Social Studies: Ten Political Issues

MCCAIN


#1- Abortion:
McCain wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and make abortions illegal. He considers them “dangerous operations.” (CNN. Aug. 1999). McCain does not want to “violate the sanctity of life,” and allow innocent children to be killed. He does however, support abortion in the case of danger to the mother, and in the case of rape or incest, he requires no proof of rape from the victim.

#2- Education:
John McCain wants to improve America’s schools and says schools should be “innovative, flexible and student-centered,” (johnmccain.com). He pointed out that many American children fall behind standards, and that parents should be able to choose the school they send their child to. Teachers should be rewarded for character-building and effectiveness.

#3- Death Penalty:
John McCain does not support the death penalty in the case of a child rapist or the use of racial considerations in the death penalty, but does support the death penalty in the case of federal crimes (like terrorism). John McCain also wants to “Broaden the use of the death penalty.” (vote-smart.org)

#4- Environment:
John McCain wants to address climate change and he supports new forms of transportation including new, more fuel efficient vehicles. He also wants to increase the penalty for the CAFE standards which have mileage requirements for car manufacturers. He intends to create a “Clean Car Challenge” which will give buyers of zero emission cars tax credits. McCain supports offshore drilling to decrease America’s reliance upon foreign oil.

#5- Health Care:
John McCain is opposed to universal healthcare. Instead, he favors alternatives such as giving a $2,500 tax break to individuals and a $5000 tax break to families for healthcare. McCain wants people to have “portable insurance that could be purchased along state lines,” (usatoday.com) and “employers would no longer be allowed to deduct health care costs from their taxes under his plan,” (usatoday.com). To help victims of cancer, diabetes, and other serious conditions, John McCain wants to provide incentives to companies to provide cures/preventative treatments.

#6- Immigration:
John McCain wants to strengthen our borders by increasing funding, using technology, support staff, and providing training facilities for other staff. He will use a “reliable electronic employment verification system to ensure that individuals are screened for work eligibility in a real-time fashion,” (johnmccain.com). McCain will also help undocumented workers by putting them in a place to become documented.

#7- Iraq War
John McCain wants to keep troops in Iraq until he has ensured Iraq has “become capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people,” (johnmccain.com). He does not want Iraq to fall to terrorists or under control of another nation, and he believes that setting up a stable, nonthreatening state in Iraq will help him accomplish this goal so the troops can come home.

#8- Economy:
John McCain will support small businesses, families, and others with cleaner energy, simpler and fairer taxes, lower barriers for trade, and government reform. He proposes different tax cuts for the lower and middle classes, and he supports the Reagan tax cuts.

#9- Poverty:
McCain supports housing for low income families and more funding for child care programs. He said, “Welfare and anti-poverty assistance is a shared responsibility among federal, state and local government; the private sector; community and faith-based organizations. Welfare policy must provide a strong safety net, while promoting work, responsibility, self sufficiency and dignity.” (vote-smart.org)

#10- Stem Cell Research:
John McCain supports Stem Cell Research where it can help cure disease and other serious conditions, but is against it in the use of fetal farming (which he would make illegal). He would increase funding for research using “amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research and other types of scientific study that do not involve the use of human embryos.” He claims he does not want to sacrifice moral and ethical boundaries for stem cell research.


#1- Abortion:
Barack Obama wants to leave women with their own right to choose; he trusts that women can do what is best for their own life. He does, however, want to push and “expand access to contraception, health information and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies.” (barackobama.com).

#2- Education:
Barack Obama wants to reform the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Program, and develop new ways to evaluate a child’s progress. Barack Obama also wants to focus on providing students with an opportunity to go to college by offering many college grants and making them less complex. He also wants to offer more AP classes in high school and double funding in many of the previous initiative and afterschool programs.

#3- Death Penalty:
One of the things Obama wants to do with the death penalty is to eliminate racial profiling, which would allow people to use race in consideration when deciding whether or not the death penalty is appropriate. He also thinks that the death penalty does “little to do deter crime,” and he thinks it should be used only for the most atrocious, appalling crimes.

#4- Environment:
Obama is a strong supporter of alternative energies and has offered many new plans to help Americans out with gas prices and cars to be more energy efficient. Obama wants to “Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.” (barackobama.com).To help out Americans with gas prices, he claims he will “Crack down on excess energy speculation,” (barackobama.com). He will also invest billions of dollars in alternative energy sources which will also create many new jobs. In addition to this, he wants to cut back greenhouse gasses 80% in 42 years (2050).

#5- Health care:
Barack Obama wants to provide health insurance for those who don’t have health insurance and as for those who do and are happy with their coverage—he will reduce their costs by $2,500. He wants people to able to get coverage, regardless of their medical history or background. He also wants employers to cover their employees, and he claims he can help them do so with credits and other incentives.

#6- Immigration:
By creating more secure borders, punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants, and making a simpler more understandable immigration system, Barack Obama hopes to keep more families together, get more illegal immigrants documented, and offer them the chances to work in America. He will also work with Mexico to help their economic system so there will be less immigration.

#7- Iraq War:
Barack Obama wants to start the withdrawal of troops in phases as soon as he becomes president. He says “The decision to invade Iraq diverted resources from the war in Afghanistan, making it harder for us to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden and others involved in the 9/11 attacks.” (barackobama.com), so Obama wants to change the plan, concentrating forces on finding Bin Laden. He wants to help Iraq stabilize their government through democracy.

#8- Economy:
Barack Obama has a plan that would include things like : “Jumpstart the Economy, Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief, Trade, Job Creation , Support Small Business , Labor , Protect Homeownership and Crack Down on Mortgage Fraud, Address Predatory Credit Card Practices, Reform Bankruptcy Laws, Work/Family Balance,” (barackobama.com). He wants to provide tax breaks to seniors, students, and families that have trouble with child expenses. He will provide more jobs by creating “green” employment opportunities and encouraging companies to keep jobs in America.

#9- Poverty
Obama wants to increase the minimum wage for Americans to $9.50 over the next three years. He will also help keep families together by offering families with small children tax cuts, and he will make sure single mothers get child support money. Obama will give people who have committed crimes in the past the chance to train for a job and change themselves .

#10-Stem Cell Research
Obama supports stem cell research so it can be used to help cure serious diseases. He wants to make stem cell research a little less restricted and allow scientists to look at stem cells in fetuses. “Recent developments in stem cell research may hold the key to improved treatments, if not cures, for those affected by Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury and countless other conditions” (obama.senate.gov)