Political Comparison Chart
I’ve seen some emails going around making charts and comparisons with the campaign but after looking at the charts and “fact checking” it is obvious they are biased depending on who is sending the email. I took the general format and some issues and put both sides actual responses. I did not go into great detail to prevent myself from writing a book of replies. My information was taken from CNN.com.
2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS
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ISSUE |
JOHN McCAIN |
BARAK OBAMA |
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Favors new drilling offshore US |
Yes |
Yes (as of Aug 1st) |
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Afganistan |
Would send three additional brigades to Afghanistan and double the size of the Afghan army to 160,000 troops. |
Says he would send at least two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan and would seek greater contributions — with fewer restrictions — from NATO allies. |
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Gas Tax Holiday |
For |
Against |
|
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Amount of time served in the US Senate |
22 YEARS |
173 DAYS |
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Will institute a socialized national health care plan |
No |
Yes (not mandatory except for Children) |
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Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy |
No |
Yes |
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Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately |
No (at least til 2013) |
Yes (slowly thru 2010) |
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Guns (they agree on many points with guns) |
against assult weapons ban |
for assult weapons ban |
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Supports homosexual marriage Rights |
No |
Yes |
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Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase |
No |
Yes (for high income groups) |
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Minimum Wage |
Leave minimum wage at $7.25 an hour, |
Raise minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011 |
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Immigration |
both agree (Co-sponsored Bush-backed immigration reform legislation) |
both agree (Supported Bush-backed immigration reform legislation) |
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TAX (general) |
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MCCAIN |
Voted against 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cut laws, but later voted in favor of extending tax cuts through 2010. Says he would keep the current rates on dividends and capital gains, and maintain the current income and investment tax rates. Says he opposes a proposal supporters call the “Fair Tax,” which would repeal income taxes and other taxes and abolish the Internal Revenue, but has previously said he would sign it into law as president. Says he would double the child deduction from $3,500 to $7,000 and permanently repeal the alternative minimum tax. Says he would reduce the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Advocates raising the exemption from taxation on estates up to $10 million while cutting the tax rate to 15 percent. Proposes that a three-fifths majority vote in Congress be required to raise taxes. Says he would permit corporations to immediately deduct the cost of equipment investment. Would prohibit new cellular telephone taxes and ban Internet taxes. Wants to establish a permanent tax credit equal to 10 percent of wages spent on research and development. |
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|
OBAMA |
Opposed extending 2003 Bush tax cut law through 2010. Supports eliminating marriage penalty and extending child tax credit. Proposes a “making work pay” tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. Proposes eliminating income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 per year and eliminating all capital gains taxes on start-ups and small businesses. Says he would reform the child and dependent care tax credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for child care expenses. Favors tax cuts for middle-class workers and tax increases for top earners. Says he would restore the top two income tax rates to their pre-2001 levels of 36 percent and 39.6 percent. (Currently, they’re 33 percent and 35 percent.) Says he would maintain the estate tax but would freeze the estate tax exemption amount at $3.5 million. Proposes to create an “American opportunity tax credit,” which the Obama campaign describes as “a fully refundable credit” that “will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans and would cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university.” |
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Economic stimulus |
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MCCAIN |
Would lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Would allow first-year deduction of equipment and technology investments and establish a permanent research and development tax credit equal to 10 percent of wages spent on R&D. |
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|
OBAMA |
Would pump $75 billion into the economy via tax cuts and direct spending targeted to working families, seniors, homeowners and the unemployed. The plan also includes $45 billion in reserves that can be injected into the economy quickly in the future if the economy continues to deteriorate. Would provide an immediate $250 tax cut for workers and their families and an immediate, temporary $250 bonus to seniors in their Social Security checks. Would provide an additional $250 tax cut to workers and an additional $250 to seniors if the economy continues to worsen. Would extend and expand unemployment insurance. |
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Capital Gains & Estate Tax |
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MCCAIN |
Reduce the top estate tax rate to 15% from 55% – where it otherwise will be in 2011 under current law. Keep capital gains and dividend tax rates where they are. Preserve the 15% tax rate on carried interest – the cut that private equity and hedge fund managers take when the funds they manage make a profit. |
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|
OBAMA |
Tax carried interest as ordinary income rather than as an investment gain, thereby subjecting it to much higher tax rates than 15%. Freeze top estate tax rate at 45%. Raise capital gains and dividend tax rates to 20% from 15% for couples making more than $250,000 and singles making more than $200,000. |
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Health Care |
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MCCAIN |
Coverage would not be mandatory for anyone. Offer refundable tax credit for anyone who buys health insurance. Create a federally subsidized state-administered program to offer coverage for low-income people. |
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OBAMA |
Coverage would be mandatory for children. Offer an income-based federal subsidy for people who don’t get insurance from an employer or qualify for government plans like Medicaid. Create a national network of public and private plans for those without other access to insurance. Require employers to either offer a plan, help pay for employee costs or pay into a national health care network. |
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4 Comments
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Thank you so much for posting this! It’s hard to get through a lot of the bickering back and forth they do and figure out exactly how they stand on each issue. This helps a lot. And confirms my choice.
