CNNMoney: Voting their pocketbook

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/04/art.voting.jpg caption=" Voters are voting with their pocketbook this Election Day."]
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Barack Obama and John McCain have courted Lisa Hampton's vote for months, but the Kingston, Pa., resident still isn't sure which one she'll pick.

What she does know is how much the rising price of soda, steaks and natural gas is squeezing her family budget. The married mother of two grown girls rattled off the price of Coke, which now costs her $7 for a 24-pack, up from $5 only a few months ago, and of roast beef, which has jumped to $12 from $8.

While Hampton thinks McCain is stronger on national security issues, she believes Obama would do more to revive the economy and ease the burden of working Americans.

"He might actually help middle-class people more with his tax cuts," said Hampton, 46, who cleans offices in downtown Wilkes-Barre. "He would help people like me."

The presidential candidates' prescriptions for the weakening economy could prove the deciding factor on Tuesday with voters in crucial swing states such as Pennsylvania. Obama advocates tax relief for middle- and lower-income workers, while McCain says cutting taxes on businesses and the wealthy will create more jobs.

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