Barack Obama and John McCain will battle it out for the most important job in the world on Tuesday. Patrick Cooke and Herman Grech take a snapshot of two men with very different agendas and see what two local experts had to say.
Barack Hussein Obama
Party: Democratic
Date of birth: 4-8-1961
Place of birth: Honolulu, Hawaii
Quote: "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours."
Personal profile
He is African-American, the son of Barack Obama Sr - a black Kenyan who went to the US on a study scholarship - and Anne Dunham, a white woman with wanderlust from Kansas.
He lived in Indonesia from the age of six to 10 with his mother and stepfather, before returning to live in the pacific island of Hawaii with his grandparents while his mother remained abroad.
A former community organiser on the South Side of Chicago, Obama shot to national prominence when he delivered an inspirational keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. He is accustomed to breaking barriers, becoming the first ever African-American president of the Harvard Law Review in 1991 and only the fifth African-American US senator just four years ago.
He is the 'rock star' candidate. In fact he said to one audience: "I just told (wife) Michelle backstage that the reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." And he regularly delights massive crowds with his message of hope and change.
In short, he is not your average presidential candidate. He often says that his story is possible "only in America," and it certainly hasn't been mirrored anywhere else in the Western world.
Leadership
Obama lacks executive experience, and has never run anything bigger than his own election campaigns. However, if his campaigns are an indication of how he will run the White House, expect an extremely disciplined administration flush with a close team of highly skilled advisers.
He is an academic and fluent communicator, who likes to conduct extensive research and solicit expertise. He considers as many ideas and opinions as possible before deciding on the best solution to a problem. He wants to "suck the room of every idea," said Valerie Jarrett, a close adviser. This suggests his policies will be meticulously thought through and he will try to reach out to opponents and facilitate consensus, although he has no problem disregarding advice that he does not agree with.
Critics suggest that he may be uncomfortable making decisions quickly or abandoning a careful plan when circumstances dictate that he must.
Key issues
The National Journal ranked Obama as having the most liberal voting in the US senate in 2007. However, others argue that he is a consensus-seeking pragmatist with the broad aim of social renewal.
Economy
Obama would abolish Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy and increase taxes on Americans earning over $250,000 a year, while providing targeted tax relief to low and middle-income Americans and small and start-up businesses.
He claims that 95 per cent of Americans will experience tax cuts under his administration. He aims to create jobs by investing $150 billion over 10 years, create five million new green jobs and invest $25 in repairing infrastructure. Obama had called for the restructuring of the financial regulatory system months before the onset of the economic crisis.
Social issues
Obama is solidly pro-choice on abortion and advocates embryonic stem cell research. He opposes gay marriage but also opposes a federal constitutional amendment to ban it. He supports gay civil unions and gay adoptions. In the Illinois legislature, he pushed reforms to prevent innocent people from being executed, but supports the death penalty in extreme circumstances.
Iraq
Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the outset, claiming that "even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences."
Obama supports a phased withdrawal of US forces, with all troops out of combat operations within 16 months of taking office and only a residual force remaining to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions and protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel.
Foreign policy and security
Obama believes that the war in Iraq distracted the US from the "central front of the War on Terror" in Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. He intends working with allies to commit more troops and resources and has said that if America received specific intelligence about the whereabouts of Al-Qaeda fugitives inside Pakistan, then he is prepared to act unilaterally if necessary.
Obama hopes to improve US standing in the world by building and restoring alliances without surrendering American interests. He will seek dramatic reductions in US and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons and aims to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
He has called for the closure of Guantanamo Bay and said he is prepared to meet the Iranian leadership for face-to-face talks without preconditions.
Campaign
Perhaps more than any candidate before him, Obama has energised voters - particularly youngsters - and his campaign team have overseen the creation of an unprecedented grassroots operation.
His army of volunteers devote their time to knocking on doors, making calls, helping to register likely Obama voters and helping them to cast their ballot early. Early voting normally favours Republican candidates, but figures released in the past few days show that registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans.
Obama has tried to distance himself from negative campaigning, and his main line of attack is that McCain represents another four years of the "failed policies" of George W. Bush.
Although the Obama campaign has refused to accept donations from Washington lobbyists or political action committees, it has raised a more than $600 million, almost equalling the combined amount both major candidates raised in the 2004 presidential election. This staggering sum has come from more than three million individual donors, many of whom donated small sums over the internet. The impressive fighting fund has helped Obama to dominate advertising space in key states during recent weeks. Last week, the Obama campaign purchased half-hour, prime-time advertisement slots on seven major US TV channels, at a cost of $1 million each.
