McCain versus Obama - Essay Example

Perhaps the largest disparity between these two candidates is their positions on two major issues affecting this country: The war in Iraq and the economic peril in which the country now sits. The following is a chart that pinpoints the candidates on issues that revolve around this election.  Each man walks into the election with an enormous amount of talent and disparate views.

Notably, each candidate hails from a strong family with the attendant religious values.  Thus while their political views are dichotomous they do have their strong religious convictions in common.

McCain

Obama

McCain proposes to balance the federal budget by the close of his first term. He purports to curb wasteful spending and overhaul the Social Security Program

Obama plans to keep a watchful eye on pet projects and requires complete disclosure.  He also wants lawmakers to pay any new taxes.

Opposes universal health care and feels that prescriptions should be imported to lower costs; wants affluent members of the Medicare system to pay higher premiums. 

Feels that medical and personal health care bills are the reason why people are filing for personal bankruptcy; believes in universal health care; would mandate that all children receive health care; would create a national insurance program so that people and small businesses could purchase affordable insurance

Pro-life

Pro-choice

A proponent of the war in Iraq

Opposes the War in Iraq

Supports amnesty for illegal aliens; supports increased border patrol.

Feels that illegal aliens should learn English and pay any back taxes before becoming citizens.

Supports the death penalty for federal crimes

Supports the death penalty in appropriate crimes

Episcopal

United Church of Christ

Has a sister and a brother

Has eight half-siblings

Supports school vouchers; supports sending federal dollars directly to schools;

Supports the No Child Left Behind Law but feels that it is flawed.

Feels that the embargo on Cuba may be relaxed once Cuba demonstrates that they are heading toward democracy

Feels that the rules should be relaxed to allow people to send money to their families; would relax traveling rules so that people could visit their families

Supports lowering taxes to help small businesses; would cut the small corporate tax return from 35-25%; supports giving tax breaks to businesses that invest in equipment and technology; wants a permanent tax credit for research and development

Supports tax incentives for companies that keep jobs in the United States; believes that the NAFTA Agreement should be re-negotiated; would put more money in unemployment insurance; would give federal money to the states hit hardest by the housing crisis;