With 18 days left before the election, Barack Obama and John McCain are both trying to convince voters they can get the U.S. out of its economic mess.

Friday in the swing state of Virginia, Sen. Obama focused on his plans that he says center around tax cuts for the middle class.

Click the play button for a CBN News interview with political consultant, Diana Banister.

"These are the changes and reforms we need Roanoke, a new era of responsibility and accountability on Wall Street and in Washington and in our lives. Common sense regulation to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again," Obama said. "I won't pretend this is going to be easy...we're all going to sacrifice. We all need to pull our own weight."

Meanwhile in Florida, another battleground state, John McCain promised to fight for voters like "Joe the Plumber."

"Senator Obama claims that wants to give a tax break to the middle class, but not only did he vote for higher taxes on the middle class in the Senate, his plan gives away your tax dollars to those who don't pay taxes. That's not a tax cut, that's welfare," he said.

"America didn't become the greatest nation on earth by redistributing wealth," McCain added. "We became the greatest nation by creating new wealth."