John Sidney McCain III
Party: Republican
Date of birth: 29-08-1936
Place of birth: Panama Canal Zone
Quote: "I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's... And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath."
Profile
He is the battle-scarred 'maverick' who is bidding to become the US's oldest ever first-term President. Defeated by George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican primary, McCain proved his fighting spirit to clinch the 2008 nomination after being written off halfway through his campaign.
Both his father and grandfather were US navy admirals, and McCain followed the family tradition by fighting for his country in Vietnam as a lieutenant commander. Perhaps the best example of McCain's tenacity is the way he endured five-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war in a notorious Vietnamese prison camp, despite being offered early release because of his father's rank.
McCain has described Vietnam as the crucible that taught him the importance of dedication to a cause greater than himself, and he claims to put his "country first" as a politician. The old warrior has just days to wait until the results of what will be one of his last great battles.
Leadership
In McCain's 2002 memoir Worth Fighting For, he called his decision-making style "instinctive, often impulsive," and added that "I don't torture myself over decisions. I make them as quickly as I can, quicker than the other fellow if I can."
This attitude suggests that McCain will be a strong and decisive leader, but critics say it could make him unpredictable and erratic.
McCain likes to read widely on different subjects, and he prefers to make decisions by consulting experts with opposing views, preferably watching them clash. He is known to relish conflict and is likely to make a confrontational president. He has said that he sometimes uses his explosive temper tactically, to intimidate opponents.
But, he is also the self-styled 'maverick', and while he may be confrontational, he has a reputation for putting partisan politics aside to achieve what he thinks is best for the country.
Key issues
McCain is best described as a limited-government conservative, but he willingly resists these instincts if a cause seems worthy.
Economy
A former opponent of government regulations, McCain has promised tougher ones for the financial industry in response to the current crisis. McCain wants to extend most of Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, illustrating a belief that the wealth of the richest Americans will trickle down to the rest of the population in the form of consumer spending and job creation.
He has pledged to phase out the alternative minimum tax, which would help upper middle-class families. McCain proposes building 45 nuclear power plants by 2030 to create 700,000 jobs, as well as investing in offshore drilling.
Social issues
McCain wants to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights and opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest and to save the mother's life.
However, he supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. He opposes gay marriage but also opposes a constitutional amendment to ban it. McCain's statements about gay civil unions have been ambiguous, but he opposes gay adoptions. He supports expanding the federal death penalty and would also limit appeals from it.
Iraq
McCain was a fervent supporter of the Iraq war from the start. He described 9/11 as an "opportunity" to rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein, but became a fierce critic of the Bush administration's handling of the war.
He was a staunch advocate of the troop surge and insists that US troops must remain in Iraq until the country is fully capable of ensuring its own security and defeating terrorism. He will not commit to an arbitrary timetable for withdrawal, arguing that this could have a catastrophic impact on local people and could even lead to genocide. He is concerned that a premature withdrawal will embolden US enemies.
National security and foreign policy
McCain is considered to be a hawkish foreign policy expert, and he aims to expand the size and capability of the US military.
He favours troop increases in Afghanistan, but not at the expense of the mission in Iraq and will push for greater burden sharing from NATO allies.
He has called his rival's willingness to talk with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as "dangerous" and "reckless." He favours tough international diplomacy on Iran and other rogue regimes, and has stressed his willingness to use military force if necessary. He favours closing Guantanamo Bay and has firmly opposed the use of CIA torture in the past, although he voted against a Bill that would have banned the CIA from using 'waterboarding' in February this year.
Campaign
Like his primary campaign, McCain's presidential assault has looked to be flagging on several occasions, only to bounce back strongly. McCain's campaign was reinvigorated in June by the appointment of former Bush strategist Steve Schmidt to his team, but he now finds himself being accused by some of using the same smear tactics that he once so publicly opposed.
The McCain campaign has accused Obama of being a mere celebrity, of having a messiah complex, of committing voter registration fraud, of being a secret socialist, and of "palling around" with domestic terrorists - a smear which many believe is aimed at voters who are concerned about rumours that Obama is a Muslim.
Lacking the enthusiasm and funds of the Obama campaign, McCain displayed his maverick style when he named 44-year old Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in August.
A social conservative and self-styled 'Hockey Mom', Palin electrified the Republican National Convention at the beginning of September with her folksy style and hard-hitting sound bites. In the aftermath of the convention, the Republican ticket experienced a surge in the polls and Palin drew huge and enthusiastic crowds on the campaign trail.
However, she has proved to be a deeply divisive choice. Her comprehension of economic and foreign affairs have come in for criticism and ridicule, an opinion poll last week showing that 59 per cent of voters think she unqualified for the job of Vice President.
