All the economics have gotten worse in the past five years. The process is going to be very painful.

The biggest problems are public debt and the competitiveness of Italian goods. But in order to deal with those, he has to overcome the fear of being fired. If he is lucky, and if he is clever, he will be able to do something.

It's going to take a miracle for Berlusconi to win. The government has run out of steam.

It's another two hits on a ship that is not very seaworthy to begin with.

It is the last gasp of someone trying to do anything he can to delay the end.

Enough Italians feel worse off than they did five years ago. He didn't fulfill his promises.

Berlusconi is desperate and he's latching on to what he can to deflect attention away from the economy; it's the most prominent chink in the armor. That's why he's jumped on the wiretapping scandals.

Berlusconi put up a fight and he'll continue to be a problem for the new government. His will be a tough opposition.

Berlusconi's goal is to change the equal-access law. If he can remove the limits on the electronic media, he can use his much greater wealth to his advantage.

Both candidates have made big promises to cut taxes. But neither has said where the money is coming from or how they'll cut the debt.