Will institute a socialized national health care plan
I think that this coice of words shows bias also. No one would ever call what they are proposing socialized.
And, the sad fact of the matter is it does not matter what they are “for”. The Congress has to approve whatever it is that is proposed, and although it is Dem controlled right now, I don’t think that is a majority that is here to stay.
Yeah, I agree with that statement. It was how it was worded in the chart I got. I changed most everything but that healthcare issue is so much bigger than that. This is from CNN-
Barack Obama
Would create a national health insurance program for individuals who do not have employer-provided health care and who do not qualify for other existing federal programs. Does not mandate individual coverage for all Americans, but requires coverage for all children. Allows individuals below age 25 to be covered through their parents’ plans.
Allows individuals to choose between the new public insurance program and private insurance plans that meet certain coverage standards. The Obama campaign Web site says the coverage would have benefits similar to those offered to Congress through the Federal Employees Benefits Program. Plan would expand eligibility for Medicaid and State’s Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Offer an income-based federal subsidy for people who don’t get insurance from an employer or qualify for government plans like Medicaid.
Obama estimates the cost at between $50 billion and $65 billion, to be paid for by eliminating Bush tax cuts for those earning over $250,000.
Regarding employer contributions toward healthcare costs, the Obama Web site states: “Employers that do not offer or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan.” The plan calls for small businesses to be exempt from the requirement and some could receive a tax credit that helps reduce healthcare costs, according to the Web site.
Says states can continue to experiment with health care plans as long as they meet the minimum standards of the national plan.
Proposes investing $10 billion a year during the next five years to implement standards-based electronic health information systems, which would include electronic health records.
Would allow Americans to purchase medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower than outside the United States. Says he would repeal the ban that prevents the U.S. from negotiating with drug companies
John McCain
Opposes federally mandated universal coverage. Believes competition will improve the quality of health insurance.
Supports health care tax dividends for low-income Americans, medical malpractice reform, improving electronic record-keeping, expanding health savings accounts, and encouraging small businesses to band together to negotiate lower rates with health care providers
McCain campaign Web site states, “Families should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines, and their policy should follow them from job to job.”
Says he would reform the tax code to offer choices beyond employee-based health insurance coverage. Under the plan, every family would receive a direct refundable tax credit for $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families.
Says he would work with governors to develop a “best practice model” that states can follow. The plan would “reflect the best experience of the states to ensure these patients have access to health coverage.”
Would increase awareness and promote the use of existing children’s health insurance programs while expanding community health centers.
Says he would foster greater competition in the drug markets “through safe re-importation of drugs and faster production of generic drugs.”
Says he would promote the rapid deployment of 21st century information systems and technology that allows doctors to practice across state lines.
Says on Web site that he would “pass medical liability reform that eliminates lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols”
This was very informative – thank you. However, as it’s been pointed out, a lot of the power to make any of these things happen is in Congress’ hands, and we need to really be also looking to who we’re electing to Congress.