer.)
• "The ad claims that Obama will tax "life savings." In fact, he would increase capital gains and dividends taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year, or singles making $200,000. For the rest, taxes on investments would remain unchanged." This is only true if you are rich.