As the Democratic National Convention comes to an end this week in Charlotte, N.C., it’s worth noting that the Democratic Party has focused on addressing the improvement of the economic situation for the middle-class Americans, attacks in defense of President Barack Obama’s decisions thus far, and reminding voters of Obama “the family man” above his persona in the political arena.
Last week, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney accepted the Republican Party’s nomination during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. From Republican running mate Rep. Paul Ryan’s speech to actor Clint Eastwood’s speaking to an empty chair, it was an convention that attacked President Obama on making things worse during his four years in office, while preaching that Romney will rebuild a wrecked economy.
On Nov. 6, as people prepare to cast their vote, it is important for each voter to research the candidates in order to make an informed decision. Here is a glance of Obama’s and Romney’s views on the issues.
President Barack Obama
Jobs and the Economy
The president is taking steps to put Americans back to work and create an economy where hard work pays and responsibility is rewarded. He’s added back more than 4.5 million private sector jobs and seen 29 straight months of job growth. When Obama took office, he addressed the immediate economic crisis and laid the foundation for a revived U.S. economy.
Education
Obama has doubled investments in scholarships and financial aid so students from working and middle-class families can access and complete the college education they need to get the good jobs of the future. He’s also worked to raise K-12 standards, invest in teachers, and turn around low-performing schools so that children are prepared for college and careers. The Obama administration has fought to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of educators across the country.
Health care
Obama passed the Affordable Care Act to restore health care as a basic cornerstone of middle-class security in America. The Affordable Care Act will make health care more affordable for families and small businesses. When fully implemented, the Affordable Care Act will keep insurance companies from taking advantage of consumers – including denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and canceling coverage when someone gets sick. Because of the new law, 34 million more Americans will gain coverage. Once the law is fully implemented, about 95 percent of Americans under age 65 will have insurance.
National Defense
When Obama took office, the U.S. was engaged in two wars and faced terrorist threats at home and abroad. President Obama has refocused the security priorities to concentrate on the most serious threats facing the country, promote U.S. values, and improve U.S. standing in the world. He’s committed to strengthening America’s leadership by maintaining a strong military and staying true to the country’s values and ideals.
Taxes
Obama has cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses. One of the first things he did in office was cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. He has also signed 18 tax cuts for small businesses and extended the payroll tax cut for all American workers and their families, putting an extra $1,000 in the typical middle-class family’s pocket. The president has asked Congress to take action to reform the tax code and close tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires, as well as hedge fund managers, private jet owners and oil companies.
Values
Obama repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” ensuring that no one ever again has to lie about who they are to serve the country they love. The president signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, making progress in a decades-long battle for women to get equal pay for equal work. The Department of Justice revised the Americans with Disabilities Act rules to ensure newly designed, built, or renovated public facilities are accessible to all Americans.
Mitt Romney
Jobs and the Economy
Romney aims to rebuild the foundations of the American economy on the principles of free enterprise, hard work and innovation. His plan seeks to reduce taxes, spending, regulation and government programs. It is designed to increase trade, energy production, human capital, and labor flexibility. It relinquishes more power to the states instead of claiming the federal government has the solution to every problem.
Education
Romney believes that the long-term strategy for getting America’s economy back on track is ensuring a world-class education for American students. As governor of Massachusetts, he saw what states could do with a culture of high expectations, accountability for results, and increased parental choice. During the third year of his term, the state’s fourth and eighth grade students ranked first in the nation in both reading and math. Massachusetts was the first state to achieve this goal and has remained the nation’s educational leader to this day.
Health care
In place of the Affordable Care Act, Romney will pursue policies that give each state the power to craft a health care reform plan that is best for its own citizens. The federal government’s role will be to help markets work by creating a level playing field for competition. Romney will begin by returning states to be in charge of regulating local insurance markets and caring for the poor, uninsured and chronically ill.
National Defense
Romney will put the Navy on the path to increase its shipbuilding rate from nine per year to approximately 15 per year. He will also modernize and replace the aging inventories of the Air Force, Army and Marines, and selectively strengthen the force structure. And he will fully commit to a robust, multi-layered national ballistic-missile defense system to deter and defend against nuclear attacks on our homeland and our allies.
Taxes
Romney plans to lower marginal tax rates secure for all Americans the economic gains from tax reform by:
n Making permanent, across-the-board 20 percent cut in marginal rates.
n Maintaining current tax rates on interest, dividends, and capital gains.
n Eliminating taxes for taxpayers with AGI below $200,000 on interest, dividends, and capital gains.
n Eliminating the Death Tax.
n Repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).
Values
Romney is pro-life and believes that life begins at conception. He believes that the correct next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade – a ruling that allows abortion in some cases. With Roe overturned, states will be empowered through the democratic process to determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate. Romney believes it is important to preserve traditional marriage – the joining together of one man and one woman.
Positions obtained from candidate sites. For more information visit mittromney.com or barackobama.com.
