Sociology- Pres candidates compaigning about family concerns - Essay Example

Running Head: Campaigning on the Family Presidential candi s Campaigning on Issues Concerning the Family The aim and focus of this paper is to explore John McCain and Barack Obama’s view of the American family. Issues that pertain to the paper are abortion, the Iraqi war, tax increases, and the outsourcing of jobs. It will illustrate how both candidates voted on important issues that directly affect the family while showing how both candidates define the meaning of family. Furthermore, a brief analysis of the issues and how they relate to the family is broached.

Finally, the appeal of the candidates as they relate to the family is highlighted. Arguably, each presidential race that has ever occurred on the soils of American land has been historical. They all, regardless of the era, have had a main focus on public policy issues, especially those that affect minorities and the poorer classes, and those that affect the middle and upper classes. Intricate issues, such as the country’s economic status, outline the democratic and the republican campaign.

Accordingly, the crisis that America faces today is comparable, as many have noted, to the Great Depression. With depression there comes a sense of urgency and panic by the American people, causing voters to study the opposing candidates, to find out which candidate best represents the American public. In the 2008 presidential race, not only has economics played a huge role, but the moral fiber of both candidates has been repeatedly exploited, revealing John McCain and Barack Obama’s position on the family.

There are four lucid issues that directly affect the family: the increase of federal taxes, outsourcing of jobs, the importance of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and parental consent for minors to have abortions. Seemingly, John McCain’s definition of the family is more conventional, nothing outside the box, very strict orderliness. McCain, as is standard of the Republican Party, values the wealth of the family. Thus, his views reflect those of the upper class. On the four aforementioned issues that affect the family, McCain will not raise federal taxes, which, in essence, insinuates that those who make the less will pay the most.

McCain also is for the outsourcing of jobs. Since the world is becoming more globalized, it is up to the American people to adjust. It is similar to Darwin’s survival of the fittest theory--only the strongest (richest) will be able to fully thrive in a globalized world. Furthermore, McCain is against setting a timetable for troop withdrawal. This is interesting because war in general severs the family. Finally, McCain does believe that minor’s should have parental consent to have abortions.

It promotes a healthy relationship between mother and daughter because the pregnant minor will no longer be able to hide her ignominy, but will have to face it along with mother, improving, for the most part, mother-daughter relationship. Conversely, Barack Obama’s view of the family is more loosely defined. Some of the same values as is found in McCain’s view of family, such as the orderliness, are found in Obama’s. However, he reaches out to a wider variety of families. He votes opposite of McCain on issues such as increasing federal taxes, outsourcing jobs, and bringing troops home in a timely manner.

These are issues that afflict a majority of families, poor, middle class, and in some instances, the upper class. Like McCain, Obama is pro parental consent. Both candidates have different values that makes them appealing. McCain’s ideals or geared toward keeping the wealthy content, while Obama is geared towards the rest of America. There may be just a slighter appeal for Obama when it comes to getting party voters to crossover simply because he represents, in principle, the party that is not directly responsible for America’s predicament, which many families can rejoice to.

ReferencesProCon.Org. http://2008election.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=1874