U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain reached out to average citizens Friday, saying their policies will best help the country's middle class.
Obama told supporters in Pennsylvania that his policies will help create millions of jobs and put more money in people's pockets. The Illinois senator charged that his Republican rival's policies will cost American jobs.
McCain Friday addressed supporters in Colorado and said he will restore trust and confidence in the government. The Arizona senator vowed to stabilize the U.S. financial markets and bring relief to homeowners who are struggling with dropping home values and bad loans.
Both McCain and Obama today also praised their running mates' performance Thursday during the only scheduled debate for the vice presidential candidates.
McCain said Alaska Governor Sarah Palin did a "magnificent" job. Obama said Delaware Senator Joe Biden's performance was "great."
The White House said President George Bush thought it was a "good debate" and that Palin faired very well.
A quick poll offered good news for both campaigns. A CBS poll said that 46 percent of uncommitted voters thought Biden won the debate, compared to 21 percent for Palin. But it also found that voters' opinions of Palin improved after her performance.
Palin and Biden clashed on a number of issues Thursday, including the economy, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and energy and foreign policy.
Palin appeared confident Thursday, after a series of television interviews that raised questions about whether the first-term governor has enough experience to be the nation's second-in-command. Biden, with more than three decades of experience in the Senate, has made his share of verbal blunders in the past.
In other developments, McCain's campaign acknowledged Thursday that it was pulling its staff and ads from the crucial state of Michigan to focus on other key states.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.