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Presidential Comparison paper (sociology)


bgibson8708 3 / 3  
Oct 29, 2008   #1
prompt: write an essay giving background info for obama and mccain. Compare their stance on 8 issues.

Election '08: McCain vs. Obama
The 2008 election is one of the most significant elections in recent times. The United States is in a situation where one wrong political move could be devastating. The economy is reminding many of the conditions before The Great Depression. The Supreme Court expects to replace several of its justices. Whether the next president is John McCain or Barack Obama, he will have many critical decisions to make on key issues that will affect our country for many years to come.

John McCain was born in 1936 in Panama, but his hometown is Phoenix, Arizona. John graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958. After receiving his education, he became a Captain in the Navy. He served as a Naval Captain until 1981, giving him over twenty-five years of experience. In 1982, John McCain began his political career as a member of the House of Representatives. He served on the House of Representatives until 1986 when his term ended. In 1987, John became a Senator, a position that he still holds. In 2000, he unsuccessfully ran against George Bush for the Republican Party presidential nomination. John won the Republican Party's nomination in 2008 and is now hoping to become the United States' President (Project Vote Smart).

Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961. Barack's hometown is Chicago, Illinois. His education includes Harvard Law School and Columbia University. He began his political career as a member of the Illinois State Senate. He gained popularity among his peers and constituents when he spoke at the 2004 National Democratic Convention. In 2005, he joined the United States Senate as an Illinois representative, which is the position he currently is in. Barack won the Democratic Party's presidential nomination and is now running against John McCain for the prize of the White House.

John McCain and Barack Obama have conflicting opinions on numerous issues. The two candidates have different ideas regarding the issue of free trade. Free trade is an important issue because the way trade is conducted will determine whether the American economy will recover from the recession that it is enduring.

McCain is an advocate of free trade. He believes that free trade and a free market are essential for the economy to progress. McCain has stated that he would like to make a trade agreement with any country that would be willing to enter an agreement with the United States as long as they negotiate with fairness. John believes the American workers are the hardest working and most productive workers; therefore, there should be no fear of the competing countries.

Barack Obama believes that trade needs to be regulated. He has said that he will eliminate tax breaks for companies moving overseas and create tax breaks for companies creating jobs inside the United States. These changes in the tax structure both work to regulate and restrict free trade with other countries. Barack would like to make changes to NAFTA and other trade agreements to make them more favorable to the common person.

Another huge issue is how they would handle the nation's budget. Barack Obama wants to change how finances are regulated. Barrack's budget for his plan is well over 280 billion dollars. Barack believes Bush is the cause of the great debt the country has today. He says the government must focus the spending on the middle class and cut costs in Iraq. He also states that it would be helpful to cap credit card interest under thirty percent.

McCain believes the country is best served if we cut back the regulation on finances. McCain's plan would cost two hundred and eleven billion dollars. He says we must improve the economy to keep the military strong and that we cannot pass this great financial burden onto the youth of America. John believes it would be helpful to buy up the bad mortgages to keep the citizens in their homes. John also notes the fundamentals of our economic system are solid but they are being tested.

An issue that most Americans feel passionate about is taxes. John McCain wants to give tax cuts to everyone. He compares his tactics to those of Ronald Regan; cut wasteful spending and cut taxes. To cut taxes, the country's spending must be in control. In 2003, he opposed Bush's tax cuts because spending was out of control (On The Issues). McCain would like to increase the child tax exemption to seven thousand dollars for each child. John also thinks America needs a more fair tax system, but is opposed to fair tax.

Barack Obama would like to cut taxes for ninety-five percent of the people; excluding the wealthiest five percent. Barack believes it is acceptable to impose high taxes on the top earning citizens because under Clinton they did not feel oppressed. Obama says that he does not want to give money back to people who do not need it. He also said, "I will raise CEO taxes, no doubt about it." Obama believes the tax relief to the middle class will help offset the rising costs of food and gas.

An issue that affects many Americans is gay rights. Obama sees similarities between the gay rights movement and the civil rights movement. He knows that being gay is not a choice. Obama thinks that homosexuals should be allowed to join in civil unions, giving equal benefits and rights to gay couples. However, Obama is opposed to allowing gay marriages.

John McCain has similar feelings toward the gay community. John has no problem with gay people joining the military and says he would be comfortable with a gay president. While John believes that marriage is a union for one man and one woman, he believes the issue should be left for the states to decide.

Every American hopes to retire someday, and that is why social security is such a pressing issue. John McCain knows social security is flawed, but says that it can be fixed with a bipartisan effort. He also recognizes that any fix would only be temporary because social security is not a long-term solution. John believes people need personal savings accounts with an option to invest up to twenty percent of payroll taxes into private accounts.

On the other side, Obama is opposed to all attempts to privatize social security. He believes it is too risky to have people's retirements hinge on the stock market. Obama would give working families a two thousand dollar tax credit for their savings account. He also is against reducing benefits or increasing the retirement age.

Another issue that is critical to the enhancement of the country is oil and energy. John McCain is in favor of nuclear power. He wants to build forty-five nuclear power plants by 2030 (On The Issues). John believes that global warming is a real issue and that nuclear power is the solution to it. John also is an advocate of offshore drilling and he voted no on reducing oil use by forty percent before 2025 (On The Issues).

Barack Obama has recently become a supporter of nuclear power. He would like to spend one hundred and fifty billion dollars to free the United States from oil. Obama thinks that drilling is only a temporary solution that will only push the problem onto future generations. Obama voted to ban drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He also has voted yes to reduce oil use by forty percent before 2025 (On The Issues). He believes action must be taken to retard the effects of global warming.

The security of the nation is critical to the safety of every American. Barack Obama believes the Al Qaida is stronger now than it was in 2001 when it performed devastating terrorist attacks against the United States. He believes the military must be expanded and therefore colleges need to allow recruiters on campus. Obama believes the most important strategic issue is where to send the troops and how to fund them. He also believes that no torture should ever be used.

John McCain is a veteran of war and says that he hates war. He believes it is important for the president to have military experience so he knows the great sacrifices that come with war. McCain was rated zero percent by SANE signaling a pro military voting record. John says that Bush and Clinton both missed opportunities to capture Osama Bin Laden. He does credit George Bush for not allowing any more large-scale terrorist attacks. John believes military spending is out of control and has found over three and a half million dollars of wasteful spending.

A social issue the two presidential candidates have differing opinions on is abortion. Barack Obama believes it is acceptable to abort partially born babies. He has voted no on a partial birth ban. Obama stated, "We should trust women on the decisions regarding partial birth." He also believes that it is acceptable for minors to cross state borders to have abortions. Barack was rated one hundred percent pro-choice by NARAL.

John McCain voted yes on banning partial birth abortions. John is not tolerable of abortions in general and thinks they should only be used after a rape. McCain has opposed grants funding abortion organizations. John sees adoption and foster care as choices that are more sensible for the woman.

In conclusion, many of these issues are important to the future of this country. The two presidential candidates share the same opinion on some issues, but have very different opinions on others. Regardless of who wins the upcoming election, the president will have a major influence on the future of this country.
EF_Team5 - / 1,586  
Oct 29, 2008   #2
Good afternoon.

This is an exceptional essay. You are very organized and well structured, overall. Your research is properly cited and creates a credible essay. Mechanically it is clean, and I didn't find anything that I would change. Nice work.

Regards,
Gloria
Moderator, EssayForum.com
OP bgibson8708 3 / 3  
Oct 29, 2008   #3
thank you for your feedback! I hope my sociology teacher thinks like you do.


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