Many prominent Republicans who have endorsed Obama - including former secretary of state Colin Powell - have cited Palin as a major factor in their decision.
In the final week, the attacks on Obama and his policies have been relentless.
Leo Brincat's view
Obama is the first politician - even more so than Al Gore who I highly admire - that I could easily see myself voting for because his electoral platform and his hopes and aspirations reflect the thinking of eminent liberal, centrist European politicians with a slight left tinge.
To my mind, he is the best man who can remould America in the post-Bush era.
McCain has had the unenviable task of trying to distance himself from Bush as much as possible as part of a damage-limitation exercise while realising that his closeness to the American president has made his job of trying to convince us that he can reverse America's decline unenviable, if not unachievable.
It amazes me how a land of such much talent and opportunity like the US often finds it so hard to come up with the right kind of candidate. Take a look at some of the excellent people in most of their think tanks and academia and you will see what I mean.
The biggest challenge for whoever wins is to find practical ways how to restore America's standing in the world. By standing, I do not mean global domination but global and inspirational leadership.
Last week's attack on Syria was deliberately timed to shift the fickle public opinion's attention away from the global financial crisis and meltdown. On the other hand, Bush had assented to carry the war against America's enemies in the Middle East by backing covert cross border operations. The raid was unexpected to say the least coming at a time when Syria has been more co-operative with the US.
McCain always fought on a ticket where he tried to come across as stronger on 'foreign policy' than Obama so I cannot personally exclude that this could have been Bush's way of lending a helping hand, albeit at a costly price.
I think there is no doubt that race is more than just a hidden agenda item of the election campaign. But I think the cool, slick and relaxed manner in which Obama has reacted has shown that a black American President can also lead to a safe presidency.
As he once remarked - America is prepared for a black president. What it is not prepared for is an angry black president. And surely no one can accuse Obama of having ever lost his cool or resorted to the dirty tricks campaigns that have emanated from the McCain camp. But one cannot ever rule out a backlash from the fundamentalist right wing.
I would like to see Obama win as I sincerely wish the best of luck to the American people. With his modest migrant background he can help America project itself anew as a real land of opportunity.
I cannot but agree more with that sage who commented this way about Obama - "He personifies everything that foreigners still love about America."
Humane, sensible solutions do not come easy when we have just witnessed the excesses of capitalism implode due to poor regulation and oversight.
Guido de Marco's view
The next US President needs to resolve the Iraqi issue, avoid opening up a front with Syria, and try to re-mould the real image of the US - a country which has done so much to promote freedom and democracy in the world. The economy is pivotal in this election, and the next president needs to steer America out of this difficult phase. Politically and economically a strong America is an important source of peace and stability around the world.
If, on the other hand, the US gets embroiled in unnecessary wars and is suffering economically also as a result, the entire world will suffer, though gone are the days when Europe contracts influenza whenever the US sneezes. Thanks to the EU, Europe is no longer in that state but naturally a crisis in the US has a worldwide effect.
I believe the timing of the US attack on Syria was dangerous and could provoke further resentment towards America. There must have been a strategic reason behind the attack on (a suspected insurgent leader in) Syria which we are not aware of. But one has to keep in mind that Syria has a high standing in the Arab world.
I think race could play a part in this election - but in a positive way - it could set America on the road to having back its dream.
I found Obama to be rather weak on foreign affairs especially when he says he wants to see Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This is a hotly contested issue between the Palestinians and the Israelis and one has to be very careful before making such pronouncements because it can create greater complications.
McCain has more experience in foreign affairs and is possibly not saying much about the subject so as not to expose himself too much. He is more cautious on these matters.
The economic programmes proposed by the two main contenders are of importance. On a policy front, I am more in line with Obama and the Democratic programme. I'm inclined to opt for Obama on this front, possibly because he is speaking about policies that Malta has adopted for decades - such as free hospitalisation and education.
Obama is creating in the US a new perception of change which is putting a new generation desirous to be a main mover and participant in such change.
Why is Obama far more popular in Europe than his rival? Like it or not, McCain is associated with George Bush, who has scarce popularity in Europe.
Obama's rhetoric is very good and he is appealing for the Americans to change - and after Bush, many would like change. McCain may be clever and he is also a hero but after Bush many American voters may would like to replace the Republican Party in power.
However, many tend to find Obama slightly politically immature compared to McCain. If one were to vote for an individual one may see McCain a more prepared leader.
Ultimately, Obama appears to be the favourite for the US presidency but as we know, elections have often defied the polls.