This is Floyd Wynne with The View from Here

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This is Floyd Wynne with The View from Here.

There are some new twists and turns in the current Presidential election.

First, of course, is the Republican selection of a woman, Sarah Palin, currently Governor of Alaska, as a running mate with John McCain. It’s only the second time in the political history of the Presidency that a woman has been on the ticket. The unusual situation finds the Presidential nominee of the Democratic party, Barak Obama leveling his heaviest criticism not at his Presidential opponent, but rather at Palin, the vice president choice of the Republicans.

There is no question but that her selection poses a real problem for the Democrats, and they re making every effort to discredit her. One can assume that Obama who has very little leadership experience is trying to direct that factor away from himself. In all honesty compare the two. She has been a mayor and now is the current Governor of Alaska. He was a community organizer in Chicago, then four years in the Illinois Legislature and now three as a U.S. Senator. We expect that the criticisms of Palin will sharpen now, but by subordinates of Obama.

The other unusual item in the current election is the question of financing. Earlier both candidates said they would accept government money which amounts to 80 some million dollars. McCain agreed, but Obama later withdrew.

The rise of the internet has become another factor in the election.   It has become a very liberal source of funds, particularly for Obama, and is mostly unregulated. In August Obama raised $66 million from this source while McCain secured 47 million.

Now any contributions for McCain must go to the Republican National Committee and his campaign itself must rely on the federal funds. Obama’s finances now depend entirely on individual donations. The question of the funding in the internet will have to become an issue for study as to its relation to future elections. It’s true…..one thing it has done is apparently given the individual more say as to where their political donations go.

Every time an effort is made to control financing of Presidential elections, it finds ways to get around the restrictions.

As people say…..money talks…..and that is so true currently in the Presidential election.

This if Floyd Wynne and that's the View from Here.